This Week in “Buffy” History: August 27-September 2

August 28
1973 - J. August Richards born (played Charles Gunn on “Angel”)
1977 - Brian Thompson born (played Luke and The Judge)

August 31
1972 - Phina Oruche born (played Olivia in season 4)

End of the line...

Well, it looks like the “Buffy” lines are coming to their conclusion. Earlier this week, rumors started to leak that Diamond Select Toys was canceling “The Judge” Wave of 6-inch figures (the last regular wave planned) as well as the announced Revamped series of figures, which never really captured the public’s attention like DST hoped it would.

Well, the official statement came down Wednesday and reaction from the “Buffy” fan community has not been positive. People are unhappy about the cancellation of what they perceived to be two great lines (including one that was going to give us a character who’d never been released before). People are also worried about future products from DST, including the “Essence of” statues, busts and props.

I’m of two minds of this. My first reaction was “well, that sucks.” I was really looking forward to the Judge wave (especially the two Drusilla figures and the build-a-Judge). Obviously I will by pretty much any major Buffy products released, and I love getting new stuff. Plus, with Sideshow already ending their 12-inch line of Buffy and Angel products, this is shaping up as a bad year for “Buffy” products, even with the runaway success of the Season 8 comic.

That said, I’m running out of room for new products, and I wasn’t very excited about the Revamped line (which stylistically didn’t fit in with any previously released merchandise). I would have ended up buying them, but somewhat reluctantly -- especially since I didn’t think the Angel likeness was great.

Honestly, it’s been a good run for DST (which took over for MAC a few years back). All I can hope for is that they keep producing deluxe figures (the super-articulated figures in the 6-inch scale) and busts, including the already announced “Villains” and “Lovers Walk” Willow busts.

Fave 5 - Basketball moments

In about 40 minutes, the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship tips off, and Team USA plays its first game tonight at 11 p.m. (live on ESPN Classic). I’m excited not just because Team USA should roll through this event, but because I get to watch basketball again. I’ve been stuck with nothing but baseball (and some lame preseason football) for two months now.

With the return of competitive basketball to our world, it seemed like a good time to reflect upon my favorite basketball moments that I’ve seen live. Now, when I say live, I mean “as it happened” not “in person.” I haven’t been to many memorable basketball games in person, so this list is pretty much just stuff I was watching on TV. It doesn’t make them any less special.

Plus, thanks to the magic of iWeb 2.0, I can embed YouTube clips of these moments. Go iWeb!

5. Rik Smits’ game-winner vs Magic in 1995 Eastern Conference Finals
This was a great shot that came at the end of a great sequence, where each team had thought it already hit the game-winning shot. I was rooting for the Magic in this one, and couldn’t believe that freakin’ Rik Smits beat them. Orlando did go on to win the series.

4. Derek Fisher’s game-winner vs Spurs in 2004 Western Conference Semis
I was watching this one at home and I remember my immediate thought after Duncan made his shot (after thinking “holy crap, how’d he make that”) was “there’s still 0.4 left -- just enough time for a catch-and-shoot.” Never in a million years did I think anyone, much less Derek Fisher, would make it.

3. Vince Carter wins the dunk contest
OK, I know this isn’t from a game, but anyone who saw this happen live knew they were watching something special. The dunk everyone points to is the bounce pass through the legs dunk, but the one I really remember is the arm in the rim dunk. After he did it, there was just this silence at first like “what just happened?” Then they showed the replay and you knew exactly what happened, and still couldn’t believe it.

2. LeBron James vs Pistons in Game 5 of 2007 Eastern Conference Finals
Speaking of things you couldn’t believe, how about this game? LeBron James scored every point for the Cavaliers down the stretch, proving that yes, you can’t get through Detroit training in a pool. I’ve written about this before, but it bears mention again: in the research room, by the time we’d realize LeBron was on a scoring streak, we figured it’d end eventually. Only it never did. The best part of this video (aside from LeBron winning the game) is seeing Tayshaun Prince cower in fear at the 33 second mark. Give the ball to LeBron and get out of the way.

1. Michael Jordan’s final shot vs Jazz
Seriously, was there ever any doubt. I was watching this in my parents basement in 1998 (my bedroom at the time). I was focused entirely on the TV. The house could have been burning down and I wouldn’t have moved until this shot hit nothing but net.

Eddie Griffin, 1972-2007

Tuesday evening, a wire story crossed stating that police had identified the body of the victim of last week’s SUV-train crash in Houston as former NBA player Eddie Griffin.

Griffin was just 25 years old at the time of his death, and it’s safe to say his life didn’t go as planned.

When someone dies, we usually end up making their life seem better than it was. The point of a eulogy isn’t to criticize, or pass judgement. But it’s hard to put a positive spin on the life of Eddie Griffin.

