I can't thank Pop reader Chad H. enough for letting me know that is available on YouTube. It's weird what things stick in your head for 25 years -- Jhoon Rhee's karate jingle is definitely one of them, followed by the Carpet .
More fun with retro commercials: of Jason Alexander singing about hamburgers. (He has hair!) And how long has it been since you've watched featuring Michael Jackson and Alfonso Ribeiro?
Ribeiro turns 36 this year. Sigh.
Feel free to talk about your favorite retro ads in the comments.
Links are always welcome, too ...
Comedian Michael Showalter, formerly of The State and Comedy Central's Stella, now hosts a series on CollegeHumor.com called The Michael Showalter Showalter. His is pal Michael Ian Black, and while the language can get a little spicy, it's worth checking out.
(His was comedian Zach Galifianakis -- that one is hilarious, but it should definitely be heard via headphones.)
The Showalter is a short Charlie Rose parody that features the host sporting a sweater and asking his guests for large sums of money off-camera. I'm guessing/hoping more State alums will share his desk in the future.
Pop reader Paul B. sent me a link to , a funny, scripted YouTube series hosted by a busy soccer mom from her van. Tate's first guest is Saturday Night Live's Bill Hader, though he doesn't speak too much during the five-minute program.
At the end of the clip, there's a link to , where you can view more comedy.
Incidentally, I'd give Hader the superfan award at Saturday Night Live last weekend. He was definitely the most excited cast member during Arcade Fire's performances!
Real-estate site Zillow.com has posted a few features where you can see the locations and values of , and . My favorites include on The OC, which the site says is worth about $5.
8 milion and the , valued at $25 million.
where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio lived during their brief marriage seems downright affordable by comparison at $1.5 million, as does the , which goes for $941,000.
(Then again, the numbers could be a little .)
Several of you have pointed out that NPR's is now available as . This has been a long time coming and comes as great news for listeners who have been paying for the downloads.
Terry Gross' program features insightful interviews with entertainers and is worth checking out if you haven't already. You can also stream the show at . (Pop reader Wade B.
recommends with The Decemberists' Colin Meloy.)
Talk back: What are the best celebrity websites?
Spin.com has posted about Ryan Adams -- specifically, how he has become an Internet phenomenon because of his wacky website. Unlike many celebrity sites, changes on a regular basis. Go there now, and you'll hear a hilarious song urging fans to close the door to your office, put your headphones and sunglasses on .
..
I admit visiting Adams' site regularly, just to see/hear what's been on his mind lately.
Here are 10 more of my favorite celebrity destinations:
-- Though updates are sparse (and often timed when he has something to promote), they're generally worth the wait.
-- The musician offers a killer radio station and intelligent musings.
-- The comedian also posts frequent blog updates, photos and funny comments.
-- Her MySpace page may not look super-fancy, but it offers lots of charming insight into the woman behind Pam Beesley.
-- His devotion to the Internet developed into a full-fledged talk show. So far it's working out quite well.
-- There's no telling when Courtney will chime in on her message boards. Her posts are generally quite memorable.
-- Yes, I check John Mayer's blog from time to time.
The secret's out!
-- Her frequent, stream-of-consciousness entries are insightful, bizarre, funny and/or touching, but they're almost always entertaining.
-- The director makes tons of time for his fans, and he doesn't hold back when it comes to his experiences in the business.
What are your favorite celebrity sites? Feel free to share in the comments.
In the spirit of the holiday, here are a few more V-Day-ish items:
- Retro Music Snob has posted 30 downloads and .
Hear them as soon as you can, because he's removing them after today!
- PopMatters has posted with John Waters. Waters has a new CD out called A Date with John Waters that's chock full of love songs (seriously!
). Read it all the way until the end, then watch Waters' YouTube video and listen to the MP3 of Johnny, Are You Queer?.
- Howard Stern -- the radio personality, not Anna Nicole's boyfriend -- .
- If you liked my earlier post about breakup songs, here's about them. It includes many MP3s.
- And finally, of wacky valentines made me laugh out loud. Thanks to Pop reader Lara for the tip. is my favorite one.
