Romney Offspring Edition

August 31, 2012

From our Its Good to Live in a Two-Times Co. desk

It’s the spawn of a new day for the GOP.

Yesterday’s New York Times:

5 Young Romneys: Who’s the Cutest?

It was the question that smitten young women debated almost 50 years ago: Which Beatle was the cutest?

At the Republican convention this week, the question is: Which of Mitt Romney’s five sons sends you swooning?

Hold on – we might have an answer from their wives!

From yesterday’s Boston Globe:

Daughters-in-law pay tribute to Ann Romney

TAMPA – Laurie Romney was at the Romney household years ago when she was in the kitchen and spied a perfect-looking peach pie on the counter, complete with a carefully-constructed lattice top.

“I literally thought to myself, ‘I cannot marry into this family,’ ” she said on Wednesday morning. “Because I could never do that.”

During a tribute to the potential future first lady on Wednesday morning, all five of Ann Romney’s daughters-in-law took the microphone for brief remarks. It was a rare instance where they were in the public eye, in a week when their husbands are frequently the ones on television.

Further on, there was this:

They kidded each other over whose husband was better looking. “As my grandma always says, he’s the cutest Romney boy out of all five,” Laurie Romney said of Matt. “I disagree with Laurie,” said Jen Romney. “I think I’m married to the cutest one of all. I’m married to Josh. Yeah, Josh!”

Mary Romney, who married Craig, noted, “I am married to the baby of the family, Craig.”

“I’m married to the blond one,” said Andelyne Romney, who married Ben. “The one that stands out. That kind of resembles Ann, and I call the smart one.”

Helpful video via Buzzfeed:

 

The hardreading staff’s verdict: They’re all the cutest.

 

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Doing the McKayla Edition

August 30, 2012

From yesterday’s Boston Herald Inside Track:

Tracked down: Maria Menounos, Larry David, Rajon Rondo and more . . .

Medford homegirl Maria Menounos hanging with Olympic gymnast Mckayla Maroney on the “Extra” set in LA..

 

For once, the Track Gals (and Megan!) missed the joke.

But the Boston Globe Namesniks didn’t.

Doing the McKayla

Everywhere she goes, it seems, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney (left) has to makes the same sour expression she famously made during the medal ceremony in London. But, now, it’s all in fun. This week, while filming a segment for “Extra,” Maroney and Medford’s Maria Menounos pursed their lips in mock disappointment.

Score one for the Boring Broadsheet.

 

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Tampa Your Enthusiasm Edition

August 29, 2012

It’s true that both local dailies are covering the Republican National Convention in Florida, but they’re hardly covering it the same way.

The Boston Globe: Dutiful.

The Boston Herald: Exuberant.

Start on Page One (via The Newseum’s Today’s Front Pages):

 

 

Words warm and combative? Hey, somebody passed their Headlines as a Second Language course.

But . . . compare and contrast the crosstown version in clear idiomatic English:

 

 

That’s more like it, eh?

As for resources devoted to convention coverage, the hardcounting staff  has the Globe with five reporters and two columnists (and Is He or Isn’t He Callum Borchers, who gets a Tampa dateline here but not here).

The Herald seems to have deployed two reporters and two columnists (and Is He or Isn’t He Peter Gelzinis, who isn’t but sounds like he is).

Beyond sheer numbers, though – and proportionally the Herald is probably neck-and-neck with the Globe – there’s a distinct enthusiasm gap between the two papers. The Herald, for example, is running this series:

Warren’s take: Wrong priorities from Brown’s party

Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is commenting on the Republican National Convention all week. Here’s her latest installment.

The opening night of the Republican Convention showed that Scott Brown’s party has the wrong priorities for Massachusetts . . .

Blah blah blah.

Wait – the Herald hired Warren to write this series? The hardreading staff is investigating.

Meanwhile, the Herald also has a UMass Lowell student (Corey Lanier, come on down!) blogging from Tampa, and a whole bunch of reader comments punctuating their coverage.

So far, the Herald is winning this bakeoff – easily.

 

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Showing Their Primary Colors Edition

August 28, 2012

The local dailies have started issuing their endorsements in advance of next Tuesday’s Massachusetts primary elections.

From the Boston Herald:

Second time around

We’re always pleased when candidates who fell short in their first attempt at winning public office return to the political arena. They’re more seasoned, for starters, but a second attempt also proves a deep commitment to the office they seek. Republican primary voters in the newly-drawn 3rd and 4th congressional districts have an opportunity to reward that tenacity.

In the 4th congressional district, three Republicans are in the race for the open seat. The Herald is pleased to renew its endorsement of Sean Bielat of Norfolk for the GOP nomination.

There’s also an endorsement of businessman Jon Golnik, “[who] is making his second attempt to unseat incumbent Democratic Rep. Niki Tsongas” in the 3rd congressional district.