Here are the black and white facts:

-Griffin was the 7th overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was traded to the Houston Rockets on Draft Day.
-Griffin played 303 NBA games over the course of 5 seasons.
-Griffin averaged 7.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG during those 5 seasons
-Griffin blocked a career-high 148 shots during the 2005-06 season, his first in Minnesota

Now for the dark side of his life: he missed the entire 2003-04 season battling alcoholism; he spent 15 days in jail on a probation violation (he was originally on probation for an aggravated assault charge); he was involved in an infamous car crash back in 2006; he was suspended 5 games in January for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

The list goes on. The fact is, Eddie Griffin is a cautionary tale for young players considering the NBA. But he is not Leon Smith, Korleone Young or Lenny Cooke. No, unlike those men, Eddie Griffin went to college. In fact, that’s where Eddie Griffin’s duel life started. On the court, he was outstanding, averaging more than 17 points and 10 rebounds a game for Seton Hall. Off the court, he was a troublemaker, getting into a high profile fight with a teammate. And while Eddie Griffin may have been physically ready for the NBA after a year of college (and honestly, he may have been physically ready straight out of high school), his year in college proved he wasn’t mentally ready -- and he never got there.

Based on the circumstances of his death, some people have speculated that Griffin committed suicide, and if so, I can only empathize with what he must have been feeling. Suicide is a terrible thing, but it is not something that is done as an impulse move.

There were times in my life where I felt like suicide was the only option. It’s hard to describe that feeling to someone who’s never felt it. Some experts say that it’s like not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but honestly, it’s worse than that. It’s like there’s no tunnel at all. When you’re suicidal, you feel like life is just this horrible trap that is never going to let you go, and so there’s only one way out.

I’m just glad I had the support system I did to get me past those feelings. It’s just too bad that Eddie Griffin, for all his fame and money, couldn’t have the same.

Tuesday Afternoon Quick Hits

• Today is a very special day: it’s Hayden Panettiere’s 18th birthday. For those that don’t remember, I got to meet Hayden back at New York Comic Con, and she was probably the nicest celebrity I’ve ever met. Plus, I love “Heroes” and can’t wait for it to return. Happy birthday, Hayden! (oh, and if you want to celebrate Hayden’s birthday by watching something she’s been in, well, you can’t watch “Heroes”, since it’s not out yet on DVD. But you can watch “Ice Princess” -- also starring former “Buffy” star Michelle Trachtenberg -- or “Bring it On: All or Nothing” co-starring Beyonce’s little sister Solange Knowles... actually, just wait until you can watch “Heroes”. Trust me.)

• Speaking of “Heroes”, I got more good news yesterday, when the news broke that Kristen Bell would be joining the cast of “Heroes”. Kristen played the title character on “Veronica Mars”, a show I’d grown to love, but one that was cancelled after taking a creative downturn in Season 3. Bell had been rumored to be joining the cast of “Lost”, but I prefer this move for her. Reaction has usually been negative when cast members have been added to “Lost”, and they end up getting killed off pretty quickly. On “Heroes”, she’ll have a chance to carve out her own niche.

• I’m gonna wait a week before I post the promised Fall TV preview -- I want to go through the new shows with a little more detail and see which ones I’m going to give a chance. Plus, I need to figure out what the hell to do about Monday, where a stack of shows might tax my DVR, and prevent me from watching “Monday Night Football”.

• So Mike Vick is going to jail. He’ll probably never play in the NFL again. Should I care? Probably. But I just can’t get too interested. Maybe it’s just from Vick overload, but I’m just happy this story will be going away. Of course, it also means I can’t really wear my Vick jerseys ever again. D’oh.

• While the Vick jersey might now be one of the least respected jerseys, PooZ and I have been working on a list of most respected jerseys. We’ll be getting that together and on the site soon. And there is the possibility that for our next site collaboration, PooZ and I will be doing a Podcast. Yes, that’s right, you’ll get a full audio experience on the site -- that’s 2 of the 5 senses. Just imagine once I get around to posting video of myself on here. It’ll be a 60 percent sensory assault. Oh, and if I do get PooZ here to do the Podcast, we’ll obviously have our main topic of discussion, but we’ll cover other things too, including hopefully our comic that might eventually get done sometime shortly after never.

• I did finally get around to posting the script for Issue #1 of the comic, the one PooZ is currently drawing. I’ve written 16 complete issues and I’ve started #17, but I’d love your thoughts on the script. Check it out on the “Internal Damnation” page.

This Week in “Buffy” History: August 20-26

August 20
1962 - James Marsters born (played Spike)
1975 - Amy Adams born (played Beth Maclay in Episode 5.06, “Family”)

August 25
1981 - Rachel Bilson born (played Colleen in Episode 7.18, “Dirty Girls”)

Well, that sucked...

OK, let’s start at the beginning...

