Onward and upward is the only direction the Tigers are headed.

Right now, the Detroit Tigers are only a game behind the Yankees and only 5 games back in the race for the Wild Card. A week ago, they were actually ahead of the Yankees. This actually is your daddy's Tigers, seeing as how they were last contenders nearly 20 years ago.

The Tigers have played better than .500 over the last month. They've been doing it with pitching. Jason Johnson has truly blossomed into the staff workhorse, averaging 7 innings per start over the last month with an ERA under 3.00. Jeremy Bonderman is the stopper, having won 4 games in June, despite numbers that suggest he hasn't had his best stuff. Mike Maroth has maybe pitched the best recently, although the former 20-game loser, hasn't been able to buy a win. Kyle Farnsworth and Troy Percival have anchored the bullpen.

It's the offense that needs to step it up. Dmitri Young has been mediocre and the middle infield has not weathered Carlos Guillen's injury well. But things are looking up. Pudge Rodriguez - the face of the franchise - has had a solid June after a rough month of May. Carlos Guillen is back from his injury and ready to show last year's All-Star form. Magglio Ordonez is almost ready to come of the disabled list.

Brandon Inge - a former .200 hitter - has probably been the Tigers' best player all year FROM THE LEADOFF SLOT! Chris Shelton has been raking the ball (4 HR and 17 RBI in just 23 games) since he came up from Toledo a few weeks ago. He just scored the tying run against the White Sox after legging out a leadoff triple. The best news might be Placido Polanco batting nearly .400 since his trade from the Philles on June 8.

The rest of the league is starting to pay attention. ESPN.com featured the Tigers on their front page today. You can follow the rest of the season here on BTP, but I also recommend the leading Tigers blogs.

Anyway - the Tigers are on ESPN on July 4th. They're playing a doubleheader in Cleveland. I encourage you to watch. You'll see a heck of a Tigers team playing great baseball. I promise you that you'll see a Tigers victory. And you'll see me, screaming my head off rooting for them.

That's right. I'm going to Cleveland for July 4th to watch the Tigers. And you all know how I feel about Ohio.

The victorious 2006ers.

On Monday, June 27, 2005, the DSCC-DCCC 2006ers united to wax the DNC's South Capitol Sluggers by a final score of 32-19. You can see the photos here.

Dong.

Last year was absolutely magical. No one - NO ONE - gave us a snowball's chance and you proved everyone wrong. You destroyed the Lakers and wrote a storybook ending. And you did it the right way: as a true team.

Dong.

This year, through 82 hard-fought games, you played your hearts out and never gave up. You stayed hungry, because, again, no one gave you a chance. Last year was just a fluke, they said.

Dong.

Through 25 grueling playoff games, you left everything on the floor. You beat all comers in every way possible. You carried us to within an inch of the promised land once again. A tipped ball here. A bad bounce there. Too many bad calls to count. This is all that kept you from repeating. Hold your heads high, brave warriors. Every step of the way you carried the hopes and dreams of a city long ago left for dead.

Dong.

Now, when you are beaten, we will carry you. When you get home to Detroit, we'll be waiting there to give you a heroe's welcome, because you are our heroes. Sheed, Big Ben, Chauncy, Rip, Tayshaun, McDyess, Hunter, Brown. These names will live forever in the hearts and minds of all Detroiters. They have secured a place in the pantheon with Isiah and Dumars, Yzerman and Howe, Gibson and Cobb. Now, when you need us most - you who never let us down - we will not let you down.

Dong.

Because in 130 days, training camp starts. And again, no one will give you a chance. And again, we will stand with you as you enter the fray and do it the right way: as a team.

Dong.

Do you hear that?

Dong.

Big Ben has not yet struck midnight.

Congrats on the W, Pistons. It was a hard fought game and you put it away in the end. Also - special shoutout to Sheed, who was ferocious down the stretch.

