Link roundup

1. "There have been whispers at times about possible cheating by the Brewers at home because they have been so much better at Miller Park than on the road. They are 40-14 at home, the best winning percentage in the majors, and only 21-35 on the road."

2. Long hatchet article about Martha Stewart. For example:

At the flagship magazine, Martha Stewart Living, one editor after another would come in and try to Real Simplify it, to make it more about hamburgers and chocolate-chip cookies and less about tassel-strewn, Venetian-themed dinners for twenty. A Thanksgiving story shot at Stewart’s stables in Bedford featured a long table and was so complicated that it became almost a comedy of errors. A child’s hair caught fire. Stewart sliced her thumb and was sent to the hospital. At the table, Stewart was flanked by Brooke Astor’s son, ­Anthony Marshall, and his wife, hardly avatars of the simple life. (By the time the story was published, Marshall was on trial for misappropriating his mother’s fortune, and the pictures had to be blurred out.)

Via.

3. Deeply disturbing cake.

Documentary about the rise of cricket in the Caribbean

Two videos about Fire in Babylon:

An inspiring triumph against the odds story of the West Indies cricket team - transformed from underdogs pummelled by their rivals Australia and England into being world class and unbeaten for 15 years. They were the first all black sports team who enjoyed such a glorious winning streak: their story sits alongside the likes of Ali and Jesse Owens as a sporting triumph that also struck an enormous blow against racism and inequality.

Via.

Devastating sucker karate kick

Devastating sucker karate kick by soccer goalie. Via these sites.

Link roundup

1. How to move a Blogger blog to Wordpress. Via Blogger.

2. "Justin Bieber Takes A Picture Of Traffic, Instagram Usage Explodes."

3. I realize they have a new coach and that Ohio State's implosion has helped, but still, in light of Michigan's recent failures, it seems notable that they have the top-ranked recruiting class.

Red Bull King Of The Rock trophy

This video shows highlights from several of the qualifying rounds of Red Bull's King Of The Rock. Mildly interesting, but mostly I liked the trophy (the finals are on Alcatraz):




*Buy trophies at eBay.

Link roundup

1. Preorder links for The Old Republic ($60-$150) with an expected release date of 12/31/11. (I didn't see what the monthly subscription would cost.)

2. Grantland looks at NFL free agent busts through the years.

3. "Have we got a contest for you! Break out those Photoshop skills and place your favorite writer on our super-duper Paris Review beach towel for a chance to win exactly this towel!" Via.

4. Laughing Squid uncovered more information and video about that bowling pin car I posted a few days ago.

Link roundup

1. If Heart of Darkness had starred Cobra Commander.

2. Bill Simmons relating an anecdote from his favorite sports book:

My favorite: someone fighting with Bobby Hull, then hearing the crowd hush like something awful just happened … and realizing that he accidentally pulled Hull's toupee off. This definitely would have led SportsCenter if it existed in the late 1970's.

3. DC's comic book cover artists have a sick sense of humor.

Link roundup

1. This baseball player is apparently having the worst ever defensive year and already owns the single season strike out record.

2. Piers Morgan's involvement in the voicemail hacking scandal.

3. Analysis of Iran's role in the uprising in Bahrain.

Link roundup

1. It's 60% off posters at Zazzle with the code ZBDAYPOSTERS -- I recommend posters by Steve Thomas, Franco Brambilla, and Adam Koford.

2. Apparently there are 60,000 unsolved murders in Rio de Janeiro, and 24,000 victims haven't even been identified. Via.

3. An assertion that China will lose interest in the NBA with Yao Ming retiring. (It's certainly interesting that there's been no other Chinese players to make an impact in the NBA since him.) Via.

4. Portal to another world. And a similar photo from the same street.

5. Remastered children's books of questionable taste.

Link roundup

1. Reggie Bush has apparently decided not to turn over his Heisman trophy after all. (Good, let them explain some more why he shouldn't keep his trophy, but Cam Newton can.)

2. A primer on the NBA contract negotiations (it's pretty optimistic that a deal will get done).

3. Age of Conan is now free to play.