The long decline continues for Roger Clemens as the New York Daily News today reports that sources tell them the very married Clemens had a lengthy affair with country star Mindy McCready. The affair is alleged to have begun when Clemens was a 28-year-old star with the Red Sox and McCready was 15 years old.

Yes, you read that correctly.

(Hat tip, Baseball Musings and The Big Lead)

4/28/2008 2:56:43 PM by Ryan Stewart | Comments [0] |  

Happy Mental Detox week! Yeah, so Mental Detox week began on Monday and I have yet to actually turn anything off - or at least the things that AdBusters, who launched the original TV Turn-Off week (now renamed Mental Detox Week) back in 1994, want me to. AdBusters has changed the guidelines to be both more forgiving and more inclusive. Sign of the times: I actually (unintentionally) haven't turned on my TV at all this week, which means if it was still plain-old TV Turn-Off Week, I'd be all "Hey, no problem! I can go without TV easily," but the Internet?! Here's the thing, a job that requires staring at Snap Judgments and bus stop street art on the Internets all day + IFFB + newly downloaded episodes of My So-Called Life, which I can't believe I'm still obsessing over, via Miro + Does seeing live music count? Because I've already done that twice this week = Too Many Complications for Mental Detoxification. FAIL.

Here's what AdBusters wants me to do:

"Today you’re not going to listen to your iPod. You aren’t going to stare at a computer screen any more than you absolutely have to. Today you won’t worry about unanswered email, and you’re not going to login to Facebook. You’ll cut the time you spend on digital devices right down to the bone.

In the evening maybe you will watch your favorite TV show for an hour, but after that you switch off, have a conversation, wash the dishes, read for a bit, and just relax. You do that for five days, and then on Friday night you make a decision to unplug completely for the whole weekend.

For a couple of days you might feel like an addict in withdrawal: peevish, agitated, and distracted. But then something will happen. Your over-stimulated brain will cleanse itself. You’ll relax. You’ll feel calmer, more grounded."

The fact that all of this is posted on a website (and now I'm reposting it on a blog) is sort of cloaked in irony - how are we supposed to spread the word about Mental Detox Week and actually detox at the same time? Smoke signals? Snail-mail chain letters? Don't get me wrong, Mental Detox week would be great if I could take the week off and go camping at Yosemite, gather a group of friends and a cooler of cold beverages (but no road-tripping tunes, of course!!), but I can't. I guess this is just my way of saying "Hi, My name is Caitlin, and I'm addicted to glorious, musical, visually-stimulating technology, AKA mental toxins."

-- Caitlin E. Curran

4/24/2008 12:43:37 PM by Will Spitz | Comments [0] |  

Serious drama is afoot in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We wrote about what the end of the series meant for some local HP disciples last summer, but there's a new, extremely serious rift in superfan land happening right now. It's between author J.K. Rowling and Steven Jan Vander Ark, a sweet 50-year-old librarian and who runs the obsessive Harry Potter Lexicon, a go-to HP online encylopedia. Even Rowling has used it, she has said, when writing on the road and without her own books to refer to. She even gave the Lexicon her fan site award a few years back. Recently, after Rowling learned that Vander Ark had been tapped by the tiny RDR Books to publish the Lexicon as an HP encyclopedia, she decided to sue for copyright infringement. You see, she's planning on penning her own Harry Potter glossery, and assumes nobody will care to purchase hers if they've already got Vander Ark's! Plus, the billionaire author contends the print verrsion of the site merely repackages her own work, and unlike a free site, is intended to churn out a profit.

The Leaky Cauldron, one of the top HP fan sites, has severed ties with the Lexicon -- they'd previously maintained a friendly webby allegiance grounded in HP love. But it hasn't stopped there. The Times reports on the heartbreak:

On the witness stand in Federal District Court, he [Vander Ark] portrayed the famous writer as his idol, his true literary love, who had been unaccountably bewitched by the evil, money-grubbing forces of publishing, like one of Voldemort’s vassals. One day, he testified, Ms. Rowling was singling out his Harry Potter Lexicon Web site, out of “hundreds of thousands” of Potter fan sites on the Web, for praise; the next, she was accusing him of plagiarism for wanting to turn it into a book.

“I did,” Mr. Vander Ark said, his face reddening, as he turned away from Ms. Rowling, who was sitting 10 feet away at the plaintiff’s table, listening intently.