Yes, it's another Valentine's Day-related link: to make your own candy heart. And while I'm at it ..
.
- Dairy Queen has set up that lets users create a customized song. (The end product is pretty weird and features cartoon lips and a dude on an exercise bike.
)
- Here are on how you can have an eco-friendly holiday.
Pop reader Tracy S. sent me a link to , a website that offers personalized holiday gift songs for the ones you love.
While I don't recommend you use this site as a substitute for a fancy dinner and flowers tomorrow -- some of these tunes are so cheesy, they make Color Me Badd sound like Beethoven -- the free previews are still pretty funny.
I just tried the Valentine's Day song for lovers and was greeted by a very non-romantic voice singing Ooh, Whitney and praising my big brown eyes. If you actually use the site, it costs $4.
95.
A new website called just made me sigh in my seat. The concept mixes advice columns, YouTube and , and it works surprisingly well: First, college students submit a problem to the website that they need help with.
Next, other users help solve the dilemma and construct an episode where the solution can be illustrated via puppets, cartoons, actors, etc.
The final product is a short video that users can send to friends -- and, if they want, the clip can be sent anonymously. Confused?
My favorite example is the new Valentine's Day episode, which is intended for anyone who has a secret crush. Go to the site and click on The Valentine to watch it.
The site is a product of a $25,000 grant given to a student group at UCLA.
So far I like what they're doing with it.
Today the Bravo family launched a new pop-culture website that could come in handy the next time you're looking to waste a few minutes at work. is an offshoot of the former TRIO network and promises to be a filter for all stuff pop culture, delivered daily.
(Uh, wait a minute. Is someone gunning for my job?)
The site promises daily e-mail newsletters and divides its offerings into three categories: stuff to buy, stuff to do and stuff to see.
If this sounds like a blog, you're right -- unfortunately, the scattered layout makes it kind of confusing to read. So far my favorite part is the , which contains some programming formerly shown on the network, like the documentary series Parking Lot.
Something else to watch for: GetTRIO's sister site, BrilliantButCancelled.
com, has just posted several , including Sliders and American Gothic. Sliders starred Jerry O'Connell, while Gothic featured Studio 60's Sarah Paulson.
Much has been about , a promotional website for Windows Vista, and not all of it has been good.
The is that it has nothing to do with the operating system: The viral site features comedian Demetri Martin casually chatting about himself instead of the product.
Despite the lack of information, folks like Pop reader Jennifer P. love it.
(I'm a fan, too.) What do you think?
I'm proud to say I've just purchased my ticket to .
The Best Week Ever blog is organizing a group trip to see All My Children actor Jeffrey Carlson perform in Hamlet, and since it takes place just minutes from my apartment, how could I say no?
If you decide to go, please drop me a line. The Zarf-tastic evening is scheduled for Friday, June 22.
Last week visual artist Matthew Barney visited Washington, D.C.'s Hirschhorn Museum to speak about his work.
If you couldn't make it, don't panic: Video of his appearance has been at the museum's website.
is best known for his thought-provoking five-part film series The Cremaster Cycle, a portion of which you can rent. In 2006 he released the film Drawing Restraint 9, which featured his longtime girlfriend, Bjork.
While that still isn't available on DVD, a is now playing in select theaters and is available on demand through some cable providers.
Still Barney-curious? features some Cremaster video and info, and here's a Cremaster 3 clip.
YouTube also has a with the artist.
Did the guy propose, or what?
Remember the guy whose big dream was to during the Super Bowl?Well, obviously, it didn't happen, but there's an update: It looks like he'll be proposing in an ad during Veronica Mars tomorrow night. Check out for the details. Thanks to Pop reader Meagan B.
for the tip, and good luck to the guy. (Can you imagine what would happen if, after all this, she says no?)
The hairy bride: Who did it?
Yesterday I linked to about a crazy bride, and I think most of us agreed it was a fake.
The woman behind the hoax has now , and she's a 21-year-old aspiring actress (shocker!).
Before being exposed, however, she managed to fool the Today show, which featured the clip yesterday. Thanks to Pop reader Amanda H. for the tip.
