It's the middle of cold and flu season in Milwaukee and the editorial staff is operating at fever pitch. This week's batch of "stuff we really like right now" is an eclectic mix of very cool music from very different genres, an entertaining group of Japanese kids movies, a spectacular time-wasting Web site, a fun corner-bar and diversion and a delicious sandwich from a local restaurant (Cubanitas, pictured). These are a few of our favorite things right now:

Cuban sandwiches at Cubanitas -- Milwaukee's best and first Cuban restaurant, Cubanitas, 728 N. Milwaukee St., has great food inside a wonderful space. The Cuban sandwich is delicious -- roasted pork, Virginia ham, Swiss cheese and thinly sliced dill pickle on hot pressed Cuban bread with a mustard- aioli spread. Yum. The difference here, though, is the Cuban bread. Cubanitas has it flown in daily and it truly makes the sandwich. --Jeff Sherman

Say Hi's "Oohs & Ahhs" -- Seattle-based indie popper Eric Elbogen wisely changed the name of his band from Say Hi to Your Mom to the simpler and less quirky Say Hi in 2007. With the name change came a slight shift in sound to something a bit more coy and lo-fi, as exemplified on his latest release, "Oohs & Aahs." The album, the band's sixth, comes out March 3 on Barsuk Records. Lyrics are a strong point for Elbogen, whose poetry creates an incredibly warm and intimate listening experience. --Julie Lawrence

Films by Hayao Miyazaki -- I just finished watching the bulk of Japanese director and designer Hayao Miyazaki's films with my sons -- "Kiki's Delivery Service," "My Friend Totoro," "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away." The classic Anime style and compelling stories featuring strong female characters make these films, quite possibly, my all-time favorites in the kids' genre. "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "My Neighbor Totoro" are appropriate for younger children, but some of Miyazaki's other films are suited for pre-teens and older. The movie features the voices of many Hollywood actors, including Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thorton and Minnie Driver. --Molly Snyder Edler

sporcle.com -- We love a good time-wasting Web site as much as the next slacker. But, the folks at sporcle found a way to let you waste time and stimulate your brain. The site features a big database of fun quizzes about sports, entertainment, geography and general knowledge delivered in a "beat the clock" fashion is guaranteed to frustrate and inspire. Last week, I asked co-workers Bobby Tanzilo and Julie Lawrence to identify all the singers from the "We Are the World" chorus. It was hilarious watching them try to pick out the Pointer Sisters, Huey Lewis' band and Dan Aykroyd (what was he doing there?) Check this site out, but make sure the boss doesn't catch you. It's addictive. --Drew Olson

"Slumdog Millionaire" -- This pick isn't exactly ahead of the curve, but I highly recommend that you go see "Slumdog Millionaire." I intentionally have ignored reviews and summaries of the much-buzzed flick. But, it got harder to ignore friends saying that it was "one of the best movies they've ever seen." Truth told, it's the only movie I've seen in a theater in the past year and it was well worth $9.50 ticket price. It's visually stunning and the story has a ton of grit, guts and love. See it now. --J.S.

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3 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by Aardvark on Feb. 19, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. (report)

Cubanitas rocks. The food is delicious - cuban sandwich, plantain chips with guac, beef and cheese empanadas. Wash those down with a mojito and you're all set.

Posted by vasser on Feb. 19, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. (report)

Damn you Drew for reminding me of sporcle.com. It is now back in my favorites... Two things I hate about sporcle. It proves that I like to waste time, and it shows that I am not very bright!

Posted by Joscasta on Feb. 19, 2009 at 9:24 a.m. (report)

Another great Hayao Miyazaki film is Howl's Moving Castle, and has Christian Bale doing one of the voices. Trust me, its a great film.