Saturday, I was working late on what was my Friday (my last day of work before 2 days off). I was hoping for a quick exit, as was everyone else on the show. Well, the late NFL game screwed us from the get-go, but we really only had two segments that we had to re-do for that.

Then the Dodgers struck (to be fair, the Rockies were involved too). The last game of the night didn’t end until about 3:15 a.m., at which point I wanted to kill everyone on the Dodgers (and kind of hurt the Rockies -- I still place most of the blame on the Dodgers... they’re always pulling this crap).

OK, so at that point, I could finally leave. I had to drive Michael, our intern, back to his apartment in Hartford. We were well on our way when suddenly my car started making a horrible noise. I pulled over and discovered that one of my tires had basically exploded. D’oh.

Fortunately, we were right at exit 44, so I drove on my busted tire to my parents house and called my sister, who came and gave me the keys to my dad’s car so I could drop Michael off and get home.

I finally got home around 5:00, and got to sleep around 6. I woke up at about 1:30, loaded up my dad’s car with my custom rims and headed over to my parents house. Of course, when I got there, I had to disconnect my subwoofer to get access to my spare tire. Why didn’t I just put on one of my custom wheels? I’ve got no idea.

Anyway, I got the shitty spare on, drove to Sears, and had them do an oil change and tire rotation. That took about 2 and a half hours for some reason (mostly they suck) but was cheaper than getting the busted tire replaced. And I feel better about the wheels being on, since they were put on by professionals and not by me.

Of course, that killed my entire day, and now my subwoofer is still disconnected because I can’t get it back together, so I’m gonna have to go to Best Buy and have them do it.

OK, that’s a lot of ranting, but I’m tired and angry and I’ve got no bass in my car and I’ve wasted an entire day and I still have to do laundry and now I’ve written a really long run-on sentence and I just don’t care.

Saturday Afternoon Quick Hits

• So the latest iWeb update seems to have solved all my publishing problems (and hopefully I’m not speaking too soon on that), but I’ve noticed one small problem. The frame style I’ve been using for my DGOW page doesn’t seem to be available in iWeb 2.0, so I had to change it. Then again, you’re probably not noticing the frames on the pictures at all.

• I got my “Serenity” PVC Figure set from Dark Horse and I have to say, I’m impressed with the likenesses on such a small scale. Check out more pictures in the gallery.

• I had to go to work early for a lunch meeting Friday, then I had 4 hours to kill, so I went and saw “Rush Hour 3”. Here’s the thing: it’s the same damn movie as “Rush Hour” and “Rush Hour 2” (some of the same supporting characters from “Rush Hour” even show up) but it’s still awesome. It’s funny, there’s good action, and it’s not too long. I can’t complain about it at all.

• The follow up to that: if I had time to kill to see a movie on Friday, why didn’t I see “Superbad”? Well, honestly, I want to see that with a group of people. I think it’ll be funnier if I have people to laugh with, rather than sitting by myself in a theater. So there.

• No Fave 5 this week (if you couldn’t figure that out, since it’s Saturday and Fave 5 usually comes on Friday). Tomorrow though I’ll have a special post: my fall TV preview. What new shows will I be giving a chance? Which returning shows am I excited about? Why is there a TV show about the Geico cavemen? All these questions and more will be answered!! (and yes, that’s totally worth of double exclamation points).

SportsCentury

The new iWeb is very cool. One of the things you can do is use HTML code to embed things, like this YouTube video (assuming this all works).

I’ve had this video in my YouTube favorites for a long time. In fact, for awhile, it was the only video in my favorites.

So we all love soccer now, right?

That’s my understanding of how this whole “Beckham” thing is supposed to work.

Step 1: Beckham comes to America

Step 2: Beckham scores goal in America

Step 3: Americans care about soccer that isn’t played by their 8-year-old children

Yet somehow, I just don’t care. Yes, last night I did do more soccer research than I’d done since last year’s World Cup, and I can now tell you that the last time prior to tonight that Beckham had a goal and an assist in the same game was Oct. 19, 2005. But I still don’t care.

Look, I played soccer when I was a kid. I played for 6 years, and I was pretty good for the level I was playing at. For a couple seasons, I even played indoor soccer in the winter to supplement my fall season of outdoor play. But here’s the thing: when I wasn’t in the game, I was bored as hell. I couldn’t get excited about WATCHING. I know there are people who feel the same way about baseball (including some Major League players, who’ve admitted they don’t like watching the game) but I’m not among them.

I am among the millions of people who just can’t get into watching soccer. Even watching the game last night, I kept drifting over to baseball, only peeking back at the soccer when the announcers got excited (and by the way, the feed we were bringing in was from a Spanish-language broadcast, so the announcers got excited a lot, even when to my untrained eye it didn’t seem like much was happening).

