Even as the stores sport back to school sales (which depress us, even now), summer lingers on your friends the -ists. This week's collection of links provides some of the best, worst, and oddest bits of summer fun. So, bring your laptop up onto the roof, make yourself an umbrella drink or ten, and enjoy this week's choice posts from across the Gothamist network. Torontoist (where it's 75 degrees F as of this writing)......

We were all set to do a follow-up on Barry's Big Nothing but OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL HAS GOTTTEN INTO THE GIANTS? First they rallied from 6-1 to win yesterday and tonight...tonight, well, tonight they put together what Statheads refer to as an "ass whumping," beating the Padres, 9-3. We're talking striking for a rare and always-impressive back-to-back-to-back (and almost another -back) home run barrage, started off by the Barry himself, who hit 722. He was followed in quick succession by the so hot right now Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz. But wait, there's more! Omar Vizquel pulled off a suicide squeeze (scoring Wynn) and the New Kid on the Block, Chad Santos, hit his very first home-run, a two run shot. He also made a few nice plays in the field. ...

Torontoist throws down the gauntlet and challenges all comers: pillow fight, bitch. They also stand up for a fellow blogger taking heat from the TTC and welcome city-wide WiFi. SFist can finally admit it: It's possible that Bary Bonds juiced. Is Bay Area artist (tempted to put quotes around that) Thomas Kinkaid "kinda crappy" or "explosively crappy" or does he just like marking territory? SFist wonders. Technology comes in the form of new Mac goodness......

The most exciting thing on TV last night was the season finale of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." Which is to say, there was nothing exciting on TV last night. Tonight's a little better. First off, we're only a day away from Festivus. To help prepare you for those Feats of Strength and the Airing of Grievances, TBS will be running the "The Strike," the "Seinfeld" episode that started it all, tonight at 9 p.m.......

We admit to growing a bit tired of reality TV in general, and celeb-reality TV in particular. We shouldn't have been too surprised by the complete train wreck that was Britney and Kevin's TV show, but we admit to being a little disappointed nonetheless. We haven't even bothered with that Hilton show, and still can't believe some guy from blink 182 even has a show. But still....but still...we will watch "Being Bobby Brown". Oh yes,......