From the Boston Globe:

Barrett for Democrats, Howes for Republicans in 3rd Middlesex Senate race

Five talented candidates are competing for the Democratic nomination for an open state Senate seat in the Third Middlesex District. Voters in the Sept. 6 primary really can’t go wrong. But Michael Barrett of Lexington stands out for his political experience, private-sector acumen, and evident enthusiasm . . .

In the Republican primary, Concord selectman Gregory Howes is a self-described “Yankee Republican’’ who understands the need for a safety net but believes state government can provide needed services while still controlling costs. He cites his own role in protecting town services without the need for an override of Proposition 2 1/2. As a pro-choice candidate who supports gay marriage, Howes is a better fit for the district than his more conservative rival Sandi Martinez of Chelmsford.

We’ll keep ’em coming as long as they do.

 

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Times Eats Globe’s Back-to-School-Dust Edition

August 28, 2012

From our It’s Good to Live in a Two-Times Co. Town desk

New York Times August 27 edition:

These Days, It’s Back to School, Then Shopping

Samantha Paradise is starting eighth grade in Manhattan next week, but she won’t be decked out in all new gear on the first day.

At 13, Samantha doesn’t want to be stuck with untrendy items, so she will wait to see if the Superga sneakers that were cool at summer camp are still in fashion, and whether her classmates choose JanSport backpacks or revive the Longchamp and LeSportsac bags from last year. “I don’t want to be the only one wearing a different kind of backpack,” she said.

In a shift that is upending retailers’ plans, many children, teenagers and their parents are delaying their school purchases. A desire to get the trends right accounts for some of the hesitation. But retailers and analysts say the sluggish economy and unusually hot weather have also made for a surprisingly slow start to the back-to-school spending season, one that was expected to be the strongest since before the recession.

Times kissin’ cousin Boston Globe August 24th edition:

Teens hold off on back-to-school shopping

Awilda Moscat walked out of the Forever 21 on Newbury Street with nothing but a pair of pants in her yellow shopping bag. Her friend Kim Ramon left empty-handed. At the peak of what is usually a frenzied time for back-to-school clothes shopping, the high school students feel no pressure to update their wardrobes for the first day of class.

“I want to wait and see if there’s anything new coming out during the year,” said Ramon, 15, of Dorchester. “It doesn’t make sense to buy everything now.”

A number of consumer researchers say Moscat and Ramon are not the only teens forgoing the tradition of August back-to-school shopping by spreading out their apparel spending. A number of factors, including the rise of chains like H&M and Zara, so-called fast fashion retailers that sell inexpensive clothing and turn over their inventories rapidly to stay on trend, may be contributing to the phenomenon.

Trend-savvy teens have always prowled the malls year-round. But typically the bulk of their school clothes were bought in August. Now many are delaying those purchases so that when, for example, cowl neck sweaters emerge as the hot item of November, they can strike quickly.

Score one for the grasshopper.

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Globe, Herald Agree on Red Sox Edition

August 27, 2012

It’s rare that the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald are on exactly the same page, but they are today.

Boston Globe:

Newfound success

Unheralded players help Sox grind out victory over Royals

Boston Herald:

Castoffs blast off

Unheralded Ciriaco, mates lead Sox past Royals

 

Two unheraldeds?

Unheard of.

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Herald Gives Globe Plagiarism a Free Pass Edition

August 26, 2012

On Friday, as noted by the ever-alert Dan Kennedy of Media Nation (whose new page looks mighty familiar, no?), the Boston Globe acknowledged that this August 17th editorial had ripped off this Todd Domke post on WBUR’s website.

(Tip o’ the pixel to the splendid commenter who sent the hardreading staff this last night: “The plagiarism flap over an unnamed Globe editorial which copied words and structure of a commentary (on Biden’s chains comment) that Todd Domke wrote for BUR web site may be in both papers tomorrow.  Dan Kennedy has an account on his blog.  BG wants to put out the story tomorrow and reveal punishment before the Herald blows it open.  Talk of suspension for yet unnamed writer. Ain’t it great to live in a 2 paper town?”)

But, no – no damage control in the Globe, no damage in the Herald, where this kind of story is normally mother’s milk.(Too busy darning those Sox to bash the crosstown rival? Tsk tsk.)

Jim Romenesko picked it up, but no play we can find beyond that.

Just like Isaac, this is gonna pop sooner or later.

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Red Sox Front Page Doubleheadline Edition

August 25, 2012

Its rare that the Boston Globe and Boston Herald feature the same story on Page One (the Herald, with a minuscule home-subscription base, designs its front page to maximize newsstand sales; the Globe, whose circulation is largely home-delivered, doesn’t bear that burden).

But today is an exception, proving that the current Red Sox squad is a uniter, not a divider. They’ve united the town in dislike for them.