A bunch of readers have e-mailed me about today -- all of a sudden, it's becoming hugely popular and has been seen more than two million times on the site.
The clip shows a bride freaking out about her hair just hours before her wedding. Several factors suggest the video is staged (I spotted a wig at around 5:42), though that doesn't seem to have hindered its popularity.
Can you beat Lloyd Dobler's boom-box scene?
It's hard to believe Valentine's Day is coming up in a couple weeks -- maybe that's partly because several Christmas trees still linger by the curb on my street. In any case, USA TODAY has just launched a search for readers' , and I figured some of you may want to contribute.
If I were entering, for instance, I might confess that one year when my husband's 28th birthday fell on Easter, I bought him 28 tiny presents, put them in plastic eggs and hid them all over our apartment. Or perhaps I'd enclose a very endearing mix tape a boy made me in the seventh grade. And then there was the time my boyfriend flew with me to England after high school .
.. Oh, sorry.
I'm getting my life mixed up with Say Anything again.
Anyway, if you want to enter, send 100 words or less to . (Don't forget a phone number, too.
) If you prefer snail-mail, send it to Romantic Gestures, USA TODAY Life Section, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA, 22108. The deadline is Feb. 9, and some entries will be published in the paper Feb.
14.
Stephen Colbert is about to launch a website, and he plans to fill it with lies, rumors and all kinds of truthiness.
We don’t have one trained journalist on staff .
.. Nation, if you have a substantial news tip that deserves investigation, take it somewhere else, he last week.
will post users' story submissions, especially if they're based on rumors and hearsay. (It still hasn't officially kicked off, though the site does contain a space for submissions.)
I have a feeling this site could be a big deal, though a lot of it will depend on the strength of the contributors.
Finally, those folks at The Onion may get a little competition.
Here's a fun site that challenges the power of the Internet: A project called is testing the theory of six degrees of separation by posting a photo of a random man (named Satoshi) and asking users to track him down. Think of it as a real-life Where's Waldo?
...
only Satoshi may not be wearing a striped shirt when we find him.
to find out how you can participate in the game, and keep checking the official site for updates. Thanks to Kevin B.
for the tip.
Dear lord, it's another list: This time VH1 is counting down the . Right now you can see the list out of order, vote for your favorite and watch all of the viral clips.
I was surprised at how many I hadn't seen, considering I pretty much spend my weekdays watching this junk. In the end, I think the Evolution of Dance guy, Lonelygirl15, the Star Wars kid and Mahir will all rank pretty highly.
You've probably already heard about Kevin Federline's -- this week it was announced that Britney's ex will appear in a commercial for Nationwide Insurance during the big game and online Jan.
29.
We do know the clip features a fake music video, and some of that footage has just .
This Nationwide commercial is the first chance for the world to see the new Kevin Federline, who gets the importance of making good decisions and being better prepared for the future, Federline says in a Q A just released by Nationwide.
I'm determined for the world to see a new and improved Kevin in 2007, so be on the lookout for upcoming big announcements in TV, film, fashion and music this year.
I, for one, am on the edge of my seat.
The Onion A.
V. Club has of the best swag they've received -- of course, I've seen a lot of this stuff floating around the USA TODAY offices, including the Silence of the Lambs lotion (a wondefully creepy idea) and the American Idol shower radio.
By the way, if there's a king of swag, it has to be the Fox network.
It seems like almost every day I receive a package from these guys, whether it was yesterday's Prison Break baseball cap or last week's Idol T-shirt. Many of their promo items last longer than their series, in fact: I still use my Arrested Development Post-It notes, a legal pad and a coffee mug promoting .
Forbes has compiled a list of the , and most of them aren't surprising.
Oprah, J.K. Rowling and Martha Stewart round out the top three, while Julia Roberts is the wealthiest actress on the list.
I was a little shocked to see Judge Judy ranked at No. 13 -- who knew this woman had more money than Cameron Diaz and Gisele Bundchen? Also, how the heck is Sandra Bullock listed at No.
14 when 90% of her movies are terrible? And you'd think Nicole Kidman would be higher than No. 18, but this is not the case.
