This week's installment features a grab bag of cool things including a pocket video camera (The Flip, pictured) along with some tasty ideas concerning cornbread, chocolate and cookies as well as some outstanding music, a provocative TV show and a fun video game that can only help pass time until summer.
Flip Video camcorder -- Shooting home movies shouldn't be a chore, but it is. When was the last time you hauled out the camera (and cellphones don't count) and shot an event? The Flip Video camcorder may change that. It's small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. Better still, it's easy to shoot and upload decent quality videos to your computer and send them into the YouTube universe. The Flip camera holds 60 minutes of video and has a USB arm and internal software that makes it easy to upload video. It's not HD-quality, but it's pretty good. And, it's a fun gadget to use. Pick one up for about $150 online, a little more at a "big box" electronics store. --Drew Olson
"This American Life" on TV -- If you enjoy listening to Ira Glass' "This American Life" on NPR, check out the Showtime television series. Season one is now available through Netflix and at select video stores, including Riverwest Film & Video. To create the first season, Glass and his team spent six months on the road in search of compelling, heartbreaking and / or humorous life stories. During his travels, Glass unearthed fascinating places and characters, including a rancher who cloned his beloved bull, a Chicago hot dog stand where the staff and customers are encouraged to berate each other and a 14-year-old boy who doesn't feel love. The most interesting segment, in my opinion, revolves around a performance art group that pretends to be fans of a struggling indie rock band, convincing them for a few days that they are living a dream when, in fact, it's all an illusion. --Molly Snyder Edler
Chocolate mixed with hot peppers -- This seems to be a new culinary trend. A while ago a co-worker brought in chocolate cupcakes into which she'd incorporated cayenne pepper. The spicy kick was subtle and surprising, but delicious. So delicious, in fact, that the experience prompted me to purchase a chocolate oatmeal cookie "with a hot pepper kick" at The National last week. It was made by Simple Soyman, a local company, and was made from all organic ingredients. --Julie Lawrence
Wii tennis and bowling -- I'm far from a video game expert, but I really enjoy tennis and bowling from Wii Sports. Both are surprisingly realistic, challenging and competitive. Sure, they don't replace the real thing, but in the cold winter months they are a great way to warm up in front of the big screen in the basement. --Jeff Sherman
The Felice Brothers -- People may dismiss them as a ripoff of Bob Dylan / The Band / Woody Guthrie, etc. Don't sell them short. This is creative, provocative and catchy music that meshes some dark lyrical themes amid rollicking music. Some of the tracks have a breezy, first-take feel. But there are a million bands out there who can tell you it takes talent to achieve that effect. --Drew Olson
Buying memberships to local museums and the Zoo -- Every January, I take great civic pride in renewing my Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum, Discovery World and Milwaukee County Zoo memberships. You should, too. For the price, they can't be beat. The benefits are good, too, above and beyond the "free" admissions. Log on to the sites or just stop in at one of these Milwaukee jewels, and sign up for a membership today - it pays for itself pretty quickly. --J.S.
Cornbread -- Chris Rock was right when he said "Cornbread -- ain't nothin' wrong with that." Buy some or whip up a batch to accompany your homemade chili or spicy chicken tortilla soup. It's a great break from the peppery goodness. --D.O.
"Get On Your Boots" -- The first single from U2's upcoming album "No Line On The Horizon," isn't anything too groundbreaking but it's a fun, poppy reminder of how and why U2 still matters. It's been four years since the band's last disc, so new stuff is long overdue. "Get On Your Boots" is catchy, quirky and one of those tunes that stick with you. Stream it here. --J.S.
Peanut Butter Patties -- It's hard to go wrong with Thin Mints or Lemonades, but the PBP is a terrific Girl Scout cookie. Crispy vanilla cookies layered with peanut butter and blanketed with a chocolaty coating. Simple perfection. And, my young one is selling them if you need a few boxes for $3.50 each. --D.O.
ESPN's Streak for the Cash -- Warning: ESPN.com's "Streak for the Cash" is addictive. It's legal gambling, too, and superior sponsored content. Kudos to Progressive Insurance. To play Streak for Cash, you must be a registered member of ESPN.com (or one of sponsor's affiliated web sites, e.g., ABC.com, ABCNews.com, DisneyOnline.com, ESPN.com or Family.com). Registration for ESPN.com is free. So, sign up and start your streak.
It's easy to play, too. On the "Make Pick" page, you are challenged to select the outcome of a listed match up between teams, individual competitors or a combination of both. There are 5-8 choices. Pick one, lock it in and streak.
You can see how you rate against everyone playing and the first entrant to accumulate a streak of 27 in a row wins $1 million! And each month, there's a $2,500 prize for most wins. I love this game. It's fun and helps me broaden my sports viewing and passion. Check it out here and sign up today. --J.S.
