Something I learned today: “…the rear end is a repository for lactic acid buildup from all kinds of leg injuries.”
I had no idea. You never know what reading a lengthy, deep-dive story about a skeevy sex abuser of teens will turn up. It’s about a Mr. Clean Marine super-Christian ex-baseball player from West Michigan, Chad Curtis, who ended up — I know you will be as astonished by this as I was — to be a guy who basically wanted to paw teenage girls, and did, quite successfully. The fact nugget about lactic acid in the buttocks was offered at his trial as justification for why he had to knead the rumps of the girls he was doing “sports massage” on.
It’s a pretty icky story. I fear for women, even teenage girls, who will lie under the hands of a man who is clearly assaulting them and say nothing, because he’s such a good Christian, this can’t possibly be wrong. What are we failing to teach them? Or is this just the dark side of being female, with our self-effacement and pleasing others and other essential life skills? And of course there is this:
He asks if I’m familiar with the show Pretty Little Liars. He says he prays daily for his teenage accusers, all of whom had similar athletic builds and All-American good looks. He says all he was doing in that locked, windowless, dungeon-like training room was helping those girls recover from sports injuries. He says he took the same all-out approach to treating sports injuries as he did to playing baseball — “whether it was running into an outfield wall or breaking up a double play.”
As for why the girls thought otherwise, and accused him of touching their rear ends, breasts and, in one case, genitals, he doesn’t want to speculate: “I’ve been really discouraged by how often and how wrong people have assumed my motivations, so I’ll extend them that same courtesy,” he says.
He doesn’t mention that not a single boy testified to having gone down to the trainer’s room for similar treatment.
Yeesh.
Let’s skip through that ordeal, shall we? Did we all have a pleasant Tuesday? I did. There was work, and a dog walk, and kale for lunch, and two helpings of beans. I believe I will regret the second one. Swam most of a mile, and my “most” I mean in five more minutes I’d have broken that tape. Yay me. I read this, which is quite stirring and sobering in equal measure.
I spent the evening with Tom & Lorenzo. They’re so right about the Cambridges, especially Cathy’s silly hat (but fab coat). Lena Dunham, do you even own a comb? And Nicole Kidman, what are you doing with my dress? Box it up and send it to ME. Also, I wish Leslie Mann would just go away. Stop trying to make Leslie Mann happen, Judd Apatow! She’s not funny and looks like a stringy old chicken. Surely the Hollywood Wives Full Employment Act can find her a position where she isn’t actually in the movies.
Excuse me, but I spent the day looking at data. I need to spend the evening looking at frocks.
brian stouder said on April 9, 2014 at 7:01 am
Hey! I scored a 38% on Jeff’s 50-question,multiple choice poetry quiz (at the end of the last thread)…not bad for having guessed at more than 90% of the questions!
Aside from that, I’ll take a gander at the T&L stuff later today, but I’m already icked-out by the teen sex-abuser/predator; we’ll skip that one
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alex said on April 9, 2014 at 8:08 am
I only got through the story of the first girl when I decided I’d had enough of that self-serving sanctimonious ass. His prison term won’t be enough. His story is a window into the soul of an autocrat of the sort who has to control what others read or look at or listen to as he did with his teammates. He doesn’t trust others with sexually explicit materials because he doesn’t trust himself. And he compares his situation to the martyrdom of Christ. If there were any justice, his lack of remorse ought to automatically treble his sentence.
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Pam (the sister) said on April 9, 2014 at 8:38 am
Latifah looks so regal, a real Queen. Better than Nicole.
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Andrea said on April 9, 2014 at 9:15 am
OMG Alex! I am so with you. That is some amazing fortitude on display by the journalist who had to spend time with that sick creep. Thank goodness those girls were finally able to name what happened to them. I hope they get the support they need to heal from both the physical abuse and from the mindfuckery.
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Deborah said on April 9, 2014 at 9:41 am
All I can say is Lena Dunham looks better than her boss’s wife. Leslie Mann looks positively plastic.