A new comedy website is ready to steal away your precious work hours: focuses on comedy shorts, and so far everything I've seen has been worth recommending. , and all have their own 'channels.' .
.. There are also some younger, hip, up-and-coming comedians who have shorts on the site that are really hilarious, says Pop reader Jennie P.
The best thing I've seen on the site has to be called Bob Dylan: No Direction, Period. I'd also suggest Mirman's Space Talk From Dimension Eugene, though the language is R-rated (I love the reference to video cereal!).
American Splendor fans will appreciate about Genuine Nerd Toby Radloff as well.
Pop reader Zack S. points out a Lost parody is also on the site, though watch out for the curse word in the first minute.
takes a look at what it might be like in the writers' room ...
and, at this point, I can't say I'd be surprised if a magic turtle entered the picture.
, and to be quite honest, I never really thought about having a fake name for the 'Bux' ..
. until now, says Pop reader Nicole Y. The story she refers to talks about Starbucks customers who lie about their names.
I wonder how widespread this is and how often people actually do it? she asks. But the question is, do I go with a movie character?
Chewbacca is a good suggestion. Or maybe a stripper-esque name like Candy, Velvet or Cinnamon?
Do you guys fake your coffee names?
If so, what do you use? The next time I'm in line, I'm thinking of going with Exene. Or maybe Thor .
..
Wanna see yourself get old?
in today's paper talks about the , a new viral marketing campaign from CareerBuilder.com that lets users upload photos and see themselves age about 50 years. I may have to down a couple adult beverages before I gain the courage to try this, though you guys are welcome to it.
Once you're done, you can e-mail the photo to a friend. (CareerBuilder is pretty great at creating these viral campaigns -- remember ?)
Update: The reader consensus seems to be that this site is a dud!
Head to the comments to share your frustration (or disagree).
Pop reader Tom L. sent me a link to literally two minutes after I heard it on my way to work.
In it, reporter David Kestenbaum talks about how he met his neighbor through iTunes, though the result is so awkward it makes you wonder if technology is creating a more paranoid and uncomfortable society. (Then again, maybe his neighbor was just being cautious.)
I have to say that I was extremely disheartened by this story, Tom writes.
Is this really what the world is coming to? People don't know or acknowledge their neighbors, even when they already know that they have things in common? I think this is very sad and would be very interested to know what you and your readers think.
I will say the rules of apartment living are a little different from living in the suburbs; if you're a single woman living in the city, you don't necessarily want to be best buddies with everyone who lives in your building, and I, too, might be suspicious of an unsolicited e-mail. (If I were David, I would've gotten my wife to write the e-mail and/or ring the buzzer with me.)
Then again, I do think it's important to know your neighbors and be on good terms with them.
Of course, I say that and I couldn't even tell you the name of the woman who lives above my apartment ...
How are those resolutions coming?
If you need a little extra motivation/structure with your resolutions this year, try joining . The website lets users list their goals, meet people with the same goals, track their progress and (hopefully) cruise to the finish line.The top three resolutions for 2007? Read 50 books, exercise regularly and lose weight. ( Get a job came in at No.
15.)
This guy had the . (He may have had the best birthday party ever, period.
) Every year from here on out is going to be a letdown. Thanks to Pop reader Michael D. for the tip.
I try to keep my Britney Spears references to a minimum here, but since everyone has been stopping by my desk to comment on this illustration today, I figured I should share it with the rest of you. (Click to enlarge.)
Alfred E.
Neuman pops up in an unlikely spot on the cover of the February issue of Mad magazine, on sale Jan. 10. The issue also parodies Gap's Product Red campaign, the Nintendo Wii and the Diet Coke/Mentos video.
OK, I admit it: I love Kleenex's . It's the simplest idea, really: Take a catchy song, plop a blue couch in the middle of a city and ask real people to talk about things that make them cry (and, as a result, use gobs of Kleenex).
The song used in the ads is Let It Out from a little-known Springfield, Mo.
, band called . Kleenex is using the same idea in its , and it plans to on its website connected to the campaign. (What will it do, have users upload videos of themselves crying?
)
I don't see the company's latest ad on YouTube yet, but you can watch one woman get weepy about her wedding on the .
