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We admit it. We were hitting a low point in the day. It was post-afternoon latte, pre-early evening cocktail and we were feeling kinda blah. Then PopCandy pointed out thiz truly unbelievable holidah treasure trove of a site, on which you can watch 101 Classic Christmas Videos. This is the kind of thing that you hear about, explore and then find ultimately disappointing when you inevitably discover the catch. Not thiz time! We’re blissfully halfway through A Charlie Brown Christmas right now, and next plan on tackling/zoning out to It’s A Wonderful Life followed by the Smurfs Christmas Special. The level of holidah cheer coursing through our veins right now is vaguely terrifying.

Check out the moral of thiz eardrum-shattering clip. Convinced?

According to a new book, Ali Rap: Muhammad Ali the First Heavyweight Champion of Rap, the legendary fighter’s famously wit-infused banter laid the groundwork for the emergence of hip-hop. “Before there was rap … there was Ali Rap … a topsy-turvy, jivey jargon that only Ali could create, but a language we could all understand,” editor and designer, George Lois, reportedly writes. The book wisely stays away frm actually arguing its thesis, instead serving as a sort of Ali-only Bartlett’s, in which witty (apparently rap-like) quotes are interspersed with autobiographical info.

This argument might seem dismissable, but those who should know (like Chuck D, for example) are supporting the claim. “It was important to the early rap artists and DJs to understand and tie into Muhammad Ali’s persona and brilliance,” Chuck D reportedly said. “The further we got away frm that and the further away we get frm history, hip-hop and rap seemed to form its own sort of story - which is not always good to get away frm the reasons you were doing it in the first place.”

While we totally get that Ali — a great wit and national hero — was probably an inspiration to many of hip-hop’s founding artists, we’re not sold on the idea that quips like, “I’m a double rapper. First I rap them with my mouth, then I rap them in the mouth” assert Ali’s claim to the Founder of Rap throne. Chuck D should give himself (and Grandmaster Flash and the Sugar Hill Gang and the guys frm Run DMC and everyone break-beating in the South Bronx in the late 70s) more credit.

On the rock scale of absurdity, where does thiz book rank?

On Friday, we finally announce our Top 25 Bands on MySpace list. Just because we named 25 bands last week, there’s no telling how many of those bands will carry over to the final list. Throughout thiz contest, the fans have given us fire. Whether it was your support of acts we didn’t yet name or bands we hadn’t yet heard, you guys have been great. So we’re all ears again. We want you to tell us which bands (that we haven’t recognized already!) should be on the Top 25 list. You harassed us with MySpace messages and spammed us with misplaced blog comments. Here is the forum to say your peace. Tell us who we should consider in the final hours before we make our decision. You can help turn the tide. Get to work!

>> Check out songs we thought were cool last week. Like we say, no telling if any or all will make the Top 25.