Cathy C and Nicole look good in red. I’d look ghastly in what they’re wearing. I agree, Pam (ts) Queen Latifah is stunning, I saw her in person once when I was walking up the street in Chicago. Her skin glows.
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Connie said on April 9, 2014 at 9:44 am
I scored 59% on the poetry test and was quite disappointed in myself. I just don’t know much about the woman poets listed. I was amused by the question that provided J. Alfred Prufrock as one of the poet choices.
Of all those clothes what I want is Latifah’s shirt.
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Bob (not Greene) said on April 9, 2014 at 9:51 am
Does Lena Dunham try to look like a sack of potatoes on purpose? I’m beginning to think she does.
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Minnie said on April 9, 2014 at 9:56 am
Reposting from bottom of yesterday’s conversation: An embarassing 70% for this Writer’s Almanac reader. Lovely to start the day with so much poetry, though. Thanks, Jeff (tmmo).
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jerry said on April 9, 2014 at 10:22 am
76% but I made a good many guesses, especially on the female American poets. Some of them seemed so obvious but these things are always easy when you know the answer!
As for Curtis, it’s horrifying but we too often assume that the other person is professional and must be doing the right thing. A friend of ours, a sensible strong-minded woman, visited a physiotherapist some years ago and suddenly realised that if he continued as he was that she would be stark naked under his hands. He later was charged with indecent assault but was found not guilty. Very difficult when it is one word against another. He makes me wish there was an afterlife so he could suffer appropriately.
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Deborah said on April 9, 2014 at 10:32 am
I got halfway through the poetry quiz and my iPad crashed, when I started it up again I had lost all of what I had already done and since it told me the answer after each question it didn’t seem fair to try again. Damn iPad, it’s doing that a lot lately, especially when I connect to Facebook.
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brian stouder said on April 9, 2014 at 10:36 am
On the bright side, though, being a predatory animal is no barrier to political success in the Wisconsin statehouse!
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Heather said on April 9, 2014 at 11:05 am
I love the logic and mental gymnastics of these religious child-molester types: “I am a good and Godly person; therefore, I could not possibly do something as horrible as they say I did.”
I listened to an interview with Lena Dunham on Marc Maron’s podcast (does anyone listen to it? it’s really good) and I like her more and more. Sure, I kind of resent her success a little because she hardly had to scrabble for it, but she is obviously very talented, driven, smart, and funny. And a lot more confident and articulate than I was at her age, that is for sure.
I don’t mind her hair so much in those images (my own hair is often messy–hey, it’s the cool French bedhead look!) but yeah, I don’t like that dress on her. I thought she looked really good in the Vogue photos. She looks better in things that define her waist more.
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Joe Kobiela said on April 9, 2014 at 11:14 am
Leslie Mann could eat corn on the cob thru a picket fence.
Pilot Joe
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Jolene said on April 9, 2014 at 11:42 am
Have you heard about the stabbing at the school near Pittsburgh? Am surprised tbat no one was able to stop him before he stabbed the twentieth person.
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brian stouder said on April 9, 2014 at 11:47 am
Joene, wow.
The gun nuts will come out and say “See, we need knife control, too!” – to which I will answer – I’d rather have to deal with a lunatic with a knife, than that same guy with an automatic weapon and a ruck-sack full of ammo
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Jolene said on April 9, 2014 at 11:59 am
Brian, I saw that comment almost immediately, but the key point is: No one died. Big difference from situations in which guns are used.
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mark said on April 9, 2014 at 12:04 pm
Here’s an interesting, newly available site: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/09/health/medicare-doctor-database.html?_r=0
Good way to waste a few hours.
I hope it shines a little light on some of the bigger cockroaches in the medical community. The WSJ article provides information on average payments by specialty. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303456104579490043350808268
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nancy said on April 9, 2014 at 12:07 pm
Wonkblog has a good explanation of why ophthalmologists claimed so much. One word: Pharmaceuticals. (I am shocked. Shocked, I say.) I was going to blog it tomorrow, but here you go.