I just placed my annual order for -- if you're a fan, it's time to track down the badge-wearing gal near you.
This year's cookies to include zero trans fats.
I guess this is a good thing, though I'm always suspicious when I hear about someone messing with my Thin Mints.
Remember when I went to that in Austin? Well, now it seems the love is spreading with Buffy the Vampire Slayer sing-alongs popping up in New York, Chicago, Boston and other cities.
Heck, there's devoted to them.
If you live in Chicago, tickets are on sale for Jan. 12 and 13 sing-alongs at the lovely Music Box Theatre.
Organizer Clinton McClung tells me the events have been officially sanctioned by the studio and are about to tour the country, so keep an eye on the site for details. As I can tell you from experience, it's a great time for Buffy fans and newcomers alike -- and fangs are provided at the door.
Talk back: What are your New Year's resolutions?
In 2006 I told myself I was going to exercise every day, learn to knit, travel to Europe and buy a house. I accomplished none of these things.
Glance at some of my goals for 2007, then add your own in the comments:
- I will watch more classic films.
After discovering the magic that is the Rocky series, I've decided to watch as many of the movies on certain 100 best lists as possible, namely AFI's and the Village Voice's (many of which aren't American).
- I will minimize my TV time. I was pretty good about my television habits in 2006, though I did indulge in some regrettable WE and VH1 behavior over the holiday season.
This year I must stop watching shows that don't add to my life and start taking more advantage of my DVR. Sitting through commercials is so 2004.
- I will travel to San Francisco and Minneapolis.
I have friends in both places, and they have futons!
- I will finish The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier Clay. I've been reading this novel for the last four years.
Don't ask me why it has taken me so long -- every chapter just reminds me of another book I want to read.
- I will shop less and go out more. Clothes aren't important; concerts and plays and movies are!
That's my philosophy, at least, and in 2007, I plan to stick to it.
OK, your turn ..
.
The tagline for reads, Like Flickr, but without the photos. Sign up, and you can make lists of your favorite words, see everybody else's favorite words, comment on words, list things like and pretty much be a word nerd in any way you please.
I've already started a , though feel free to add more excellent words in the comments. Even if you don't join the site, it can still be a pretty fun way to expand your vocabulary. Thanks to for the tip.
I'm taking some time off, but I'll be back before you know it! Have a joyful, relaxing holiday season and a merry new year. See you in '07 with lots more Candy .
..
If you need something to tide you over, check out this week's Best of Pop Candy podcast, featuring The Submarines, Veronica Mars' Rob Thomas and more.
See my for other options, and for the archives. Thanks for listening!
Wanna arm wrestle a reindeer?
How can you say no to that? Warning: It's . Thanks to Pop reader Austin M.
for the tip.
I was just looking over of celebrity viral videos that were popular in Britain this year, and I noticed not all of them made the jump overseas. For instance, have you seen Keira Knightley perform Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head ?
(She did it on Ellen, but I missed it.) And I have no idea who Katie Price and Peter Andre are, but this also made the list.
Some things are universal, though: Topping the list was Britney Spears' incoherent on movies, time travel, peepholes and other random subjects.
It's official: Pop Candy has won the for Best Culture Blog. Thanks to everyone who voted. Head over to the official site to see winners in all categories -- we're in some pretty cool company, including (Best Music Blog) and the Diet Coke/Mentos guys (Video of the Year).
The Best Blog award went to the politically fueled .
Pop reader Dave C. told me about this that makes me wish I owned a Nintendo Wii.
What are Miis, you ask? Dave defines them as little avatars of yourself and friends and, best of all, celebs that you can make using Nintendo's new software.
Dave started a Flickr group for celebrity Miis, and many of the creations are worth checking out.
He likes his Mii, though I'm fond of , , and . Seriously, if I had this, I don't think I'd ever leave the couch.
Yesterday I put out a call for wacky holiday outfits, and this is my favorite one yet -- that's Pop reader Erdem D.
on the left with his girlfriend, Molly, and their roommate, Hilary. (Click to enlarge.)
The trio had the Sears Portrait Studio snap their picture for an invitation to their annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Party.
