LeBron's Choice

UPDATE: Well, I gave ESPN too much and too little credit. They absolutely deserve credit for figuring out that LeBron was headed to Miami, and reporting as much. But they also put together an excruciatingly unwatchable show. Very strange for LeBron to choose to make the announcement a tv event, and then act like he was facing a firing squad during the show.

As of 5:05, ESPN is still reporting that all signs are LeBron signing with Miami. If LeBron signs with Cleveland instead, we'll know that ESPN is totally unreliable and/or totally unreliable because they're intentionally manufacturing a fairy tale (like their parent company, Disney). So, the narratives to look for in tonight's epic show:

1. Fairy Tale: Once upon a time there was a king in cleveland. He experienced a challenging defeat and was sorely tempted to abandon his kingdom and move to a glamorous city. But he was brave and loyal, and stood by his faithful subjects.

2. Watch ESPN and LeBron play up the misleading claim that advertising dollars earned during the one hour show are going to charity. Compare that claim to any visible evidence of LeBron's personal sponsors, which include Nike, State Farm, and Microsoft, which has a giant Bing search box on LeBron's personal site.

To get up to speed for tonight's telecast, read Bill Simmons's article on LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. Wade and Bosh apparently had a documentary crew follow them around as they wrestled with their decisionmaking.

And here's two LeBron videos:


Lebron degrading a ballboy.



LeBron losing at HORSE.

Link roundup

1. Danielle Buerli (whose work I've featured at least a few times) is having a yard sale in Los Angeles today.

2. Detailed analysis on why giving a max contract to most of this offseason's free agents is a bad idea.

3. Excellent news for anyone with a young child - - a very positive review of Toy Story 3: The Video Game, which is available at Amazon.

4. "Mysterious Taiwanese billionaire Nobu Su" has sent a specially retrofitted tanker to help with cleanup efforts in the Gulf (and/or release hydrofoils to seize New Orleans). Via.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Bill Simmons's ideas for improving the NBA draft telecast

From Bill Simmon's 2010 NBA Draft Diary:

Suggestion No. 1: Have real NBA players conduct the interviews with the rookies after they get picked. I'd pick three of the league's most gregarious stars (I'm thinking Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and Grant Hill) and have them do it for every pick, almost like an NBA version of "The View." Wouldn't that loosen up the rookies a little?

Suggestion No. 2: Have two funny NBA players (I'm thinking Jared Dudley and Chris Kaman) rate the outfits of each pick as the draft goes along. Yeah, like you'd change the channel.

Suggestion No. 3: A David Stern cam. Put a camera on his tie and let's see where he goes between picks. I've always wanted to know.

Suggestion No. 4: We don't need a real sideline reporter for the draft. We're not breaking real news here. So what about Ron Artest? You're telling me he wouldn't want to prowl the crowd and interview parents, fans and coaches? Who's a bigger attention hog than him? More importantly, didn't we learn from the 2010 Finals that you can never have enough of this formula: "Ron Artest + live microphone"?

*Previously: Kobe Bryant/Black Mamba t-shirt.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Captain Caveman sketch (link roundup)

Captain Caveman illustration by Rich Page.

And a few more links:

1. Batman Tumbler golf cart.

2. "The so-called healing stone of Wahiawa, venerated for more than 20 years by a local Hindu group as an embodiment of the god Shiva, was removed from its display platform on California Avenue last week by a group of Hawaiian nationalists intent of returning it to its earlier resting place near the Kukaniloko birthing site." Much more here. Via.

3. How a shoe store employee who was unusually good at getting people to buy shoes became a major NBA power broker.

*Previously: Vintage Batmobile.

*Buy Captain Caveman toys at eBay.

Kobe Bryant/Black Mamba t-shirt

Kobe Bryant/Black Mamba t-shirt by Hydro74 at the Nike shop.

*Previously: Video of Kobe Bryant jumping over a pool filled with snakes.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

The Magician (link roundup)

Tarot Card/Promotional postcard by Edward Kwong.

And a few more links:

1. Toy Story 3 Easter Eggs.

2. Writer talks about the time he hung out at a club and hotel with various NBA players including Ron Artest. Via.

3. Photos show Los Angeles at night in 1908, 1988, and 2002. Via.

*Previously: The Super Punch Tarot.

*Buy tarot cards at Amazon.

Video roundup

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 trailer.



Trailer for Child of Eden (fight pulsating laser jellyfish while listening to techno).



Dead Space 2 trailer.



Video shows several key plays from Game 7 of the Lakers/Celtics series. (Why is ESPN nothing more than a bunch of high-paid shouters with access opining about whether Kobe is a top 20 or top 10 all-time player?)

Guillaume Nery base jumping at Dean's Blue Hole @ Yahoo! Video

Watch freediver Guillaume Nery plunge into the abyss.



Classic Star Trek clips set to Kesha's Tik Tok. Via all these fine sites.

*Buy Street Fighter action figures at eBay.

Golden State Warriors to bring back the best logo in the league (link roundup)

The Golden State Warriors new logo is a slightly updated version of the classic Golden Gate Bridge logo.

And a few more links:

1. Video breakdown showing how the Lakers defended Rajon Rondo. Via.

2. Google employees sleep in a giant Pac-Man-like pod for power naps.

3. Recipe for Pasta with Cauliflower and Anchovies.

*Previously: Vintage NBA logos.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Lakers t-shirt by Mistress and Day19

Day19 teamed up with Mistress to create this Lakers t-shirt (featuring California's bear mascot). The shirt is on sale here (halfway down the page).