But let's be clear. The job ain't finished yet. You didn't fly all the way to San Antonio to win one. You're there to win two.

So enjoy the victory tonight. Get some rest. Heck, go take a stroll on the Riverwalk tomorrow to clear your mind. But be ready. Because Thursday night, at about 9pm ET, it's time to get back to work. The job ain't finished yet.

Good news! Peter Goss knows where Osama is:

CIA Director Porter Goss says he has an "excellent idea" where Osama bin Laden is hiding...

This is great! Let's go get him!

"We are making very good progress on it. But when you go to the very difficult question of dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states, you're dealing with a problem of our sense of international obligation, fair play."

Wha!? We know where he is, but we're not gonna...?

Oh, for fuck's sake, will someone please give Osama a fake nuclear bomb and some oil so that George Bush will go after him? Dead or alive, my ass! Hell, I volunteer to go wherever Osama is and bring him to the United States in order to face justice. This just isn't that difficult.

Let's be clear. George Bush is not making us safer. He's playing the fiddle in Iraq while Rome is burning and he's letting Osama bin Laden get away with thousands of murders. What a lousy cowboy.

Sigh...at least hearing the Bushies talk about "international obligation" and "fair play" is good for a laugh.

This will mean next to nothing to any of you, but I love it. Plus, it marks the very first BTP guest blog post.

FYI - Halo 2 is a great video game for my Xbox. Essentially, you hop online and use your rocket launcher to blow up 13-year-olds. -- Todd

GAME 1: Beaver Creek (Swords)

The Black Dot is known for many things, among them the merciless fury of the energy sword. Joetown and BTP got off to an early start, butchering the helpess blue team like the pussy monkeys that they were.

But it was the enemy opponent "BohemianLion" who caused trouble for the Black Dot. His arch-camping tactics not only handed the Black Dot a loss, but also raised questions about Lion's manhood as well. Joetown finished with a respectable 11 run-throughs (fourth overall), while BTP struggled to get things going with only 5 kills (last place). BTP's 15 deaths contributed sadly to the heartbreaking 50-40 loss.

GAME 2: Zanzibar

Arguably the home port of the Black Dot, Zanzibar is one of those boards where you are either really hot, or really not. For Joetown, it was really not. Almost entirely alone for the game, he spent most of his time wandering around looking for an opponent to kill. Finally, however, Joetown found his niche, and with three sniper kills in the final minutes, boosted his final tally to a paltry 7 (fifth overall).

Meanwhile, BTP was off causing mayhem. With two double kills and a 7-death killing spree, he brought endless waves of destruction to the enemy blue team. It started on the turret of the Durango, with Joetown at the wheel, and ended in the middle of Zanzibar, where 5 rockets ended the lives of 7 opponents. BTP finished the game with 11 kills (third overall), and helped hand the Black Dot a 50-21 blowout victory.

GAME 3: Zanzibar

For some, cheating is the name of the game. Such was the strategery for the enemy blue team on Zanzibar. Led by "spotteddeath", they used a glitch to hoist themselves to the roof of the base, and from there, rained sniper fire on the Black Dot warriors below. Again Joetown spent the majority of his time simply looking for someone to kill; his 1:14 average lifespan testament to the truly miserable spawn points the Halo servers chose for him. Nonetheless, Joetown managed to put together two sniper kills, a killing spree, a melee assassination, and a Durango-inspired roadkill. Joetown ended up with 7 kills (last place).

Meanwhile, BTP was once again off causing destruction. Whilst an enemy opponent manned the gunnery turret atop the base, BTP snuck up behind him, ninja-like, and slaughtered him in a brutal assassination strike.

BTP finished with 11 kills (fourth overall). Ultimately, cheating handed the blue team the game, although the Black Dot has reported every member of the team to Bungie. The close final score (a 45-38 loss) suggests that had it not been for the cheating, the Black Dot would have won.

