Should you eat that second piece of pie or fight the urge in order to get a jump start on the New Year's resolution? The editorial staff wrestles with that question and steers you toward a bunch of other cool stuff in the Thanksgiving edition of our popular weekly feature.
Resisting that second (or third) piece of pie -- You're already full. You know you don't need it. You know you won't feel like working out over the weekend. Take a pass and get started on your New Year's resolution. Then again, what the hell? The economy sucks. You are among family and you can start the diet next week / year. --Drew Olson
"Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides -- This was the first 500-page book I had read in years, and well worth the time investment. The novel is narrated by Calliope, a hermaphrodite raised as a girl until adolescence, at which time she reinvents herself as a male named Cal. The story bounces between present day, when Cal is 41 and struggling with relationships while living in Europe, and her Greek family's past. "Middlesex" won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2003, and is a cross between a historical novel, a witty and heart wrenching coming-of-age tale and profound commentary on sex and gender. --Molly Snyder Edler
ThinkGeek.com -- Through my RSS reader, I keep my eye on a few of the more unique online shopping sites. I've already written about the awesome Woot.com, but recently, I've stumbled upon ThinkGeek.com, which calls itself "Stuff for Smart Masses." That includes all sorts of crazy crap, like caffeinated soap, iPod video goggles, LED faucet lights, a wi-fi detector t-shirt and something I'm dying to try called "Miracle Fruits," which temporarily make everything sour taste sweet. The site is well laid out with well-written descriptions and multiple photos. I subscribe to the what's new feed so I can learn immediately when ThinkGeek gets its shipment of coffee cup-shaped car power inverters, Swedish FireSteel, Japanese pill towels or instant snow. Admittedly, I haven't bought anything yet from the site, but I do have my eye on the "Cool Shooters" ice shot glasses that are actually a shot glass mold you create in the freezer (a mere $7.99, and Hanukkah is on the way, my friends). --Andy Tarnoff
"Boots of Chinese Plastic" by The Pretenders -- I haven't sampled the band's latest album, "Break Up the Concrete," but I've heard "Boots" a couple times in the car. It sounds as edgy and glam as any of the band's earlier material and just might make me dive into the whole disc, which I understand has a few understated country-tinged tunes, too. --D.O.
No Pudge! Fudge Brownie Mix -- This fat free brownie mix (made by Reily Foods Company of New Orleans) calls for 2/3 of yogurt, and nothing else. OK, since it's got a gram of fiber, no fat, no cholesterol and only 120 calories, it can't be good, can it? I was surprised at just how moist and fudgy these brownies are. Especially because when you add the yogurt to the mix, it looks like there's no way you've got enough moisture in there. But keep mixing and like magic it's suddenly silky smooth and glistening. Pop it into a pan and into the oven for 34 minutes (yes, the directions say 34 minutes) and you will have some of the best boxed brownies you have ever tasted. And best of all, you don't have to feel guilty. Sure there's 22 grams of sugar, but can you really have a brownie without sugar? --Bobby Tanzilo
Harlequin Sweet and Savory Bake Shop -- Sanford and Coquette Cafe owners Angie and Sandy D'Amato's eatery and bakery, Harlequin, in the lobby of the Landmark Building, 316 N. Milwaukee St., is a treasure. Great sandwiches, flat bread pizzas, soups and of course bakery make this a wonderful lunch stop when you are shopping in the Third Ward. There's seating upstairs and down, and free wi-fi if you are there between meetings. Driving past in the mornings? Stop in for warm buttermilk and raspberry filled donuts. Yum. --Jeff Sherman
Keb Mo's "Suitcase" -- Keb' Mo' (born Kevin Moors) produced his eighth studio album, "Suitcase," along with longtime collaborator John Porter (B.B. King, Los Lonely Boys, Santana) and recorded it at the legendary Shangri La Studios (The Band, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton) in Malibu, CA. It's a great release, and one of my favorites. There's a story in every Keb' Mo' song, from "Remain Silent," a lover's laying down of the law to one of my all time favorite tunes, "Life is Beautiful." Mo's working on a new effort for 2009 and hopefully he will come back to town, as he is equally entertaining in concert. In the meantime, download "Suitcase," it will make you smile -- guaranteed. --J.S.
Ghost hunting at Shaker's -- It's rather common knowledge that Walker's Point restaurant Shakers, 422 S. 2nd St., is one of several sites in Milwaukee long believed to be haunted. Although I have yet to feel an otherworldly presence, my server inevitably brings up the legend of the restaurant's ghoulish past every time I go there. Usually it involves tales of Elizabeth, the young girl who in the 1800s fell from an apple tree and broke her neck in a spot that's now the restaurant's bathroom. Apparently, many people have seen her little feet under the stall door or heard her childish giggle as the wash their hands. On a recent visit, our waitress offered tours of the haunted basement -- two of us at a time, only -- where two men were mysteriously murdered a century ago. It was cold and slightly creepy, but then again, it was an old-ass, dark basement. An experience like this is all a matter of perspective and it might take a momentary suspension of disbelief, but it's a fun way to shake up an otherwise ordinary evening out and definitely makes for interesting table talk amongst friends. --Julie Lawrence
