What we read while ESPN got a little carried away with the Jeremy Lin jokes…
- The Simpsons aired its 500th new episode last night, putting it up there with Gunsmoke and Lassie in terms of longevity. Of course, in terms of cultural influence, it’s probably #1. It’s common to rank episodes, but at this point it might be easier to rank seasons. For fun, try to come up with your favorite single quote.
- A graphical display of why aging is scary.
- The New York Times had an excellent piece on America’s expanding social safety net last Sunday, highlighting that even those most passionately against government spending are increasingly dependent on it. Some, like Paul Krugman, are quick to call this hypocrisy, but it’s much more complicated than that.
- Another cool Times thing: This interactive budget graphic!
- Linsanity is sweeping the nation! He’s making the Knicks relevant, and fun to watch again. Of course, New Yorkers are already thinking about how this could go wrong when Carmelo Anthony returns to the lineup. But the story has transcended sports: Lin has led to moronic columns from political commentators, and one of the most racist headlines you’ll ever see. ESPN has since apologized and fired those responsible for the headline… It’s just ironic, since ESPN had already spent so much airtime devising Lin-related puns.
- Comedy news: David Wain talks about his new movie, and Jim Gaffigan decides to follow the new Louis C.K. model for his next special.
- Goodbye A.J. Burnett. You will not really be missed…
- Speaking of baseball, here are the 10 worst swings of last season.