Here’s what it boils down to: I don’t see myself watching another MLS game at any point in the near future. Yes, I understand that Beckham is a great player, and soccer is the “beautiful game” but really, I’m just counting down the days until Oct. 31 (Mavericks at Cavaliers, 8 ET, ESPN).

Oh, and since I’ve subjected you to an entire post about soccer, I leave you with this. Enjoy Beckham’s wife:

Monday Night Quick Hits

• I’m going to make this quick, since as I’m typing these words, it’s only 73 minutes until the release of Madden ’08. My local EB Games is opening at 11pm to start pre-selling the game, and then will be handing out the copies at 12:01 eastern. I was wavering on it until a few hours ago, when the Madden bug hit me. Now I plan on starting a superstar career and getting through the preseason tonight.

• Speaking of Madden, it’s worth noting that Vince Young may have already become a victim of the Madden curse. Young was suspended for the Titans preseason opener, 3 days before the game comes out. Amazingly, that doesn’t even rank among the top Madden curse examples. Check out this chart, which I put together the day Young was announced as the Madden cover athlete:

Players on Madden Video Game Covers
All-Time (prior to Madden NFL '99, Only John Madden was on the cover)
Year The Skinny
Vince Young 2008 ??
Shaun Alexander 2007 Broken Foot
Donovan McNabb 2006 Sports Hernia
Ray Lewis 2005 Career-low 0 INT
Michael Vick 2004 Broken Leg
Marshall Faulk 2003 Ankle Injury
Daunte Culpepper 2002 Knee Injury
Eddie George 2001 3.4 yds per rush for rest of his career
Barry Sanders 2000 Retired
Dorsey Levens 2000 Knee Injury
Garrison Hearst 1999 Broken ankle on first play of playoffs

Vick’s broken leg is probably the best example of the curse -- it happened literally days after the game hit stores. Shaun Alexander’s broken foot was pretty bad too, as was Garrison Hearst’s playoff injury (btw, Hearst only appeared on the international edition of the PC version of Madden, but that, on a technicality, makes him the first Madden cover athlete)

• So tomorrow I return to work after an amazing stretch of 20 days off. Some of the things that happened during my time off: Barry Bonds became the all-time home run leader, Alex Rodriguez became the youngest member of the 500-homer club, Tom Glavine became possibly the last member of the 300-win club, Tiger Woods won his 13th major, Rick Ankiel returned to the majors with a bang, the NFL preseason began, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Celtics, and probably a ton of other things I’m forgetting.

• Now that I’m going back to work, I won’t have as much time for my “24” marathons. I’m two episodes into Season 5. Not bad for someone who as of a couple months ago hadn’t watched at all from the beginning. I’ll obviously be caught up long before Season 7 begins in January.

• My publishing issues that I mentioned Friday necessitated a complete rebuild of the site, which blew away any old comments. Not a huge loss, since no entry had more than two comments on it, but I just wanted to clear that up so you wouldn’t think I’d gone in and deleted them. I’m too busy to be censoring comments on my blog.

This Week in “Buffy” History: August 13-19

August 18

1976 - Daphne Duplaix born (played Serena in Angel Episode 1.12, “Expecting”)

August 19

1969 - Randall Slavin born (played Male Oracle in Season 1 of Angel)

Friday Night Quick Hits

• So for some random reason today, a question popped into my head: If the assembled superheroes of the Marvel comic universe were to take on the assembled superheroes of the DC comic universe in a football game, who would win. Now, I have no idea why this question popped into my head, but since it did, I needed to go to the foremost expert in comic book football games: Christopher Puziak (you and I know him as PooZ). His response:

“Well we can approach this two different ways.

1) Power for power, DC would kick the crap out of them. Marvel has no answer for the Big 3 Power Wise: Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.

And if Batman was the coach, tactically he would shit on them.

2) However, if we are playing standard rules football with no powers, marvel wins. pound for pound there are more guys in the marvel universe that are brute strength. Juggernaut, Thing, and ya know what. Hold on. If it's standard rules football, no powers (strength guys aren't effected because being strong isn't a power) Marvel kills DC. Why? Two Words: Hulk Smash. “

No, I’m no comic expert, but I have to dispute Hulk’s super strength as not being a power. In a straight-up no powers football game, Marvel’s getting Bruce Banner, not The Hulk. Plus, I think Professor X would be a pretty damn good coach. Once again, PooZ disagrees:

“Professor X sucks. Period.

Hulk Smash.

Final Answer. “

Fair enough.

• On PooZ’s suggestion, I picked up the Planet Hulk storyline leading into the current World War Hulk issues of The Incredible Hulk. I have to say it’s not bad. Then again, PooZ wouldn’t have recommended it to me if it was.

• I’ve been having a publishing problem with my website lately, so if it goes offline for a few hours, don’t worry, it’ll always come back (even if I have to put it online file-by-file -- ok, maybe not then...)