Then he burst out crying. “Sorry,” he said, regaining his composure. “It’s been difficult because there’s been a lot of criticism, obviously, and that was never the intention.”

Rowling has a real knack toying with her fans' emotions. This is upsetting, considering some of us still aren't over Dumbledore.

4/16/2008 10:33:43 AM by Sharon Steel | Comments [0] |  

Last week, Slate's video editor Andy Bowers posted a video of his self-nominated "Stupidest Bike Lane in America," a lane in Western Los Angeles that runs a mere 275 feet before disappearing suddenly and completely amidst busy LA traffic - sort of a "Fuck off" to bikers from LA road officials. The video:



It's undoubtedly a dangerous gaffe by non-bike minded road planners but, as many Boston bikers were eager to point out on the Critical Mass e-mail list over the weekend, any local biker has probably seen worse. Ever tried to bike through Harvard Square? Lanes disappear, then re-appear, vanish into sidewalks with high curbs, mysteriously transfer to the opposite side of the road, or are wholly swallowed by construction sites. And that's Cambridge, which is decidedly the most bike-friendly part of the city. Any downtown, Back Bay, or Allston cyclist considers bike lanes an uncommon treat. Still, what's the point of even having a bike lane if it could possibly be more dangerous - blindly leading bikers to a dead end - then no bike lane at all?

-Caitlin E. Curran

3/31/2008 10:53:50 AM by Will Spitz | Comments [0] |  

I'm delighted that the Telegraph decided to feature Crystal Renn, an extraordinarily successful plus-size model, in a feature today. But here's what I don't get. This is how writer Judy Rumbold opens her piece:

To be honest, I expected Crystal Renn to be bigger. All right then, fatter. In the mind's eye, the term 'plus-size model' is liberally coated in doughnut batter, and I had her down as a gloriously buxom woman-mountain. Along with a name that sounds as if it's jumped off the embossed-foil cover of a Danielle Steel bodice-ripper, I'm anticipating a formidably blowsy, lipsticky package.

That's the lede that she chose to draw the reader in? Which can only mean, of course, that she assumes that we assume that any story about a plus-size model must be discussing an overweight cow who is just talented enough to be the Big Girl poster child for the commercial side of the industry. Shut The Fuck Up, please -- who are you, Rumbold, the fashion scribe version of the Pick-Up Artist? We don't need to be negged into understanding what you're talking about, lady. What a stupid, dim-witted way of getting to the point. After being told to lose 10 inches off her hips or lose out on a modeling contract, Renn became anorexic. Then:

She soon became withdrawn and neurotic, lying to her grandmother and friends about the extent to which she was starving herself. While everyone close to her thought she looked like death, the agency was thrilled. 'They were, like, "You look fabulous!"' But not quite fabulous enough. With a swimwear shoot looming, she forced herself to work out for nine hours, two days in a row - 'My body literally felt like it was crumbling' - before seeing her bookers again. 'They looked me up and down and said, "Your legs. You need to bring your legs down."'

Renn switched her contract to Ford. Since gaining back her normal weight -- she is a hot, curvy 20-something who gives ScarJo a run for her money -- she's appeared in Vogue, and, has shot ads for Saks, Nine West, and other assorted editorial campaigns. But how nice that no matter how far she's come, the Telegraph can't simply call her a size 16. They have to call her a "healthy" size 16, with the subtext of "healthy" meaning large. You know, fat. But pretty all the same!

This is gross, gross, gross, and terrible, particularly after Ali Michael was shunned over her "fat" legs in Paris last week. Thanks, Telegraph, for feeding the clusterfuck. You know things are right with the world when teenagers are giving themselves body dysmorphic disorders over five pounds.

3/3/2008 5:59:32 PM by Sharon Steel | Comments [1] |  

Christina Binkley's style piece in today's Wall Street Journal arrived just in time to close National Eating Disorders Awareness Week -- and also to remind me of the fact that as much as I love fashion, shit is fucked up.

Ali Michael is 17-years-old. You may have recalled seeing her pose half-naked in this T: Style spread that offended a great many people. Or perhaps you just saw pictures of her stomping down the runways at countless major shows last year. Suffice to say she was hailed as a great new talent, or, as the Journal puts it, "last season's model du jour." Indeed, the spotlight never shines for long on one pretty girl.