GAME 4: Burial Mounds

When you really, truly need to kill a junior high school kid, you call the Black Dot. Joetown and BTP responded to the call in this final game. A relentless enemy Blue Team occupied the Rocket Tower for the first half of the game, setting the Black Dot-led Red Team down by nearly ten points. That's when Joetown and BTP decided to fight back.

From the Purple Things, Joetown's sniper rifle snuffed out the Blue Team like a lawn mower cutting grass. In defense of the position, Joetown earned a triple kill, all three kills coming in the form of melee attacks with the butt of a shotgun. The relentless cover provided ample opportunity for BTP to take the Rocket Tower from the other side. Their heroic efforts fired the Red Team back to life, which not only recovered from the ten-point deficit, but went on to win the game 43-39. BTP ended up with 14 kills (second overall), and Joetown with 13 (third overall).

AGGREGATE RESULTS:
2-2 (.500)
Be the Power: 41 kills
Joetown: 38 kills

Man, is that ever frustrating. For the first time this series, the Pistons actually looked like they were trying. And the result was a 20 point blowout after a close first half. Makes you wonder what coulda been out in Texas, don't it?

Anyway - Pistons, this is how you play in the Finals. Remember? This is how you played last year.

Special props to Ben Wallace who knew he had been playing like dirt. According to Al Michaels, his wife told him as much. So what did Ben do? First, he let the fro roam free for the first time in the Finals. Then he had 5 blocks in the first quarter. To finish, he had a sick reverse 360 dunk on an alley-oop in the 4th. He finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and one play in the last 5 minutes where he neither blocked Tim Duncan's shot nor recovered the rebound, but clearly caused the miss AND blocked out two guys so he could tip the board to a guard in order to start the fast break.

Game 4 is Thursday in Dee-troit.

My friend Ben Shuldiner is running for Congress from his home district in suburban New York.

Ben's story is pretty incredible. In his childhood, he over came a debilitating health condition to attend Harvard University. In his professional life he started from scratch a public high school in Brooklyn that has risen to become one of the best in the state in just a few short years. Now, he's ready to put his talents to use on the national stage, running against a vulnerable Republican incumbent during an election cycle than is trending more Democratic everyday.

This weekend, Ben will be in Washington to accept the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service awarded annually to an American under the age of 35 judged to have preformed the greatest public service to our country. Past winners include Lance Armstrong, Steve Jobs, and Sally Ride.

Of course, Ben's not coming to Washington without doing a little glad-handing and raising a little campaign money. That's where you come in.

On Sunday evening, I will be hosting a reception in Ben's honor and you are invited. The shindig should be great fun and there will be a great gang of people there. Plus, you'll be doing your part to support a young and vibrant committed progressive who is certain to be a thorn in the side of Pat Robertson and James Dobson for years to come.

In short, attending the reception and making a contribution is a great way to piss off George Bush and Tom DeLay.

You'll find details for the reception below. If you can't make it (or don't live in Washington), you can also make a contribution online at:

http://www.ben2006.com

I'm committed to raising $250, so please let me know if you're able to make it or if you make a contribution online.

It's now cliche to say, but it's always important to remember. The power to take back our country and make a change for the better is in your hands. By supporting candidates like Ben, you tell George Bush and his right wing cronies that you reject their politics of division. You stand up for a better America. With your help, Congressman Ben Shuldiner will be standing up for a better America every day in Washington.

The details:

Reception in Honor of Ben Shuldiner
Jefferson Award for Public Service
Candidate for Congress

Sunday, June 19th
5-7:30 pm

The Home of Susan and Sam Farmer
463 M Street NW
Washington DC

Suggested Contribution: $75
Make a contribution online: http://www.ben2006.com

RSVP: Ben for Congress @ 914-528-1446

Please also let me know if you can come or if you make a contribution online so that I can get credit for it. Thanks!

The Gang

On May 27, 2005, the Detroit Tigers whomped the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 4-3. Now we have photographic evidence.