• Only a couple more days before I head back to work. Honestly, I can’t wait. I’ve been so bored these past couple days that on two occasions I almost broke down and bought a PS3. I’ve managed to stave off those urges both times. Can’t say that I can do so much longer (and the sad thing is I’ve got no use for a PS3 -- I was even browsing the blu-ray section at Best Buy and couldn’t find much that I really wanted).

52 Confessions

So Wayne sent this out about a week ago, and I hadn’t gotten around to sending my response. I decided instead, today, to post it here on my blog. As for the picture above, it’s just a random picture of a lunar eclipse a couple years back that I found while fumbling through my iPhoto Library today. It has nothing to do with the actual post, but it looks cool.

1. The phone rings, who do you want it to bE?
Honestly, pretty much anyone, so long as it’s not from a “766” number on my days off

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Always

3. If you had to kiss the last person you kissed again, would you?
Sure

4. Do you take compliments well?
Nope. I’m weird like that.

5. Do you play Sudoku?
Not even close.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness would you survive?
My first instinct is to say yes, but honestly, I’d probably die pretty quickly.

7. If your house were on fire, what would be the first thing you would save?
I’d end up dying in the fire due to indecision.

8. Where's the ?
Generally, after the question.

9. Who do you text the most?
Depends on the month... sometimes its PooZ, sometimes its Lisa, sometimes it’s no one.

10. Favorite children’s book?
“Little T Learns to Share” by Terrell Owens -- just kidding...

11. Eye color?
Blue

12. How tall are you?
somewhere between 5’10 and 5’11 3/4 -- I’m not really sure.

13. If you could do it over again, start from scratch, would you?
Not a chance

14. Any secret admirers?
I hope so. That’d be pretty cool.

15. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
I can’t even remember. Who goes to Olive Garden?

16. Favorite ex..?
That’s like having a favorite wound... um, no thanks

17. Where was the furthest place you traveled?
Los Angeles -- yeah, I’m boring like that

18. Do you like mustard?
On just about any kind of meat

19. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
I’ve found that eating is more essential to survival, but sleeping is more enjoyable

21. Do you miss anyone?
More people than I’d care to remember

22. Can you do splits?
By choice, no. If physically forced... still no.

23. What movie do you want to see right now?
I Am Legend (stupid December)

24. What did you do for New Year’s Eve?
worked

25. Do you think The Grudge was crappy?
No. Everything Sarah Michelle Gellar does is awesome. Yes, everything. No, I don’t want you to look deeper into that. Just take it at face value. Stop looking at her IMDB page! STOP!

26. Do you own a camera phone?
Calling it a camera phone demeans its deity-like status.

27. Was your mom a cheerleader?
God I hope not.

28. What’s the last letter of your middle name?
L

29. Are you hispanic?
My niece and nephew are, so what does that make me.

31. Do you like care bears?
Am I a 7-year-old girl? (PooZ don’t answer that)

32. What do you buy at the Movies?
Generally I start with a ticket...

33. Do you know how to play poker?
Just well enough to look like a douche with people who really know how to play

34. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Only when I’m in the car

35. What do you wear to sleep?
Basketball shorts and a sleeveless shirt

36. Anything big ever happen in your CITY
The one I live in currently? No. The one I lived in previously? No.

37. Is your hair straight or curly?
A little bit of both

38. Is your tongue pierced?
God no

39. Do you like Liver and Onions?
Who’s writing these questions? Wayne, do I have to blame you for this?

40. Do you like funny or serious people better?
I like laughing at serious people... so, I guess... C

41. Ever been to L.A.?
Yes. It was awesome for the 32 hours I was there.

42. Who is on your mind right now?
Batman (I’m watching “Batman Begins” on HD-DVD... fuckin’ a)

43.any plans 4 tonight?
It’s 10:51 p.m. as I type these words, so I think “tonight” is pretty much out the window

44. Whats your fav. song at the moment?
I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite. My most played song in iTunes is “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, but I’m really partial to “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson.

45. Do you hate chocolate?
Do you hate puppies?

46. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
I don’t live at home anymore, so I couldn’t say

47. Are you a gullible person?
Nope.

48. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
To be happy? No. To share my happiness? It’d be nice.

49. If you could have any job what would it be?
I kinda like the one I have right now. If I had to pick another one though, I’d say third-string NFL quarterback. Nice paycheck and relatively easy work.

50. Are you easy to get along with?
Once you get to know me, sure.

51. What is your favorite time of day?
About an hour after I wake up -- ya know, that moment when you’re finally really awake. That’s awesome. (BTW, for me, that’s usually around 1-2 p.m., suckers).

