Roger Clemens is Back, Death By Overdose of Muscle Cream

- Roger Clemens (OH MY GOODNESS!) is back! He got the win today against the mightly Pittsburgh Pirates, going six innings while giving up three runs and five hits.

(Yeah, I don't care either. That pic in the YouTube video scares me, by the way.)

- Scary story here: a 17-year-old female track star died from an overdose of methyl salicylate, the active ingredient in muscle creams:

Arielle Newman, a cross-country runner at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, died after her body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams such as Bengay and Icy Hot, the New York City medical examiner said Friday.

Newman had been using at least three products--a cream, a pad, and an unidentified third product--containing methyl salicylate, and apparently it was the chronic overuse of these products that led to her death.

What a frightening story! I have, on a couple occasions, used way more than the recommended amount of a product, and far more often than the 3-4 times daily as suggested. I have even used expired medication in the past, without batting an eye. I wonder how often she was using these pain relievers; usually they say to stop using them after 10-14 days and consult a physician if the ailment persists (a warning I also find myself ignoring).

The article also says that she was using anti-inflammatory pads. I wonder if she was using them at the same time as the creams; the creams specifically say not to bandage or wrap tightly.

I wonder: was there someone pushing Newman so hard, that she had to rely on the pain medication to get through her races? I always hear stories of overbearing parents, mentors, coaches, etc. pushing their athletes far past the point of exhaustion (or worse). I don't want to suggest that this is what happened, but one can't rule out that possibility.

- Today's TotD sounds like fun:

A giant enemy crab approaches. What do you do? There is only one right answer.

Correct, there is only one right answer.

(By the way, how do we know it's an "enemy" crab? Most crabs I see are pretty neutral, until I attempt to throw it in a pot of water, that is.)

What would I do? I'd take a stick, stab both its eyes, then take a huge rock and smack the hell out of the crab's exoskeleton. When I'm sure it's dead, I'd go to my local grocery store to get a bunch of lemons, some butter, and fresh peppercorn, and have a feast!

(That is the correct answer, is it not?)

BTW, Cavs +7 over Spurs tomorrow.