What is wrong with our culture?

While I tend agree with writer Aimee Liu (Solitaire, Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders) -- who I interviewed over here yesterday -- that the fashion industry shouldn't be held solely responsible for the pervasiveness of eating disorders among young women, I'm horrified by how hard it toils to shatter this notion. For one every one, tiny step forward, we're rebuked with an entire roadtrip's worth of steps back. It's shameful. It's embarrassing. And it's unforgivable. Bravo has done a lovely job of orchestrating a continued search for the next great American designer. What about the way current American designers look at the things they're creating and the stereotypes they're falling victim to?

But it isn't fair to just blame a few designers. In the U.S., France and Italy, casting directors, fashion designers, show overseers and fashion magazines move en masse, and no one is using models who look like models did 20 years ago. In her day, the aptly named Twiggy seemed wildly thin -- but she would look oversized on today's runways.

It's hard to imagine Miss Michael, a willowy, 5-foot-9-inch teenager, being told her legs are too fat. Last season, Miss Michael made herself sick keeping her weight down, said her mother. Miss Michael's reward was to be heralded as the next supermodel.

I make a point of never apologizing for the fact that I believe fashion is an art form. But when read things like that, or awful, depressing things like this, I ask myself how I plan on justifying my adoration for something so beautiful that seems to take such delight in perpetuating its own sickening image.

Lame.

2/28/2008 3:03:39 PM by Sharon Steel | Comments [0] |  

RAIN ON THEIR PARADE
5 years ago
February 21, 2003| Seth Gitell wondered if the imminent invasion of Iraq could turn into a quagmire of urban combat like the 1993 debacle in Mogadishu, Somalia.
“There are scores of optimists (mainly in the Pentagon) who believe the Iraqi army will evaporate into the ether. According to this optimistic scenario, the American entry into Baghdad will resemble the Allied liberation of Paris in 1944. Most experts believe US forces will quickly take control of the countryside, an event, they figure, that will have a demoralizing effect on the rest of the Iraqi military. ‘When an army loses the countryside and finds itself reduced to just defending a couple key cities, they tend to just melt away,’ says retired Marine Corps general Bernard Trainor, a senior MSNBC military analyst.

“But what if that doesn’t happen? Baghdad is a city of almost five million people; it’s roughly the size of Chicago. While most military experts don’t think the ordinary citizenry will take up arms (if they even have them) in Hussein’s defense, the dense urban environment could provide formidable cover for members of Iraq’s Special units, including its Special Republican Guard and various intelligence services. ...

“The US has good reason to fear city battles. The last time American soldiers fought in a city, in 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, the US lost 18 servicemen, in a battle that saw some of their bodies dragged through the streets. Even though they were ultimately victorious, the difficulty American troops had in securing the Vietnamese city of Hue during the Tet Offensive in 1968 (remember the combat scenes in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket?) helped the public lose confidence in the war in Vietnam.” Read Article here
 
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
10 years ago
February 20, 1998 | The Phoenix commiserated on Mayor Thomas Menino’s public smoking ban proposal.
“There is no compelling reason for this kind of far-reaching change. The ratio of smoking seats to non-smoking ones already tilts heavily in favor of those who don’t smoke. Some establishments ban smoking entirely. And the few that do cater to more tobacco-loving crowds still obey government guidelines. Choices abound for diners. ...
...
“Boston is supposed to be a sophisticated city, not a nanny state. Let businesspeople decide how to best meet the demands of the public. And let the public make up its own mind about where it wants to eat and drink.” Read Article here

HEAR THEM ROAR
25 years ago
February 22, 1983 | Alan Lupo wrote about the growing clout of the Hispanic community in Boston.
“ ‘The only power we have is through the ballot,’ says Maria Sanchez, a social worker who spends her time off registering her Latino neighbors in the sprawling Mission Hill projects. When Sanchez arrived there, nine years ago, very few were registered. She began knocking on doors, driving around with a loudspeaker on her car encouraging neighbors to register and to vote, and taking people to the polls. Now, she estimates, about 75 percent of the potential voters are registered. To her, there is a direct connection between voting and getting services. ‘Politicians have told me that people in public housing don’t vote. The funding comes to neighborhoods with registered voters who vote. I can’t tell a person to vote and she’ll get the food the next day. I’m talking in general — politicians are concerned with neighborhoods that do vote.’ ” Read Article here

QUICK STUDY
35 years ago
February 20, 1973 | Charlie McCollum sounded off on the city budget.
“Governmental budgets are the funniest animals. The federal budget is all but incomprehensible and it can be years before the general public and the Congress find out they have been dealt a dirty hand by some bureaucrat. The state budget is only slightly more understandable. That budget, a state rep once observed, is designed for maximum confusion and minimum comprehension.

