KOOL THING

ITEM: Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have published a study showing that tobacco companies manipulate the amount of menthol in cigarettes to make those first few puffs more palatable to young smokers.

According to the study, in 1987 R.J. Reynolds identified low menthol varieties as a new strategy to recruit new, young smokers.

"First-time smoker reaction is generally negative," it said in a company document. "Initial negatives can be alleviated with a low level of menthol."

The tobacco industry’s response:

"It would appear this report is simply an effort to push support for federal regulation of the tobacco industry, not a scientific review of the menthol category," said David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds.

And no one knows proper science like RJ Reynolds. Just ask Nick Naylor.

Minty fresh,

This is dF

BARBIE THINKS YOU NEED A RIGHT GOOD SPANKING, SLUT

ITEM [via trillsie]: Mattel’s new collector’s edition Black Canary Barbie® is due out in September.

Cue the inevitable.



Oh, DO stop.

I’m not particularly interested in defending Barbie, and I’m not that big a fan of Black Canary as a character, either. But I do find it funny that people can look at this toy and say, “O look! Barbie is promoting S&M to children!” Especially when (1) most kids have no concept of what BDSM is, and certainly wouldn’t get it from a Barbie in a superhero outfit, and (2) no one’s ever said that about Black Canary, even though she (and her daughter) have been wearing that costume since 1947.

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dominatrix dress like this. Maybe I don’t get out enough. But I have five American dollars that says dominatrixes only wear an outfit like this on request (presumably from customers who want to be dominated by Black Canary).

Besides, a proper BDSM Barbie would look nothing like that.

( She'd look more like this... )

Show me the ropes,

This is dF