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brian stouder said on April 9, 2014 at 12:28 pm
BZZZZT!!
Point of order –
You can STILL blog it tomorrow!
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susan said on April 9, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Mark @17
You can go directly to the Medicare site so that you don’t have to register with the New York Times. It irritates me that the NYT doesn’t include the link, which is here.
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beb said on April 9, 2014 at 1:39 pm
I remember reading about Lucentis vs Avastin once before, though not in the context of how many millions individual doctors are making for prescribing the more expensive Lucentis. It is outrageous that drug companies can charge so much. Or that the United States government is deliberately barred from trying to negotiate better prices. This is the kind of corporate welfare that needs to be eliminated.
I wish there was a special Hell for people who try to wrap themselves in their religion as a defense against their criminal (usually sexual) actions.
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Sue said on April 9, 2014 at 2:20 pm
I can’t bring myself to read the predator story, but it kindasorta sounds like the Pistorius story with an extra helping of Christian victimhood thrown in. I know, Oscar is innocent until proven guilty but I think he is totally sincere in his new belief that the woman he killed was his everlasting soulmate and he really truly thought it was someone else behind that door. Some of his statements are just psycho creepy in my opinion.
And for some reason, every time I see Lena I just want to roll my eyes, not sure why. The tattoos that looks like growths more than body art are distracting and the whole nakednakednaked thing seems excessive. She probably deserves lots of credit for being smart and awesome and stuff but she just looks like some of my kids’ more stupid friends.
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Minnie said on April 9, 2014 at 2:28 pm
Atoned for my disappointing poetry quiz score by going over to the community college library at midday. Poet Rupert Fike read/performed his work, an entertaining and thought-provoking hour.
When my eye doctor prescribed an outrageously expensive drug for a problem handled well by OTC palliatives, I refused to fill it. Pissed him off, which made me suspicious.
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Dave said on April 9, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Deborah, my wife frequently has Ipad issues with Facebook and we’ve not a clue why. This week, our son told her to delete the app and reload it. Seems to be working so far.
Unlike most quizzes, I didn’t even look at the poetry quiz, thinking it would be hopeless.
I’m sure somewhere it’s being said that one good person with a gun would stop a bad person with a knife. Down here in FLA, where we’re still camped out, the well-paid off legislature seems to be making it ever easier to carry a gun everywhere. Well, except for in the capital in Tallahassee.
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Jolene said on April 9, 2014 at 2:59 pm
Just clicked on the memorial service at Ft. Hood. Surprised to see officers w/ speaking roles wearing camos. Would have thought the occasion would call for dress uniforms. Anyone know why “everyday” uniforms would be worn for a solemn occasion?
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coozledad said on April 9, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Oh for fuck’s sake fuck this and fuck Republicans for fucking ever. I hope a wall of harm descends upon them and their right to be the worst humans their evil god will let them be.
http://orlandoweekly.com/news/the-perils-of-florida-s-refusal-to-expand-medicaid-1.1665144
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Deborah said on April 9, 2014 at 5:32 pm
Oh for fuck sake is right, Coozledad. I am so thankful that Little Bird has healthcare now, in case something catastrophic happens, she’s set. Unless the Republicans ruin it. Honestly, if that comes about I will never, ever speak to my rightwing sister again. Seriously.
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Deborah said on April 9, 2014 at 5:42 pm
I just got an attachment for the KitchenAid mixer that makes extruded pasta, like macaroni, penne and fusilli. We already have a separate pasta machine that makes the long roll and cut kind (like fettuccini). We’re making fusilli right now. This summer I’m going to get the attachment that makes ice cream. After that, the attachment that grinds meat etc. How did I go so long with only using the KitchenAid to mix things like cake batter?
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Jill said on April 9, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Deborah, someone gave me the chopping, slicing and grating attachments and now I’m asking myself the same question.
