The Weekly Tendown July 10-16 2011

Dear Internet:

I'd totally watch the new show; the Tami Taylor as Dean of Admissions at a northeast junior Ivy show.  They could air that in the fall and I'm ready to go.

Here's Tendown 85.

1. The Most Traffic for The Blog of Revelation Ever.
If you're reading Tendown; probably you're one of about two dozen pretty hearty regular readers who I pick up for my Sunday piece; and since this is (or was, back before I had to work most of Sunday) the piece on which I spend the vast bulk of my energy, it would be reasonable to think this is the reason people click them keys.

It's not, and this week, I got namechecked in Deadspin for my post on the Worst Baseball Players ever, and that led to a pretty heavy flood of visitors around here.  I'm going to comfortably say that more people read my name this week than any time over the past ten years.  Click that link if inclined, scroll to #40.  That's me.  I am the guy who writes on his computer that other guy who writes on his computer wrote on his computer about.  Me!

The downside, as my Ladygal explained to me, is that going forward, the Googlers who would previously have hit upon my page when looking for "worst baseball players" will now instead go to Deadspin.  Sort of like my quitclaiming away my ownership interest in bad baseball search optimization.

I just really dislike the blog name now.  I want to change it to Basically Gherkins.  It better reflects where I am in 2011.

Now we show pictures.

2. Michael Irvin Does What He Wants.



The Playmaker's got his second act.  From swaggering emblem of all people hate about the modern athlete to fully embrace gay marriage and do so within the context of his longstanding high profile Christianity.  I've mentioned previously I've grown to really like Irvin after his NFL career; this type of decision, to really be willing to jeopardize his corporate relationships and alienate a good percentage of his fanbase - just for the sake of justice - is an example of why.

"I don't see how any African-American, with any inkling of history, can say that you don't have the right to live your life how you want to live your life," he said, according to the magazine. "No one should be telling you who you should love, no one should be telling you who you should be spending the rest of your life with. When we start talking about equality, and everybody being treated equally, I don't want to know an African-American who will say everybody doesn't deserve equality"


3. Meet the Fockers
I don't mean fockers.  I'm just trying to get some more work and would rather the other word didn't show up.

Rick Perry, who last week I indicated might become the 45th President of the United States, is hosting a day of Christian prayer and fasting next month.  Here is who he is partnering with.  And here's a terrific profile.

Here's a discussion of the ways in which the right takes science out of science class.

4. Gossip!
Tiger's ex is now dating the guy who used to live with Rachel Uchitel.

5. Maybe Netflix Should Reconsider the Blog



Netflix doubled its prices this week.  Or cut their service in half, whichever way you choose to do it.

My inclination will be to keep the streaming and drop the mail service.

6. Cats That Look Like Ron Swanson


Emmy nominations were this week.  Here's a page of cats that look like Ron Swanson.

7. Rebekah Brooks got Arrested Today



Don't know if this Murdoch thing will jump the pond in a real way or not.  But his recently deposed chief executive from News International got arrested today.  Can't say I'm not rooting for some Fox News fallout.

8. I Write the Stories
3 More updates in my list of All time NFL rosters this week, the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants - you can get to them here.  And one 4 star wrestling match; Briscoes v. All Night Express from May in ROH.

9. Moratorium!
This phrase "last but not least" - needs to be removed from the lexicon for the remainder of the decade.  In fact, I'm going to say it's gone until the next Democrat (as in post-Obama, not Obama again) is elected to the White House.

Because it serves no purpose.  How often does the following happen, a person is named last - wrongly thinks he is named last because he is least - and then is quickly comforted by having that impression corrected, "What - I'm last..why am I last - does that mean any...what's he saying...oh, not least.  I'm not least.  Whew."

It doesn't.  If you're named last but not actually least, you either (1) were able to deduce that on your own or (2) you don't believe the person saying "last but not least" is actually telling the truth.  Further, the person saying "last but not least" - isn't accurately describing what he means - what he means is "this list is not in a qualitative order" - but last but not least implies that the person named last is not least and therefore someone else is least; that would mean that I want to be named last - as the last person named is the only person guaranteed to not be least.  If I were named second, let's say, in a list of 8, and the 8th person were told he was "not least" - I would immediately object - "what about second?  Is second least?  Why didn't you say second but not least?  Why is last the only person who gets to sleep soundly in the comfort of not being last.  What about second!  Second But Not Slightest!"

10. Good Guys Won Again.
The most Giants laden NL All Star team of my lifetime won this week.  And my closer wore this to the ESPYS.



Japan just won the women's World Cup. That's all for this time.  I'll be back next time.  If there is a next time...

Your pal,

Jim