One summer during college, I sold Electrolux vacuum cleaaners door-to-door in Dundalk. I discovered two things: I'm an awful salesman (I may have set a record for, literally, not selling anything) and there are more unemployed steelworkers in Dundalk than I ever imagined.

I felt like I met them all that summer, though more often, I probably met their wives. This was a typical exchange... I'd bound up the steps clutching some form of Electrolux paraphernalia, knock on the door, and be greeted by a woman shaking her head at the sight of me. "Hon, I can't afford one of those machines," they'd say. "My husband's laid off down the Point." But we'd often get talking—sometimes, over a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea—about the politics of Bethlehem Steel and the effects of layoffs on families and communities, and, over the course of a few months, I got an education in labor relations to go with my English degree.

Today, RG Steel announced it was laying off nearly 2,000 workers at Sparrows Point, and I thought about how it will affect all those families. I know, firsthand, they won't be buying Electrolux vacuum cleaners, or any other non-essential items, this summer.

Driving into work this morning in Harbor East, I gave way to a sporty looking middle-aged dude on a bike. He was wearing a helmet and biking shorts and definitely appeared to be biking for exercise.

Upon closer inspection, the middle aged dude was none other than Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine. He waved in thanks and I somehow managed to restrain the urge to roll down my window and yell, "Os rule! Sox suck!" Interesting (and okay, sorta cool) that he was biking around the city, as opposed to running in place on the hotel treadmill.

As for actually giving the manager of the dreaded Red Sox the right of way? Gotta keep up that Charm City rep, I suppose.

Earlier today, indie-rock band Here We Go Magic was heading west on the Ohio stretch of Interstate 70 when they spotted a middle-aged guy wearing a blazer standing by the side of an on-ramp, carrying a sign that said "end of 70 West." The band's guitarist filled in DCist on what happened next:

Jen wanted to pick him up, but we drove past him. As we passed by, our sound guy said 'John Waters' Luke said, 'Yep, definitely John Waters.' We got off at the next exit and circled back. He was still there. We pulled up, opened the door and asked where he was coming from. 'Baltimore,' he said. And we said 'Get in, sir.'"

The band's singer Jen Turner has been tweeting updates on the band's impromptu road trip with the director of Pink Flamingos and Hairspray, including the...

We all know the O's are hot this season—but now they've gone Hollywood.

Or at least their hats have. Today, Yahoo celebrity news site omg! has an in-depth chronicle of British star Pattinson's prized Orioles hat, including the apparently very significant news that it has most recently been spotted on the adorable head of his Twilight co-star and girlfriend Stewart (left).

Look, I'm so out of it, I had to Google these people up to confirm their identities, but Baltimore magazine cannot be scooped by omg!