“And then there’s the budget for the City of Boston. The federals can spend billions on useless jet planes and petty dictatorships. The state can pour millions down Account 03 tubes. But the city catches all the flak. Budget allocations for police, schools, firemen and street repairs are far more comprehensible to the average city dweller than the defense budget and 03 accounts. When state and federal taxes go up, the average citizen shouts. When Boston property taxes go up, he screams.”

2/21/2008 12:53:24 PM by Ian Sands | Comments [0] |  

I just discovered this handy, helpful chart on the Project Runway Season 4 wiki page, whilst dreamily envisioning what fashion challenges our beloved contestents might encounter on tonight's episode. (Who needs writers when we've still got the two best shows on television, Proj Run and History Detectives?). [Ed. note - You're a writer.] Oh, right. Nevermind. I <3 writers. Anyway, here's the chart:

This is the squinty, mini version, of course. For the real thing, look here. So, let's get out our pointers and consult the cold hard facts of the chart, shall we? Judging solely on wins, Christian, Jillian, Rami and Victorya seem to be the top contenders, although Kevin ranked high scores for four out of seven challenges - but now he's out. My money for winner is on Jillian or Christian, even though he's ranked low on two challenges - the judges just don't understand sometimes, ya know? I mean, Nina Garcia never changes her effing hairstyle! Does anyone else notice this? Why is it always down? Never a casual ponytail, or maybe a Chanel scarf. Nope, nothing - totally boring. And Heidi flops between dramatic hairstyles like they're sticks of Juicy Fruit. Nina, it's a show about fashion, live it up a little! How can we trust you in that repetitive, vanilla 'do? I digress, back to investigating the chart. The next one out, according to lowest scores, should be Rami (Rami! He's so complex), Sweet P (but I'd miss her funny commentary!), and Ricky. Ah, Ricky. How has he possibly made it this far? Is he bribing someone at Bravo? Does nobody notice these horrible mesh, male escortish police hats he wears every day? I'll bet you $15 worth of Mode fabrics that he'll be out tonight. I miss Kit already.

1/23/2008 11:42:00 AM by Caitlin | Comments [0] |  

Apparently, the "way to happiness" isn't a Project Runway marathon or a really good, healthy relationship or a nice vacation or your dream job. It's Scientology, 'course! And Tommy Cruise is here to explain it all to you over the eerie strains of the Mission Impossible soundtrack. Gawker is currently hosting an exclusive Cruise Scientology Indoctrination video, and we urge you to go watch the entire thing. The ending is almost as good as the crazy meat-and-potatoes of the first 9 or so minutes. Also, if you're confused about some of the terms Cruise uses (SP, PTSP, etc.) head over to this Fresh Intelligence post over at Radar, where a helpful former-Scientologist gives us a little abbreviation lesson in the comments section. If you want to make yourself feel even scared-ier after watching the video, read Dana Goodyear's account of what it's like to eat a meal in the Scientology Celebrity Center. L. Ron Hubbard's minions are buying up Hollywood Blvd. faster than Harvard is signing the leases to every building in Lower Allston.

By the way, what the fug happened to Katie Holmes? She used to be witty. And now she doesn't even have the heart to move the stupid piece of hair that's stuck in her lipgloss during a Letterman interview. Dark times, these.

1/15/2008 1:17:57 PM by Sharon Steel | Comments [0] |  

Playing catch up on Jezebel, I caught this horrifying freakshow of Bindi Irwin rapping about the jungle book, grizzlies, and orangutans on Today. The fact that her mother let this happen makes me want to hurt someone. This girl needs a Degrassi marathon and some pants that aren't pedal-pushers. More importantly, therapy. And more time to grieve for her father OFF the camera. Stat. Thanks.

11/27/2007 1:45:49 PM by Sharon Steel | Comments [1] |