I'm on deadline. Here's Tendown 78.
1. It Gets Worse
See, this makes much more sense to me. The Padres losing ten in a row; our having the greatest September for a pitching staff in a hundred years; Brooks Conrad giving us the Braves series; the Ross homers off Halladay; our batting around twice in a five game World Series; the .800 winning percentage in one run games this year - I don't recognize any of that.
The best catcher in San Francisco history, and the cornerstone of our future losing a leg on a home plate collision? Yup. That makes much more sense to me.
Dollar says we still win the division, but we can't repeat without Posey.
2. Glenn Beck's Timeline Of US History
Here's a terrific look at the history of the United States - courtesy of Simple Jack.
3. The One Article You Should Read This Week
If you know me, and you kinda do, loyal Tendown reader what's happened to this kid in Louisiana is the type of thing that will demand inclusion in this list. His name is Damon Fowler, and for having the temerity to request his settled constitutional rights be upheld by his high school, the good Christians of his town have bared their fangs; including Fowler's parents - who threw him out of the house.
The next time you hear that its really Christians who are discriminated against in the United States - find something comparable to this story and get back to me. In the US, if you see a vicious mob brandishing a book - it's likely to be the Bible.
4. Because Re-Reading that last Article Angered me All over Again.
Here's Stephen Hawking; smarter than both of us, and agreeing with me.
5. Erotic Church Signs
I'm still pissed so now I have to bring out the big guns. I was hoping to keep saving this one until Christmasdown 2011. But I'm breaking the glass. Here's this look at sexually suggestive church signs. Like this:
6. The ESPN Book is On My Desk
It will be probably be June before I get to it. It's 700+ pages. I pre-ordered before Thanksgiving.
Here's the GQ excerpt.
7. They Didn't Get a Snack in the Afternoon
That's what Fox and Friends said the Supreme Court decision upholding the order requiring California to reduce its prison population, almost twice its legally acceptable limit, was really about. Prisoners not getting a snack in the afternoon.
Photographs like this were part of the record.
The lower court found the level of overcrowding caused an inmate to die every six or seven days. Presumably not from lack of snacks. Fox News.
Oh - and here's how Rush explains criticism of Sarah Palin. Go ahead. Click.
8. The Week in Florida
I live in Florida.
My Governor signed the new budget, cutting 600 million, much of it in aid to the poor, elderly, working class (while replacing that cut spending with increased tax breaks for corporations) and in a public signing ceremony, ejected people with "liberal looking" buttons.
My Congressman said his fellow Congressmen who are in favor of ending the war in Afghanistan should be shot.
9. I Write the Stories
4 posts this week. My NBA finals pick is here. My athlete of the month is here. My all time NFC West 45 man roster, through which you can also get my all time Cardinals roster, is here.
I also got in some graps - from the same ROH show over Mania weekend, a 4 star KOW v. Haas/Benjamin and a 4 ¾ star whipass Richards/Strong.
Oh - and I watched the shows like I do, the following is only for those of you who watch either Community or Cougar Town but do not watch both. Everyone else can move to number 10.
And this is a scene from the season finale of Cougar Town. I yelled out "I see you Cougar Town!" as it was happening.
I see you Cougar Town.
10. 28 Years Ago This Week
In May of 1983, this letter to the editor was published in the NY Times.
Before 1957, New York lawyers chose juries inexpensively and expeditiously by asking just one question: What baseball team do you root for?
If the juror answered, ''Yankees,'' the defense exercised a peremptory challenge. If the juror said, ''Dodgers,'' the prosecution exercised the challenge. But Giants fans were eminently acceptable to both sides, under a tacit understanding that they were the only reasonable people in town.
And this week, it was revealed that the greatest player in National League history will pay to send the children of Giants fan Brian Stow, beaten nearly to death at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day, to college. Barry decided to do this a month ago, but it wasn't revealed then, perhaps to avoid what would have been criticism that he was attempting to deflect attention away from the one count on which he was convicted in his trial. Stow's attorney revealed it now.
It might be, as we are continually reminded by the same sports media which voted Derrick Rose NBA MVP this season, that the only fans who really believe Bonds's records are legitimate are Giants fans, but it could be we're still the only reasonable people in town.
That's all for this time. I'll be back next time. If there is a next time...
Your pal,
Jim