*Previously: The Lakers used 18 DVD burners and...

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Oil Barons t-shirt design (link roundup)

Oil Barons t-shirt design by Joshua Kemble currently up for vote at Design By Humans.

And a few more links:

1. "The ancient meteorite cult of Estonia."

2. Celtics Doc Rivers hid $2600 in the Staples Center as a way to motivate his team to get back to Los Angeles for the Finals.

3. Microsoft store superheroes.

*Previously: "Google Jet Launches For Meteor Viewing Mission."

*Buy meteorites at eBay.

Yellowman cycling jerseys (link roundup)

Two cycling jerseys from the new yellowman sport collection.

And a few more links:

1. A report that police are investigating whether Memphis Grizzlies player Zach Randolph as a major marijuana supplier in Indianapolis. Via.

2. Part of Cory Doctorow's Makers has come true - - build Space Mountain right on your desk.

3. Everything old is new again. The craze for young kids is apparently simple colorful silicone bracelets called Silly Bandz. (In my day we made our parents scour the city for plain black rubber "bracelets").

*Previously: Burger King soccer jersey for Getafe.

*Buy soccer jerseys at Amazon.

Vintage rebus (link roundup)

Vintage rebus via these sites.

And a few more links:

1. Discovering a Muse art contest. (Here's one artist's concepts.)

2. Ultraman Valentine.

3. Bill Simmon's epic summary of New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

*Previously: Muse concert poster contest.

*Buy Ultraman toys at eBay.

New Johnny Cupcakes t-shirts

Two new t-shirts by Dave Quiggle on sale at Johnny Cupakes.

Also on sale in the shop are more classic designs including some very cute Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan designs:







And speaking of t-shirts, don't forget to participate in this month's art contest for a shot at a $100 Threadless credit.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Inception poster (link roundup)

Inception poster. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Refreshingly clear analysis explaining the coaching move that helped the Suns beat the Trailblazers.

2. Cake Wrecks of the month.

3. Jake and Finn from Adventure Time t-shirts. Via.

4. Restless ghost. (Probably NSFW.)

*Previously: NBA star Gilbert Arenas is cheating to improve his Halo 3 rating.

*Buy Inception movie posters at eBay.

Steve Nash gives over 200 high fives every game (link roundup)

Steve Nash supposedly gives out 239 high fives every game. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Google Sky Map for Android. Via.

2. Freddy Krueger looks a little scared in this illustration.

3. A good point - - sometimes you just have had enough of a character. I felt this way while playing Mario Galaxy. I realized that I just have no further desire to make a fat plumber jump, not matter how clever the jumping may be.

*Previously: Anime-style NBA heroes.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Cat with a longrifle (link roundup)

Huntress by Karen Preston on sale at Etsy.

And a few more links:

1. Forbes wants bloggers to write for free.

2. The NBA's worst defenders.

3. 2007 in Fast Company:

"When a person buys Pinkberry, of course they're paying for the yogurt. But they're also paying for the experience of waiting in line--I'm trendy!--and for a seat in a Philippe Starck chair--I'm so sophisticated!"

Now: The original Pinkberry is closed.

*Previously: Lady with a longrifle.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.

Buzz Lightyear as a real man (link roundup)

Buzz Lightyear as a real man by Raoni Nery. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Thriller and Indiana Jones sketch cards by Brett Engstrom, who charges $40 for a color sketch card.

2. An ancient temple was found in Turkey - - it predate villages, pottery, domesticated animals, and even agriculture.

3. Apparently, NBA player Marquis Daniels had a pendant made in his own likeness. It's covered with black, white and cognac diamonds.

*Previously: Skull watch and pendant by Marc Jacobs.

*Buy sketch cards at eBay.

Venetian House (link roundup)

Venetian House by Jago Silver. See also: Tea; monster.

And a few more links:

1. Nazi octopus mecha.

2. Roundup of the best NBA writing from 2009.

3. Fireman's boots that leave a glowing footprints to create an easy to follow path.

*Previously: Glow in the dark Ben Franklin t-shirt.

*Buy glow in the dark toys at Amazon.

Secret messages hidden in the Bioshock 2 special edition posters (link roundup)

The mini-posters that come with the Bioshock 2 special edition reveal secret messages when shown under a blacklight.

And a few more links:

1. This headline sounds like the start of a joke: "Car crashes into Lee Strasberg acting studio in West Hollywood."

2. Detailed video analysis showing how Rajon Rondo's gambling on defense sometimes hurts the Celtics. I wish ESPN did more of this and less talking heads yelling about respecting the game and being a leader. Via.

3. The Smoking Gun rounded up complaints made against New Jersey toll collectors (including sexual come-ons, profanity, and plain bizarre behavior).

*Previously: Bioshock wine bottles.

*Buy Bioshock toys at eBay.

Cats dancing (link roundup)

Furious dancing in this invitation to a showing of Leo Fitzpatrick's artwork at Half Gallery. Via.

And a few more links:

1. "iPhone is my new Tamagotchi."

2. Howard Saltz, vice president for content development, explaining a plan to charge for online news:

If someone robbed a bank, that's in front of the wall. The story of how bank robberies increase when the economy goes bad, behind the wall.

Who could resist paying for that?

3. Here's how it looks when only 1,000 people attend an NBA game.

*Previously: Dancing House.

*Buy NBA bobbleheads at eBay.