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Bob (not Greene) said on April 9, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Deborah, the meat grinder attachment is great. Grinding your own meat for hamburgers makes an amazing difference.
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MichaelG said on April 9, 2014 at 6:10 pm
Deborah, I’ve had that meat grinder attachment for years. It is great for hamburger. I get beef ribs and chuck at the used meat counter. Yum.
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Jolene said on April 9, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Used meat, MichaelG?
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Charlotte said on April 9, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Took the poetry quiz but had browser problems with it and couldn’t get my score — probably only in the 80s? I might have a PhD in English but I can’t tell the bloody Romantics apart to save my life. They drive me batty.
And the Lena Dunham thing — she always looks like she’s trying to look bad on the red carpet, but she’s absolutely charming in interviews. Her episode of WTF with Marc Maron was really smart and warm and not at all like the sort of bratty persona she projects. I’m looking forward to watching her as she grows up artistically …
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Deborah said on April 9, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Well it turns out that cleaning the extruder disk is a bit of a bitch, they say to let it dry overnight and brush out the next day. That bugs me but the pasta looks good, will be cooking it soon with pesto and sundered tomatoes on top. We have a dough hook for making bread and pasta dough too, have had that for awhile. It’s sooooo easy that way.
Yeah, I’m curious MichaelG, like Jolene said “used meat” ?
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David C. said on April 9, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Deborah, find an old Kitchenaid grinder on e-bay. The new plastic ones are junk. Ours was broken after less than 6 months.
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brian stouder said on April 9, 2014 at 7:56 pm
I’m thinkin’ “used meat” means the day-old/mark-down area, which I never hesitate to buy from. Meat is meat is meat
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Dorothy said on April 9, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Did anyone else watch the PBS special on the Dave Clark Five last night? I saw the last half hour live so I recorded the repeat at 2 am. I’m loving the music. And atom Hanks’ enthusiastic introduction of them at the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of a Fame.
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MichaelG said on April 9, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Most supermarkets have a spot where they feature meat that has just passed the sell by date and offer it at reduced prices. We’ve always just called it the used meat case. I guess it sounds kind of bad.
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Dorothy said on April 9, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Tom, not atom.
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susan said on April 9, 2014 at 8:26 pm
Deborah- Try to find the grain mill attachment. Especially if you like to make bread. THAT is probably the attachment I use third most (to the whipper & paddle thingy). What a taste and texture difference using fresh ground flours. You can mess around and grind all kinds of things with it. I’ve ground split peas and made flat bread out the flour; I call it split peata. It’s bilious bright green and tastes wonderful.
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Suzanne said on April 9, 2014 at 9:45 pm
I admit I have never heard of Leslie Mann.
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Deborah said on April 9, 2014 at 10:07 pm
So much good advice about how to use the KitchenAid, can’t wait to try all of them. Of course the attachments are pretty pricey so I have to space them out. David C, I will take your advice about trying eBay where I might find the original metal grinder rather than the newer plastic one. Part of my interest in all of this stems from my nn.c inspired one word New Year’s resolution which was “reduce”. I wanted to spend less, make more things from scratch instead of buying prepared food items like bread, crackers, pasta etc. But making those things is time consuming and downright tedious unless you have some of these devices. My hope is that I will invest in some equipment that down the road will pay for itself and more. And not just the bottom line financial end but in quality and taste as well.
MichaelG, thanks for the “used meat” explanation. That will go down as my forever after term for it, just as “Doris Day” parking has for that.
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basset said on April 10, 2014 at 7:56 am
Jolene@25, I would think dress uniforms would set the wrong tone for the event… better the speakers should look like they’re working and dealing with the situation.
Dorothy@37, we watched the DC5 and I thought it was really well done, didn’t particularly need Tom Hanks getting all excited though. I knew Dave Clark handled the business and had hung onto the rights to the songs, not in so much detail though… thought it was really interesting. Sharon Osbourne’s father was Don Arden, a big-time rock band manager back in those days. He would surely have some stories if he was still alive to tell them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Arden
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