First pages first (via The Newseum’s Today’s Front Pages):

Advantage: The Herald, hands down.

Now to the battle of the headlines.

Globe page C1:

Dealing with problem?

Red Sox on the verge of a trade that would send Beckett, Gonzalez, and Crawford to Dodgers

Herald page 30:

Sox poised to blow it all up, start anew

Bold first step in erasing foul stench

Advantage: The Herald again.

And finally, the all-important Number of Godfather References.

Globe: None.

Herald: One.

Whether or not the deal goes down, we now have beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt proof that Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is prepared to make like Michael Corleone taking out the heads of the other four families in his own clubhouse.

Advantage: Take a wild guess.

At post time, both papers had announced the completed deal on their websites. The Herald (around 10 am) seemed to beat the Globe (12:29) by a good couple of hours.

Advantage: That’s right. The Herald.

 

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Rakin’ Akin Edition

August 24, 2012

Missouri Senate hopeless Todd Akin (R-Legitimate Rape) is the rift that keeps on on riving.

From yesterday’s Boston Herald:

Gail Huff touts Scott Brown’s independent spirit

Elizabeth Warren’s attempts to link Scott Brown to the rumpus over U.S. Rep. Todd Akin’s polarizing statements on rape will work to his advantage by distinguishing him from his own party’s anti-abortion platform, the U.S. senator’s wife said yesterday.

“I think it’s a gift to Scott because once again it shows that he’s an independent-minded man that’s not going to follow the doctrine or the dictation of anyone else, including his own party,” said Gail Huff, who is on leave from her television reporting job to campaign for her husband.

“He has two daughters, 24 and 21 years old. He understands better than anyone how important it is that women have the right to make their own decisions. …Here’s another example where he stood up to his party and said, ‘You know what, you’re wrong.’”

(Web video along the same lines here.)

The New York Times, which is sort of the fifth Beatle of the Boston newspaper scene, was even more lovey-dovey:

[Mr. Brown] was the first Republican senator to call on Mr. Akin to quit his race for the Senate. As Mr. Brown told a group of women here on Tuesday, he was feeling a little heady from the experience.

“Gail and I were laying in bed last night and talking a little bit, as we do every night,” he said, “and I said: ‘Honey, can you imagine? Here I am, Scott Brown from Wrentham, and I’ve got a truck that’s got 238,000 miles on it and, you know, something like this comes up and I’m the first guy in the country to even bring it up and tell the guy to step down,’ ” Mr. Brown said.

Yeah . . . except he wasn’t.

From the Boston Globe:

[Brown] spoke out less than 24 hours after Akin made his comment, under an hour after Romney condemned it during an interview with the National Review, and 15 minutes after President Obama ventured into the White House Briefing Room to declare that the American people disagreed with the Missouri congressman.

That’s par for the course for Brown (R-Papaya King), who routinely overstates his routine accomplishments.

File under: What else is new?

 

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Pesky Funeral Edition

August 23, 2012

The Boston Herald is decidedly not happy with the turnout for Johnny Pesky’s funeral by current Boston Red Sox players.

Or lack of turnout, to be precise.

It starts at the top of today’s front page (via The Newseum).

Next up: Joe Fitzgerald’s column.

Shame on Red Sox players

They’re the slowest-moving targets in town, easy to ridicule as they stagger to the merciful end of this dreadful season, but the Red Sox [team stats], as a team, could have hit one out of the park just by showing up at Johnny Pesky’s funeral.

That’s all they had to do, even if they didn’t feel a personal urge to show up, which might have been the case for many of them . . .

All they had to do was show up.

What a shame they didn’t, not for Johnny, but for them.

Not to get technical about it, but four current players did show up, as the Track Gals (and Megan!) pointed out in this item that had Sox management on the defensive.

Lucchino defends players who skipped Pesky funeral

Red Sox [team stats] president Larry Lucchino this morning defended his team for the small turnout at Johnny Pesky’s funeral earlier this week, saying it was “unnecessary to focus on that issue.”

“I think the people who knew Johnny best came to it,” Lucchino told WEEI’sDennis & Callahan.

Lucchino told the station that the team had more than 100 mourners at the service including front office staff, ownership, current players, staff and former players.

“It was a very impressive turnout,” he said.

But among current players only David Ortiz [stats], Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Vincente Padilla and Clay Buchholz were in the pews for Pesky’s final farewell. (Manager Bobby Valentine was also there.)

The Gals finish off the item (and the Sox players) with a flourish: “Despite the small turnout at Pesky’s final farewell, most of the team turned out that night for Josh Beckett’s  annual Beckett Bowl and concert at Lucky Strike Lanes and the House of Blues that night.”

To be sure, the Beckett Bowl is for a good cause, but ouch!

 

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