If you ask me, I think Detroit is going to regret trading away a reliable lefty reliever come next summer. For the sake of Motown and it’s loyal baseball fans, I can only hope that Jim Leyland is keeping it real when he says the Tigers aren’t going to have a fire sale this offseason.
Wait … is that what we’re supposed to be talking about? Or was it C.J. Spiller’s Heisman-worthy performance in the ACC Championship game Saturday? Or was it something else completely?:
As you can see, that tiger didn’t go crazy. That tiger went tiger.
But please, humor us and look over the Random-Ass Roundup while I figure this one out. As I get older, my memory fails me:
1. The Times looks at some the many, many threats on the life of President Obama, and the administration’s response. Also, the Secret Service says it has been breached 91 times since 1980. (G.D.)
2. Nate Silver over at FiveThirtyEight says polls show opposition to health care reform comes partially from the left, who want more sweeping changes. (Quadmoniker)
3. Blue Cross and Blue Shield are quietly trying to get the Obama administration’s health care declared unconstitutional. (G.D.)
4. More about health care: Amanda Marcotte explains why she’s willing to accept a proposed 5% tax on elective cosmetic surgery for the greater good of reform. She also proposes an equivalency tax on erectile dysfunction drugs for men. (Blackink)
5. In tiny Post, Texas, even if you can afford health insurance, there’s only one doctor struggling to deal with the crush of more than 2,000 patients. “Practicing family medicine in a place like Post puts Edwards in the minority, a fact that is not lost on policymakers in Washington. A physician shortage has long plagued rural areas.” (Blackink)
6. There was a coup in Honduras a few months ago, did you know? Probably not because it happened the same week Micheal Jackson died (Belleisa)
7. The long-term cost of TARP is likely to be $200 billion less than originally forecast, thanks to quick repayments from the big banks. (G.D.)
8. The Chronicle asks “what does it mean to grow up male in America?” (Belleisa)
9. The tabloidesque murder trial of Amanda Knox in Italy “has very little to do with actual evidence and much to do with the ancient Italian code of saving face,” says Timothy Egan of The Times. ABC News wonders if Knox was convicted because she was American. (Blackink)
10. An Amadou Diallo mural. (Slb)
11. Daniel Engber dissects the racket that tricks you into protecting your precious, precious iPhone. (Quadmoniker)
12. Via Boing Boing, Gizmodo has a chart which tells you when to use your iPhone. But what I really wanna know is, is there an app for that? (Shani-o)
13. So the “Christian side-hug” song was a joke after all? Really? Ok. Sure. (Blackink)
14. The Root replaces Danyel Smith, who left after six weeks at the magazine, with Joel Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss tells Richard Prince: “The challenge is to create a site that is a compelling read.” (Shani-o)
15. The rise and fall of MySpace. (G.D.)
16. Someone is reportedly willing to pay $1 million to conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg for his next book, “The Tyranny of Cliches.” Prompting this response from blogmate Jamelle: “Seriously, if my career plans go to hell, I’m going to have a conservative “awakening” and jump into the hackery.” Indeed. (Blackink)
17. Amanda Hess on sexism when talking about male rape. (Belleisa)
18. I didn’t make the waffles yet, but this recipe for Maple Black Pepper Bacon from Joy the Baker is fantastic. (Shani-o)
19. A 32-year-old man suffering through manic episode brought on by his bipolar disorder was killed in June after cops in Utah used a Taser to subdue him. Guess he had it coming, eh? (Blackink)
20.Kerry Washington in David Mamet’s “Race”. (Slb)
21. Choire at the Awl is recapping that one show…you know, The Wire? He just did episode one. This might actually get me to watch it. (Shani-o)
22. R. Kelly can’t be bothered to respond to Trey Songz except when he does. (Blackink)
23. Ariel Levy asks, in regards to South African sprint champion Caster Semenya, what is the ultimate difference between a man and a woman? (Belleisa)
24. At Dorsey High in Los Angeles, football is about a lot more than mere games. “But for years, something more important than wins, losses and glory has been at work here. With little fanfare, on a team where most players are raised by single mothers, sisters, grandparents or in group homes, Knox and his assistants have created a family for boys who need extra care, support and guidance — particularly from men.” (Blackink)
25. And oh, was this what everyone was talking about?: Macon D at Stuff White People Do suggests that the eponymous folk “care more about the messed-up love life of a famous black man when he’s married to a white woman.” (Shani-o).
Hope we didn’t forget anything. If we did, let us know about it in the comments section.
Otherwise, have a great Monday!
