Oh Manny Ramirez…

I remember Manny when he was on the Cleveland Indians - before he was a household name. The entire Cleveland community watched Manny’s power quickly develop and boy did we have fun seeing it happen. Then he did the unthinkable. He left us for Boston!

Today he moved on yet again, this time to the Dodgers in a last minute trade. Ahh well… such is the world of sports these days.

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The potential effect of China’s pollution on the 2008 Summer Olympic Games is becoming more and more obvious, as the world record holder in the men’s marathon stated a few months back he will not compete due to pollution, and now the woman’s world record holder says that the pollution could force her to wear a mask when not competing.  Yesterday, Paula Radcliffe stated that the use of a mask while in Beijing may be necessary to help keep her asthma in check.  In an interview with BBC Radio, she said,

“I think the biggest factor is going to be runny eyes, runny nose and sore throat after the event - and if things go according to plan in the race, I don’t particularly care. The biggest thing for me is to make sure my asthma is under control - which it is - and minimise the effects of pollution in the lead-up to the race.” [news.scotsman.com]

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out our most popular articles of the week on a variety of subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan Surfaces 120 Years Later

Hallelujah For American Idol, Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen

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Nicole:

Google Gives Free Voicemail to San Francisco Homeless

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Turnes 80

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Giulia:

Patrick Swayze’s Cancer Battle

Koby Bryant’s PSA for ASR

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Gina:

Reese’s Empowering Bracelet

“Chop Shop” - Dreams In a Place of Despair

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Kerry:

Bamboo Laptop: Will Apple Be Green with Envy?

The Explosive Truth About Twinkies

LA Lakers Kobe Bryant debuted his PSA for the organization Aid Still Required on ESPN today.

Aid Still Required (ASR) is a non-profit, humanitarian movement focused on rebuilding communities through sustainable solutions in the aftermath of natural disasters and human crises. They believe everyone, everywhere, is entitled to live in dignity, safety and health. They view post-crisis situations as opportunities to do just that. By approaching restoration on an ecologically-friendly basis and utilizing a region’s native environment, Aid Still Required “builds back better” and builds back green.

For more on Aid Still Required visit http://www.aidstillrequired.org/

After criticism from elected officials, the NFL decided it will allow church groups to show the Super Bowl on large-screen televisions, reversing its previous policy
Originally the NFL had said, such mass out-of-home viewing on a display larger than 55 inches, such as those held in churches, violated copyright and trademark law. Now the NFL has reconsidered it’s decision allowing church viewing parties to be advertised without legal consequence.

In a letter to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will no longer object to “live showings — regardless of screen size — of the Super Bowl” by religious organizations, The Washington Post reported.

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