52. Are you generally a happy person?
Now I am.

Fave 5 - Recent Songs that Prove Society is Doomed

Throughout time, people have always complained about some kind of music ruining society. It’s a time-honored tradition as old as song itself. PooZ and I have discussed this topic at length lately, knowing that there are just so many songs that are so stupid it must only mean one thing: humanity is doomed. Now understand, there’s only room for 5 songs in the Fave 5, so some worthy candidates were left out (including everything ever done by Lil’ Jon).

5. Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Remember when Gwen Stefani was in No Doubt and actually sang and her songs had meaning to them (I still love “Don’t Speak”.) Yeah, well, that’s not the case anymore. This isn’t even a song. It’s a chant. A stupid one at that. This quote from Family Guy just about sums it up: “I was just watching this special on VH1 about Gwen Stefani. I don’t know what a hollaback girl is, all I know is I want her dead.”

4. I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper) by T-Pain f/ Mike Jones
Wow, this song is so crazy it took two people to create it. Now, I fully understand that strippers need love too, but does it really need to be expressed in song? With lyrics like “She poppin she rollin she rollin / She climbin that pole and / I'm N Luv with a stripper”? Yes, pole climbin’ is definitely something to Luv.

3. My Humps by The Black Eyed Peas
How much dumber is this one? Well, it took a whole group to make. And the sad part is the BEP used to make good music. They were known for catchy lyrics and actual backing music (instead of synthesized beats). But now they have an entire song about Fergie’s butt. This was nearly the dumbest song of 2005. So why is it only #3; well, that’s where it reached on the Billboard Hot 100, so that’s where it checks in here (yes, that’s right, America is so stupid, it made this song #3 in the country).

2. Lip Gloss by Lil’ Mama
First off, this is a 17-year-old girl who calls herself Lil’ Mama. Secondly, it’s a song about Lip Gloss, which may be fine if you’re a 12-year-old girl, or Alex Rodriguez, but for the rest of America, it’s just pathetic and stupid. Yet the video has more than 6 million views on YouTube and was a huge success on the radio (which completely justifies my choice to listen to nothing but my iPod in my car).

1. Laffy Taffy by D4L
Here’s the thing. Most of the songs on this list at least have a decent beat, or above average delivery or a video that features attractive women. Something that is somewhat redeeming, that could be used to make an argument as to why it doesn’t signal the forthcoming apocalypse. This has nothing. The beat sounds like something off the sampler from my 15-year-old Casio keyboard. The chorus just repeats “laffy taffy, shake dat laffy taffy”. And the women in the video look like rejects from “World’s Scariest Strip Joints.” Yet somehow, this was a popular song. Yes, we are all doomed.

(BTW, the iTunes links are provided for reference only. Please DO NOT purchase any of these songs. Your purchase will only contribute to the forthcoming apocalypse. Instead, purchase something like this, or this, or even this. But please, spare the children from “Laffy Taffy”.)

756

Barry Bonds has hit HR #756, making him the all-time home run king, passing Hank Aaron for the record.

I have to be honest -- I was watching “The Simpsons” on DVD when it happened. But as soon as I saw it cross the wire, I turned on “SportsCenter” and jumped online to check out the coverage. Here’s how it looked on various websites throughout the country. VIEW 756 COVERAGE PHOTO GALLERY.

ESPN.com -- featuring a shot of Bonds reacting to #756:


SI.com -- no question where these guys stand on the controversy -- and with a picture in a road jersey to boot:


Sportsline.com -- another asterisk, and a reference in the text to the “controversial slugger”:


FoxSports.com -- fair and balanced coverage from Fox


Yahoo! Sports -- steroids mentioned in the text, but the picture is of the mark itself



AOL Sports -- a pair of controversy-related poll questions are even above the picture


MSNBC.com -- no asterisk on the 756, but a reference to it in the story


New York Times -- On first glance, I thought this had a steroid reference, but it says “storied”. The two words are anagrams for each other. Weird.


San Francisco Chronicle -- straightforward coverage from Bonds’ hometown paper (and I wouldn’t mind having a copy of tomorrow’s Chronicle for posterity).


There are more photos in the photo gallery, including shots from the newspaper websites of most of the major league cities.

Tuesday Afternoon Quick Hits

• Pictured here is the new iMac. Wow, it’s sexy. I really want one, but I can’t afford one right now (even though they do start at just $1199). It was introduced today alongside updates to iLife and iWork. I can’t wait to start publishing this blog using iWeb ’08 (hopefully publish times are improved).

• In addition to the computer and software updates, .Mac was also updated and now includes 10 GB of iDisk space. I now have 9.4 GB of free space on my iDisk. Not sure what I’m going to do with it, but don’t expect too many changes on AdamReisinger.com (at least not until I get my hands on the new version of iLife).

• I updated the Displaying My Collection gallery on my Buffy page, giving you the full experience of my living room. I was browsing my iPhoto Library and its amazing to compare my living room now to when I first moved in. Aside from the huge increase in Buffy stuff, there’s also a different TV, different couch and different layout. Hopefully later this week I’ll have new condo pics with side-by-side comparisons.