OK, ladies and gents. New rule: Thou shalt not speak ill of your fellow Democrat.

In the last week or so, Howard Dean said some things that some Democrats didn't precisely agree with. So all those Democrats are giving quotes to the press about how they don't agree.

Note that none of the newspaper stories about this disagreement have headlines like "Republicans criticize Dean." That's because Republicans attacking what we say isn't news. Democrats attacking each other is news.

So - if you want the story to die and you don't want the party to look bad, you just ignore it. Seriously, the Republicans do enough stupid stuff, that if you're looking for someone to criticize they will always provide material.

Republicans have learned this rule well. In fact, Ronald Reagan was the first to issue this commandment during his presidency. The entire right wing noise machine got the message and began the Democrat-bashing Rush Limbaugh-ization of their message. Have you ever felt like Republicans are always working in lockstep and never seem to eat their own like we do? This is why.

Bottom line: If you feel like criticizing a Democrat, don't. Talk about how George Bush lied about Iraq instead.

Finally - I'm sorry that this post is somewhat cryptic. I've done my best to follow my own rule. I haven't told you what Dean said. I haven't given you my opinion of it. I haven't told you what the other Dems said. I haven't passed judgement on those reactions. If you want to know what the controversy actually is, you'll have to go somewhere else.

There's a reason for that. When I don't say anything bad about other Democrats, there's no story to pin on me later. See how easy that is?

The Pistons got it done Monday night in Miami. The game was tight throughout and Detroit had some pretty terrible stretches, but in crunch time, the Pistons executed and the Heat did not. They got it done. Rip Hamilton said it best: "That's what we do."

Joetown has a funny Shaq-bashing recap:

The national media is going to make you feel a little sorry for Shaq, but don't expect any sympathy here at Joetown for a guy who has now twice tried to beat down on Detroit. Twice he's had to watch my Pistons walk away with a trophy he wanted, and both times he was beaten in series where the referees heavily favored him. His "strategy", if you can call it that, is to essentially be the fattest guy on the court. Joetown would generally be in favor of that plan, but it's the combination of fat plus stupid that really seals the deal for Shaq. That slack-jawed look of pain on his face? It's not an injury; it's a fear that Ben Wallace is going to stomp on him yet again. If he spent a little less time making god-awful movies, maybe he'd win a series against Detroit. In the meantime, he's just going to gain some more weight.

One additional note: Lots of folks will want to argue that the Pistons only won because Dwayne Wade got hurt. I think it's important not to fall into that trap. For one, injuries are an unfortunate side effect of the game, but they usually don't just happen. Wade's conditioning and style of play combined to put him at risk. The Pistons play an absolutely bruising style of play, but they remain relatively injury free because of their superior conditioning.

Further, Rip Hamilton was hobbled by an injury in the Indiana series that severely limited his effectiveness for 3 games. The Pistons didn't miss a beat. That's the hallmark of a true team.

The bottom line is that the NBA season is a long one. If Wade's body breaks down after carrying his team for too long, dem's da breaks.

Bring on the Spurs.

Pistons - Heat. Game 7. 8pm ET. TNT.

Bring it.

Sometime in the next hour, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs is widely expected to announce that Apple will be moving their enitre Macintosh line to the same Intel processors that power the vast majority of Windows computers.

This has spawned a ton of online speculation about the impact of such a move. Most are a little nervous about embrace one half of the "Wintel" hegemony and a majority are very concerned about losing developers and market share due to a confusing switch the platform.

My take? Power my laptop with a hampster wheel if it will boost my Quake framerate. Seriously, I don't really care what's inside my computer. I care about what it can do. I have every confidence that Apple will continue to make insanely great products that do what they're designed to do extremely well. The name brand of the chip it's done on is of little consequence to me.

Apple has more than enough know-how, money, and trust from its user base to see this kind of a transition through. Lord knows I'm not going anywhere.

You can follow the WWDC Keynote live at Mac Rumors Live.