10. Naked women. Even a couple of weeks ago, it would never have occurred to me to put such a topic on my list. But then I saw Jolene Blaylock naked. I couldnít tell you what magazine it was in, but I was standing in a Borderís, and when I saw her I gasped audibly.

I first heard about magazines like FHM and Maxim maybe a year ago, when Ken described them and how you needed three hands to read them. When I discovered them, I thought they were pretty much skank (and Swank), but I've since come to think they simply represent the return, after many years, of cheesecake or pin-up photography. These rags are venues for dames to pose for fairly innocent snaps, and, for a guy like me who was never a big fan of Kodachrome bushóI prefer the classic posesóthey're a return to glory.

Some women like to be photographed naked. A whole lot of men like to look at the results. I say, more power to all of ëem.

9. "When I Was Cruel." Itís LakinLand, so some music was required here. And this is I think the only new album I heard this year. (I bought ten or soóthis, "Cruel Smile," the EC Rhino reissues, "The Point," and the Dylan bootleg vol. 5.) "45" will get my fingers popping anytime, anywhere; the sampled "bum" from the unknown Italian pop singer echoes through my head at random moments.

For whatever itís worth: my copy remains shrink-wrapped, as Iíve listened only to the MP3s.

8. Football. Another late entry, this one catapulted onto the list after possibly the best day of football I've ever seen: 12/29, when (without a dish, and thanks to my geography) I simultaneously watched Miami-New England, Pittsburgh-Baltimore, Cleveland-Atlanta, and Minnesota-Detroit (no playoff implications, but a 38-36 final), nail-biters all. And even though the Bears turned sufficiently south to warrant a South American-dwelling Hitler as a roommate, I was cheered by Ty Willingham. Now, I am by no means a big Notre Dame fan; when people ask me about being from South Bend, I explain that when Notre Dame does well, people I know are happy, so I'm happy. (I donít mention Lee.) But, because I am from South Bend, I was ashamed of the age discrimination suit, and of the failure of the program to do well with the unprecedented advantage of its own TV network. TW, though, seems to be a no-nonsense, donít-say-it-do-it kick-ass, and the real deal. (In retrospect, has anybody proven to be a worse coach than Bob Davie? How does anybody listen to that guyís analysis and believe he knows what he's talking about?)

End-of-the-year props to the Don Cheadle spots for the playoffs. Hereís to the next couple of weeks of pro playoffs, the best football weekends of the year.

7. Radio. This entry would have been simply "ESPN Radio," except for my discovery near yearís end of two stations that have made my drive home more pleasant: the U of Michigan station (great to, after a long absenceóand not counting NPRóagain hear people talking on the radio who have no business talking on the radio) and "WDTR, the Detroit Public Schools station." The former featuresówell, the oddball music choices of college students; the latter features old-school rap and a swell segment called "old school/new school" with classics and their contemporary covers.

As for ESPN Radio: I'm a long-time admirer of the show they run on Sunday during the football season, which constantly updates all current games courtesy of onsite reporters. Itís a great way to keep up, particularly when you're away from a television. And this year, I became particularly enamored of "The Dan Patrick Show." Not the type of sports talk show with which you may already be accustomed (about that type of show: I'll never understand why women say theyíll never understand men, when all they have to do is listen to sports radio to do so), itís journalism: interviews, commentary, etc. Its highlights included a talk with a newly retired, paranoid Jose Canseco, Jim McKay remembering Roone Arledge, and an extremely air-reluctant Ken Caminiti discounting some of the SI steroid story.

(A nod toward its competition: for those of you in LA, or who hear him syndicated, I think Jim Rome may be the most fascinating ignoramus entertainer I've ever heard.)

6. Ben calls for the Beatles. I believe that many, many adult treasures that aren't shared with children should be. I mean, who needs Raffi when Chuck Berry can give you simple stories, 4/4 time, and three chords? (Hereís a sidebar thatís possibly interesting, possibly not: I've discovered I'm extremely comfortable with Ben seeing televised mild sexual contentócouples kissing, or talking in bed, or whateveróbut donít like him seeing violence at all. The one show I've consistently turned off in his presenceóitís an old line, I knowóis the evening news.) Because of this belief, and because "Hard Dayís Night" is at its essence fun looking guys running around singingópartly on a trainóI showed it to my three-year-old son. And as a result was rewarded on a subsequent day with the question "Daddy, can we watch Beatles?"

5. "Family Guy"/"Futurama." A final salute to the dearly-departed (or, in the case of the latter, the out-of-production) two funniest programs on broadcast TV (and, before you write this off as something to be dismissed because I said it, ask Bob what he thinks). Thank Yahweh for the upcoming DVDs. Looking forward to Seth McFarlaneís comments about what didnít make it on Fox.