• OTL did a great piece today on famous sports calls and the moments that led to them. It had most of my favorite calls in there, but one I felt it missed was the radio call from the Music City Miracle. It’s a great call because it builds with the play, then, in the exact moment of total excitement, the announcer still manages to get across the most critical piece of information: “THERE ARE NO FLAGS ON THE FIELD!” If you were listening to that game on the radio, that was the one thing you needed to know when Dyson scored. Just an incredibly impressive feat of announcing to remember to convey that fact.

Weekend at the Lakehouse

So I finally did something vacation-like on my vacation. I spent Saturday night and all day Sunday at the Puziak Lakehouse, which was tons of fun.

Saturday night, I didn’t really go into the water at all (I did get my feet wet, but that was pretty much it). We did take a ride on the speedboat around the lake, but the real fun was Sunday. Geoff and Mary came up to the lake, as did Wayne, Shaun, and Meaghan’s friend Laura, so it felt like much more of a party atmosphere.

We took multiple rides on the boat, including a very wild one during which Sarah brought here camera and shot some video. Of course, it’s now on YouTube. Enjoy.

Sunday, I also got in the water, something I haven’t done since my senior year of college. I’m still in the group of people that much prefers lake water to ocean water. There are no jellyfish or sharks in a lake, only weird plant life, and I’m fine with that.

What I’m not fine with is sunburn. I tried my best to not get roasted, but if you’ve ever seen me, you know I’ll turn crispy with just a second in the sun. My burn right now doesn’t actually look as bad as what I ended up with in LA, but it feels worse. I couldn’t really sleep last night, and felt pretty sick into the morning.

I’m feeling better now (bless you Lubriderm) and hopefully by later this week I’ll be able to do stuff again.

This Week in “Buffy” History: August 6-12

August 6

1950 - Gerry Becker born (played Nathan Reed in Season 2 of “Angel”)

1965 - Jeremy Ratchford born (played Lyle Gorch in Season 2 and 3)

August 9

2001 - Connor, Jake and Trenton Tupen born (played baby Connor on “Angel”)

Friday Night Quick Hits

• So I am once again a licensed driver. On my way back from LA (my ESPYs trip) I apparently left my drivers license in a seat pocket on a plane. So for the past three weeks, I’ve been driving around without one. Hell, I didn’t even know until about a week ago, when I went to buy something at the gas station and they asked for ID. Whoops. So I finally got down to Middletown today to get it taken care of. And I have a license again. It even has my real address on it.

• After I did that, I went an got a damn haircut. I was way overdue for one and its too damn hot here to keep my hair long. And no, you don’t get a picture.

• My nephew Eli’s 2nd birthday party was last week. He’s getting pretty big (see the picture on the left). I got him a batting tee and his first baseball glove. Now I get to spend time teaching him how to play baseball (or at least develop an enjoyment for the game).

• It’s been at least 2 days since I mentioned this, but I love my iPhone. Today, when I went to get my license, I used Google Maps on my iPhone to punch up directions, then I had them sitting there ready to go during my drive. It was awesome.

• I saw “The Bourne Ultimatum” this afternoon and I have to say it was freakin’ awesome (though on first watch, it looks like they cut the scene that Moore and I saw filmed in NYC). There was a ton of action, some great fights, and it wrapped up the story of the trilogy very well. I’m re-watching the first two right now (well, actually I finished the first one and I’m rewatching the second one).

• Speaking of awesome movies, I picked up “300” on HD-DVD. It looks amazing. I can’t believe I missed it when it was in theaters, but now that it’s out on DVD, I’m very happy to have seen it. It was a quality movie with a well-crafted story and stunning visuals. The high-definition experience only adds to the enjoyment of watching it.

Fave 5 - Falcons #7 Jerseys

Michael Vick is in some state of NFL limbo, not officially suspended, but not allowed to attend Falcons camp. Now, I’m not here to pass judgment on Vick, or declare my support for him. I’m here to be funny. It’s kind of what I do.

Currently, you cannot purchase a Falcons Michael Vick jersey from NFL.com, or any authorized NFL reseller. Nor can you customize a Falcons jersey with VICK and the number 7. That makes my Vick jersey, pictured to the left, something of a rarity these days (plus, it’s just a freakin’ cool looking jersey. I really like the Falcons look). Too bad I can’t wear this jersey now without people thinking I’m making a political statement of some kind.


So what’s a person to do? Well, you still an’t get a #7 jersey that says “Mexico” (Vick’s 1st alleged alias) or “Ookie” (the name linked to Vick in the current indictment). But you can get any one of the following 5 jerseys, all of which can still be customized at NFL.com:


5. BAD NEWZ
Rep Vick’s hometown of Newport News, VA and support his alleged dog kennel all at once. Plus, by spelling the word “news” with a Z, you add to your all-important street cred, which is really everything in a situation like this.


