Blogcritics Author: Roberta Ferguson

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Thin Is Not In

Roberta Ferguson — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:12:16 EDT

Madrid has a ban on overly thin or waif-like models in their top-level fashion show, The Pasarela Cibeles trade fair. Fearing their underweight bodies would project a negative self-image to the public, the organizers of the fashion week in Madrid say models who are 5 feet 9 inches tall have to weigh at least 123 pounds. How's that for a change in the industry?The body mass index is a tool for doctors who study obesity. It is calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared, then multiplying that total by 703. If the resulting number is between 18.5 and 24.9, the person’s weight is normal. Below 18.5 is underweight. In the case of the Madrid show, organizers rejected women with indices under 18.Being such a small portion of the industry, Spain does not dictate what the rest of the world wants to see. However, it is a step in the right direction. Young girls model their lives and bodies after what they see on the magazine racks, which is usually a gaunt woman who looks unhealthy, clad in a bikini. Experts say when young women strive to look like models, anorexia ensues.The move has been proclaimed as good news for younger and lesser-known models, who often force themselves to become thin and unhealthy in order to secure a place among the top models. Case in point: "Fashion is a mirror and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk," said regional official Concha Guerra. For now, Spain is concentrating their efforts on models portraying a healthy body image and their only concern is the quality of the work being presented. Will other cities follow? The mayor of Milan, Italy, Letizia Moratti, told an Italian newspaper this week she would seek a similar ban for her city's show unless it could find a solution to "sick" looking models. With symptoms such as shrunken bones, mineral loss, low body temperature, irregular heartbeat, permanent failure of normal growth, development of osteoporosis and bulimia nervosa, anorexia affects a lot of young women in the world. Cuca Solana, the organizer of the Pasarela Cibeles, was brought before the country's parliamentary commission for youth in April to defend the event against criticism that it pressures young women into losing weight. The Association of Fashion Designers of Spain said Friday it wanted models at the show running from Sept. 18-22 to project “an image of beauty and health” and shun a gaunt, emaciated look.One can only hope the industry is taking note of this bold move.

A snarky commentary on new music, politics, pop culture, and anything else of note. No holds barred. I'll give it to you straight, whatever the topic. Visit my music reviews website here

Busted Between Bars? Paris Makes Cuffs Couture

Roberta Ferguson — Fri, 8 Sep 2006 01:29:21 EDT

Thursday at 1:20 a.m., Paris Hilton was stopped for driving under the influence after driving erratically. "She was arrested, so yes, she failed the sobriety test," Los Angeles Police Officer Robert Andreno advised of the incident. Paris Hilton is a socialite, singer, actress, fashion model, and author. Her stardom started out with her being the heiress to the Hilton Hotel fortune as well as her father's real estate fortune. Dubbed a "celebutante" by the media, Paris is attempting to gain respect and maturity with the release of her album, Paris. The first single, "Stars are Blind," reminds me of a reggae track, a la Blondie. The video is set on the beach in black and white, where Paris and her lover frolick. Upon first hearing this song, I had no idea who it was, thinking it might be a mellowed out Gwen Stefani. Maybe I was giving Paris too much credit? Gwen Stefani has a ton of talent in comparison.In theory, the arrest could this help the sales of her new album by stretching her fifteen minutes of fame; or conversely, cause her sales to slump. Let's let sleeping dogs lay and watch this story unfold. The moral of the story: Stars are not blind to justice.

A snarky commentary on new music, politics, pop culture, and anything else of note. No holds barred. I'll give it to you straight, whatever the topic. Visit my music reviews website here

Bill Peirce and Bob Fritakis: Getting A Fair Shot

Roberta Ferguson — Thu, 7 Sep 2006 22:56:36 EDT

Some of you may not know these names, primarily because the mainstream media has decided not to include them in their stories when referring to gubernatorial candidates in Ohio. Bill Peirce (pronounced "purse") is the Libertarian candidate for Governor, and Bob Fitrakis is the Green party candidate. The Democrats and Republicans of the state would lead you to believe that there are only two choices for Governor, Democrat Ted Strickland, and Republican Ken Blackwell. The debate format decided among the 2006 Ohio's gubernatorial candidates was outlined by the League of Women Voters -- a non-profit organization that is supposed to remain non-partisan as well (arguably, including only major parties could be construed as segregationist, if not partisan in itself) -- requires that any candidate who wishes to participate must garner at least 15% in a "recognized" poll. Often, third party candidates are unable to get their names added to those polls, with no recourse other than to create their own "push polls." Neither candidate is taking the snubbing lying down, and they are gearing up to make it a central issue in the showdown with the major parties in Ohio. Peirce's campaign has recently made the issue a front-burner issue, issuing a "news flash" that claims both Blackwell and Strickland are "afraid" to debate the extremely well-educated economist. Fitrakis on the other hand has but one plea, loudly visible on his page, "Get Bob on the Stage!" What he means is that he and Peirce may not be allowed to debate, September 20, 2006, at the Cleveland Governor's Debate at noon. What Ohio needs is more choices, and Fitrakis and Peirce are viable choices. Please let them be heard. News Channel 5 anchor, Ted Henry, will serve as the moderator for the event. Email him here or contact the station directly at their website.[Roberta Ferguson is an avid supporter of the right to candidate knowledge and the Libertarian party, and this post was not sponsored by either candidate.]

A snarky commentary on new music, politics, pop culture, and anything else of note. No holds barred. I'll give it to you straight, whatever the topic. Visit my music reviews website here

Tom Sizemore Gets His Own Reality Show

Roberta Ferguson — Wed, 6 Sep 2006 17:56:20 EDT

Interestingly enough, Tom Sizemore will join the ranks of no-talents like Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton in getting his own reality show. Apparently VH1 feels this actor will make for either comedy gold, or a total flop. Either way, they will enjoy viewership, I'm sure.Sizemore is mostly remembered not for his movies, but for the eight hours of Internet sex tapes he starred in last year, although he has been in quite a few notable movies such as Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, and Natural Born Killers. It kind of makes me wonder what types of flicks he'll be doing next. Also of note was his role in the television series, China Beach. VH1 plans to tail the actor as he applies for acting jobs, including a BBC movie being filmed in Canada, which might turn out to be very interesting. Sizemore will be recall his violent and drug addicted past via film he shot himself, as he embarks upon a new and apparently novel phase of his life: sobriety. "You literally watch a man come unglued and unraveled from his own point of view," VH1 Senior Vice President Jeff Olde said of Sizemore. "He lays it all out there."The 44-year-old actor was convicted of physically abusing former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in 2003, and was sentenced to 17 months in jail. He also spent four months in a drug treatment facility after repeatedly failing drug tests last year. He was caught using a prosthetic penis sewn into his boxers and filled with a clean urine sample to fake the results of his drug tests.Verdict: I'll watch it like I watch Nascar, just to see him crash (or not).

A snarky commentary on new music, politics, pop culture, and anything else of note. No holds barred. I'll give it to you straight, whatever the topic. Visit my music reviews website here