The expression on Erdem's face, combined with the festive garland draped across his shoulder? Priceless.
I was thrilled to learn that Pop Candy is a finalist for Best Culture Blog in this year's -- this is the first time that's ever happened, so thanks to everyone who nominated it.
(A special thanks goes to Pop reader , who was the first to nominate the Candy. His own blog is also up for an award.) Voting has , and it ends Dec.
15.
I hope to continue making Pop Candy a must-read in 2007, but I'm also open to your suggestions. Is there anything you'd like to see on the blog next year?
What features could be added? Who should I interview? I welcome your comments.
Pop reader Kate K. sent me this question the other day:
Do you have a favorite guilty-pleasure Christmas outfit? (Like Colin Firth's reindeer sweater from Bridget Jones?
) My favorite has to be my Old Navy Christmas-themed fleece pants -- I have candy cane-covered ones from years ago, and I love them.
Unfortunately, my wardrobe is shamefully low on holiday attire, but something tells me you guys may have a few crazy outfits lurking in the back of your closets. If you're brave enough to of your Santa sweaters, menorah socks and such, I'll post a few next week.
(Only one low-res pic per e-mail, please.)
I remember hearing that Illeana Douglas was working on a TV show, but then the news fizzled ..
. until now. The first episode of Illeanarama has , and it features appearances by Jane Lynch and Justine Bateman (as herself).
The series is going the Chad Vader route with eps going online, and guest stars will include Gene Wilder, Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begley Jr.
Something else the show has in common with Vader: The plot involves Douglas quitting showbiz to work in a grocery store. In real life, the actress will appear in the upcoming as Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.
- Anna Nicole's son dies ranks at No. 2 on its list of news story searches. Iraq?
No. 3.
- ABC, NBC, Fox, the CW and Comedy Central are represented in its roundup of the top 10 TV show searches.
However, CBS is not.
- Two of the top 10 movie searches of 2006 (Spider-Man 3 and Transformers) won't even be released until 2007.
And another sign I'm getting old: I haven't heard of all the songs on their lyric search list.
After reading the words to Laffy Taffy, perhaps that's not such a bad thing.
Pop reader Stacy M. has a craft-related problem, and I think we can help.
Here's the question she sent me last week:
I keep every ticket stub for any concert (and movie, for that matter) that I go to. I usually just put the ticket stubs up on my refrigerator, but there are just too many, and even the strongest magnets aren't holding all of them anymore. Do you have any suggestions for creative ways that I can display all of these tickets (other than just pinning them to a giant corkboard)?
Now, I'm not super-crafty myself, though after reading Stacy's question, I realized that I, too, could use some cool ideas for what to do with the shoeboxes full of ticket stubs I've been stockpiling over the years. suggests decoupage, offers picture frames and here's for coasters, though I'm sure there are more possibilities out there.
Hey, this brightened my Monday -- Pop Candy lands at No.
7 on of the Best Blogs of 2006 That You (Maybe) Aren't Reading.
Of course, that's not news to you ..
. though the list does include several other sites you may not have heard of, so take a look. I agree that is worth a daily stop, and I'm also a fan of and the .
A new show on mtvU -- that's MTV for the college kids -- pairs director Kevin Smith with a . The results are actually entertaining and informative, and if you don't live in a dorm, you can .
Sucks Less, With Kevin Smith features stories produced by students and overseen by Smith.
Smith tapes the introductions at his comic-book shop, and new installments appear every Thursday. While they're definitely aimed for the college crowd (the sex jokes never cease), I think we can all benefit from knowing about things like , don't you?
Thanks to Comedy Central's blog for putting in one handy spot.
In case you haven't been keeping up with the saga, Vader follows the life and times of a grocery store day-shift manager who has all the powers (and none of the charisma) of Darth Vader.
Episodes run about five minutes each, so they're perfect if you need a quick break from work. The first ep has been seen more than 438,000 times on YouTube.
Nominations for the are now open. Thanks to Chris, the Pop Candy reader who already mentioned me in the section -- I appreciate it!
Even if you don't leave a nomination, the site can be a great resource for finding new blogs, so take a look.
