Wayne Fleisig: Some tips for changing your child’s behavior. 2D
T H U R S D A Y , M A R C H 31, 2005
Today
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WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
Stretch your etiquette
Why some women fall in love with Mr. Heinous By Marina Pisano
San Antonio Express-News
Here’s what we know: Scott Peterson is sitting on death row, convicted of killing his wife and their unborn child. Here’s what is hard to understand: Upon Peterson’s arrival at San Quentin State Prison in California, where he awaits execution, dozens of admiring and supportive women called and several said they want to marr y this guy. In fact, in the days since, says Lt. Ver- Dozens of nell Crittendon, sen- women want ior public informa- to corretion officer at San spond with Quentin, calls have or marr y continued to come Scott in from women who Peterson. want to correspond, visit or form a relationship with Peterson. Simple human compassion and friendship for lonely incarcerated men and women is not uncommon and even laudable, and there are large networks of pen pals who regularly correspond with inmates, including some convicted of monstrous murders. Relationships blossom and might even result in marriage, whether prisoners are freed or serving life sentences — such as L yle Menendez, who murdered his parents along with brother Erik and went on to marry a devoted prison pen pal. Even on death row, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh got marriage proposals before he was executed, and infamous serial killers from Ted Bundy to Richard Ramirez — who remains on San Quentin’s death row — have attracted loving soul mates. Peterson could conceivably marry, although conjugal visits aren’t permitted on death row there. But what makes a woman want to be with someone who has bumped off an intimate partner and doesn’t show a whit of SEE LOVE | 3D
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
Product placement soars on TV By Greg Hernandez Los Angeles Daily News
Before working out, make sure your gym manners are in check By Jason Morton Staff Writer
W
hile many are happily tossing heavy coats to the back of the closet and dragging out summer attire, that image in the mirror while stepping from the shower does not produce the same level of elation. So, how do you fix it? For many, the answer is a trip to the gym. But just like eating in a restaurant or sitting around a blackjack table, the gym has its own etiquette. That’s why The Tuscaloosa News went to the pros. Dan Marler, owner of Gold’s Gym on McFarland Boulevard; Larry Davis, director of wellness and aquatics at the YMCA of Tuscaloosa County on Bryant Drive; and Kristen
Davis, the assistant director of memberships and fitness services at the University of Alabama’s Student Recreation Center, all had a few tidbits they’d like newcomers — and veterans — to keep in mind. No matter who we are, nobody wants to be “that guy” or “that girl.” And we all know who “they” are.
Rack your weights Of all the complaints lodged by the gym officials, this ranked right at the top. “If you come into the weight room and use the free weights, put them away,” Larry Davis said. “There’s nothing worse than a little 90-pound woman coming over to the leg press and there’s 500 pounds [of plates] on there.” It’s just like your parents told you: If
you use it, put it away. “Not picking up the weights — that’s the biggest pet peeve,” Dan Marler said.
Sweat is gross That pool of sweat on the machine that shows how hard you’ve been working: No one else wants to touch that. “The sweating on the machines is pretty foul,” Kristen Davis said. “Please carry a towel and wipe down the equipment when you’re done.” Most gyms even hand out towels to the gym patrons so that they can wipe down the equipment. “I don’t want to lay in your sweat when I come to do my workout,” Larry Davis said. “It’s a health thing as well as a courteous thing.”
Be careful Some may have seen the little wirehandled objects with a circle that looks like it fits around the end of a barbell. It’s called a spring clip, or a weight collar, and it’s designed to keep the weights from sliding off the bars. Injury is just one of the unintended consequences that can result when this happens. “We’ve actually had a bar fly through the window and end up on Lurleen Wallace Boulevard,” Larry Davis said.
If you don’t know, ask Some of those weight machines look pretty complicated. That’s why gyms have trainers and other employees wandering through the weight rooms, so those who don’t know how something SEE ETIQUETTE | 6D
LOS ANGELES | Fueled by things as small as the Coca-Cola cups that Simon, Paula and Randy drink from on “American Idol” to major stunts like the 2005 Pontiac sedans Oprah Winfrey gave away to hundreds of audience members, the value of television product placements surged by 46.4 percent to $1.87 billion in 2004. Reality shows such as “The Apprentice,” “Survivor” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” have made product placement so commonplace that the genre accounted for approximately half of what was placed on television shows last year, according to a study released on Tuesday by custom media research firm PQ Media LLC. Overall, the combined value of the SEE PRODUCT | 3D
FILE | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
From left, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul judge a contestant on Fox’s hit reality show “American Idol.” Their CocaCola cups are just one recent example of product placement.