4. The "Spider-Man" phenomenon. I'm Randy, and I'm a comic book fan. ("Hi, Randy.") I'll grant you this: Tobey Maguire (an odd actor who, to my knowledge, has never strayed onscreen from that monotone delivery), a fine Peter Parker, made a lousy Spider-Man. And MJ was not sufficiently effervescent, and the Goblin costume blew. Except for that, the movie got it rightónever more evident than in the scene under the bridgeóand became the finest comic book movie to date. I went to the theatre twice to see it; won't buy the DVD, ëcos I want it big. Pity those who rant uninformedLEE while having neither familiarity with nor enthusiasm for the source material, one of the finest myths spun out of the latter half of the last century. I was cheered by the way folks looked forward to seeing it, the reception, and seeing the toys fly off the shelves (to the extent that they couldnít be found for Christmas). And the PlayStation game was a helluva lot of fun.

Finally, because I came to the (for me) startling conclusion that heís cooler than Batman.

3. PlayStation 2. I thought about putting "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" here by itselfÖtechnically, itís a truer 2002 entry, itís the only game I've played lately, and I'll probably play it for another three months easily. (Totally immersiveóI'm guessing "The Sims" is a similar experienceóyou can wander endlessly for days, interacting with the locals, being as Good or as Bad As You Wanna Be.) Ken says thereís nothing else like it, and he knows.

But, for me, 2002 is all about the PlayStation experience. A rookie with the machine (my chosen Fatherís Day present), I spent hours happily racing cars and being Batman and Spider-Man. Extra props to Ken for suggesting playing "Madden" while watching football on TV.

2. Going to the fair with Ben.

One of the reasons I started working at home a couple of days a week after Ben was born was to be able to do things with him as opportunities came up. What I didn't know at the time was that I'd be so exhausted raising a child that I would desperately need him to leave for day care every day.

However, that need has relaxed a bit as he gets older, and last summer such an opportunity arose. I finished my work before noon, and remembered an ad I'd seen for "Pre-School Day" at the carnival in a nearby city. I yanked Ben out of day care; eight bucks American got both of us in with all the rides free.

It was a great dayóa bit too hot in direct sunlight, maybe, but that made the Pepsi we shared later all the sweeter. We (or he) rode everythingóa small train, a spinning helicopter, those Dumbos that go ten feet in the air, a great big slide you went down on burlap sacksóseveral times.

After a while, we got onóI'm not sure how to describe it, other than to wonder if you, dear reader, ever went to the South Bend 4-H fair as a kid. There was a ride there every year calledÖ"The Himalaya," maybe? Never far from the front entrance to the fair, it was a ground-level roller coaster on a bumpy circular track. It was perhaps best known for a sound system that boomed pop songs, inevitably "Bad Moon Rising."

So, at the fair in 2002, Ben and I saw this same ride. He wanted to go on, so we ran up the ramp and picked our car. As we belted up and waited for it to start, I noticed a sign that said "heavier riders should sit on the outside." I happened to be sitting on the outside, but couldn't imagine what the sign meant.

Seconds later, as the thing gained speed and the sound system boomed (Creed, not Creedence), I understood. Ever had to go to driving school for a ticket, and had one of those instructors tell you how, in a moving car, everything loose becomes a possible projectile of death? ("A penÖright through your eyeball. A boomboxÖlike a sledgehammer.") Ben, who was possibly just big enough to be able to go on the ride, started sliding over to my side with sufficient force to crush. Meanwhile, I noticed the keys I carry in my left pocketóthe side next to the outside wall of the carówere balled up. So I had this metal, many-pointed deathball grinding into my leg with increasing force as the ride sped up.

And we're both laughing. Him because it's funny to be pushed by the centrifugal force, me at how a lovely afternoon at the fair had suddenly degenerated into a struggle for life.

1. Max McCoy, of course. What did you expect?

The DVD bargains forum at "DVD Talk" (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1), which has enabled me to purchase and enjoy a number of DVDs I'd never otherwise have seen

The eye-popping colors of the remastered "Singiní in the Rain"

Roone Arledge

Matthew Perry

"My Generation: Deluxe Edition," the double-disc set that somehow costs more than two single discs

"Sports Illustrated"

Silver: amazon.com, for eliminating order specialists (the only folks who knew what was going on)

Gold: Universal Studios, for not recalling the defective "Back to the Future" box

The Johnny Lightning 40ís Batmobile kit (available at Meijer for $12.97)

After hearing both Lee and Larry talk up "Stew," I fail to get out of my house on a Saturday night, drive to Ann Arbor, and see them for five bucks

Liza Moon