4. INDICTED
This is a nice choice for the person who wants to show he’s up on current events but doesn’t want to take a stand. You’re not taking a side in the case, you’re just stating a fact: Michael Vick has been Indicted. That doesn’t imply guilt or innocence, it’s just his current legal status. Hey, it could be worse for Vick. It could say “INTERCEPTED” (also a valid choice on NFL.com).


3. GOINGTOJAIL
No question about where you stand on Vick when you rock this one. Sure, there are no spaces between the words, but that’s what gets this one past NFL.com’s filters, which are being upgraded every day (of note: NOT GUILTY was an acceptable customization on Tuesday, but now shows up on the banned list).


2. DAWG KILLA
Probably the one on this list most likely to get something thrown at you. Falcons fans won’t like you because you’re implying that Vick is guilty. PETA won’t like you because they’ll think you’re supporting Vick. English teachers of America won’t like you because you can’t spell. It’s a bad choice all around (but damn funny).


1. I LIKE CATS
This one really says it all. Why did Vick allegedly kill dogs? Because he likes cats. And when you wear it, you send the message that you’re an animal lover, too. Just a very specific animal. Plus, while people will make assumptions, the jersey says nothing specifically about disliking dogs. It just says that you like cats. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Wednesday Afternoon Quick Hits

• So Kevin Garnett is a Celtic. To quote Tony Vaughns, “BIG DEAL!” Garnett does make the Celtics better, there’s no doubt about that, but you’ve got 3 superstar players who’ve never won anything in their career. Among active players, these are three of the top 5 scoring players who’ve never even REACHED the NBA Finals. Plus, neither Pierce nor Allen is known for their defense, so Garnett’s gonna have to be swatting a lot of shots back there.

• That said, the Celtics ARE better. John Hollinger has them slated for 46 wins, which honestly sounds about right. They could go as high as 50, but this doesn’t make them a 60-win team; not even close. Of course, as a 46-win team, they’d be a playoff team, easily, in the East. So which playoff team drops out?

Ummm... well, the Magic were the 8 seed, but they have a new coach and Rashard Lewis. The Wizards were the 7 seed, but assuming health, they’ll be better than that next season. The Nets were the 6 seed, and they’ve got their own Big Three (Kidd-Carter-Jefferson) who have the benefit of playing together longer. The Bulls were the 5 seed but actually had the 3rd-best record in the East, and added Joe Smith and Joakim Noah. The Heat were the 4 seed, and assuming a healthy season from Shaq and D-Wade, aren’t going south. The Raptors were the 3 seed, their young players are only getting better, and they added sharpshooter Jason Kapono. The Cavs were the 2 seed, and while they haven’t added anything, they haven’t lost anything either, and they still have LeBron. The Pistons are fine, thank you, they’re not missing the playoffs, no matter how much I’d love that. So, um, yeah.

And that doesn’t even cover the Knicks, who added Zach Randolph, the Hawks, who have more young talent than anyone in the league, or the Bobcats, who added Jason Richardson to a crazy talented young core. The East should actually be fun this year.

• Speaking of LeBron, he’s in the Who’s Now final against Tiger Woods. I’m happy to see my boy LeBron in the final. But he needs your support. Click here to access the Who’s Now site and vote for the Chosen One. You can vote from multiple browsers on multiple computers. You can also vote by texting WN to 43776. Vote LeBron!

• iLove my iPhone (which I use to vote for LeBron in Who’s Now). I really got great use out of it in my trips to New York. On one of them, I was using Edge to browse the ‘net the entire trip, and it was actually pretty snappy. Then, on my last trip I pretty much just watched video the entire time (and yes, the battery life was fine). The screen isn’t as big as my old PSP (3.5 inches vs 4.3 inches), but it’s higher resolution and the device is so much lighter that I don’t mind holding it while watching a movie (or in this case, the pilot episode of “Firefly”, followed by “The Wish” episode of “Buffy”).

• While I was in New York last week, I came across this great column, supporting the induction of Dr. Frank Jobe (the creator of Tommy John surgery) into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Obviously, Dr. Jobe has had a major impact on the careers of countless modern pitchers, and he deserves recognition for such (also, while we’re on the topic, I wouldn’t mind seeing Tommy John himself inducted into the hall of fame).

• I’ll have a new Fave 5 later tonight. Not sure on what yet. PooZ and I have been hashing out an idea that I want to give some more discussion, recent songs that prove humanity is doomed. I’m not sure I want to limit it to 5, since there are so many good choices (what is a “Hollaback Girl”? Does she shake her “Laffy Taffy”? And if so, does that have any effect on her “Humps”?). So I’ll try to hit something else for my Fave 5 today.

• Vote LeBron!