Some useful categories: , and .
Update: I've already been nominated, so don't worry about nominating me again (once is all it takes). Feel free to suggest your other favorite blogs, though, and I'll let you know when the voting starts.
As you may know, each year Jones Soda issues its of weird beverage flavors. Since the endeavor benefits Toys for Tots, I suppose we shouldn't be too negative about it, but two flavors make my stomach turn in name alone: green pea soda and antacid soda.
This year's other flavors: sweet potato, dinner roll and turkey and gravy.
Head to to order or locate a pack in your area. (While this could really spice up a boring meeting, I encourage you to make sipping optional.)
- You know I'm a free man, right, ladies?
You wanna dance with a pimp?
- Ladies if you're drunk, let me hear you scream!
- All my ladies, I love you to death!
- I represent the (expletive) West Coast.
So far we've heard no response from the West Coast on that last one -- and, by the way, Federline is now of his two children with Britney Spears.
I must see the YouTube logo 10 times a day, and I still performed terribly on .
Thanks to Craig B. for the tip -- and thank goodness they didn't throw in a USA TODAY logo to make me feel even more ridiculous.
Here's a : Life magazine snapped celebrities at the Toronto International Film Festival in disguise.
Can you guess who they are? (Some are obvious, but several stumped me.) Thanks to Pop reader Karen E.
for the tip.
How many of you are there?
Pop reader Kevin A.sent me a link to , and I've been searching the names of everyone I know all afternoon. It tells me there are only two Whitney Mathesons in the U.S.
-- and, as veteran readers may recall, .
Candy, scares and free food
Before I share some more costumes, here's one more roundup of festive links:- What's better: Snickers or Nestle Crunch? (I say it's easy -- Snickers tops all!
) ESPN's Page 2 has started a to determine the greatest sweet of all. Thanks to Stuart S. for the tip.
- Want a free burrito for dinner? Put some tinfoil on your head and . (I hope Lindsay W.
!)
- Did you jump when Carrie's hand came out of the ground? It's OK -- most of us did.
of the scariest movie moments. Psycho's shower scene nabs the No. 1 spot.
- Radar has a fun feature on the . How have I lived this long without seeing Sleepaway Camp?
- AfterElton.
com has compiled . Rule No. 1: You don't.
- Last week's had a Halloween theme, including a spooky story by David Sedaris. You can listen for free online.
Have you carved your pumpkin yet?
- set up a camera to film their Halloween pumpkin rotting in their basement for 14 days. The result only lasts 17 seconds.
- Speaking of pumpkins, if you're tired of the typical Jack-o'-lantern, check out .
There, you'll learn how to carve , and other creepy-looking creations.
- Here's a cool project for Battlestar Galactica fans: the !
- As always, the Food Network has for Halloween parties, cocktails, activities and what to do with those pumpkins when you're done cutting them up.
- is a haunted house in upstate New York made entirely out of balloons. It's too late to visit this year, but you can still take the . Thanks to Steve K.
for the tip.
- Who's the best screamer? .
- In , I play you a track from the new Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. from another song on the disc, Marilyn Manson's This is Halloween.
- Can you remember what your favorite TV characters wore during Halloween episodes?
AOL has posted .
- If you thought your outfit was snazzy, just wait until you see to the annual ILM-Lucasfilm-LucasArts Halloween Party last weekend ..
.
Look for more holiday-themed posts throughout the day.
This week I'll be posting photos of your creepy and charming Halloween costumes, so if you've got any, .
Restrictions: You can only send me one photo, and it must be low-res. Also, please tell me who you're supposed to be, as this is not always immediately apparent.
Click on the image to see Pop reader Kathleen M.
as Buddy the elf from Elf. (This is) the first time I ever made a costume that looked vaguely how it was supposed to look, she says.
If you're looking for a diversion this afternoon, I just got sidelined by the online edition of , a game created by the makers of Cranium.
The web edition is pretty clever: Video clues are created by users (you can submit one yourself), and the faster you type in your answer, the more points you receive.
I'm embarrassed to admit I was just stumped by Riverdance -- I'm sure my father would've gotten that one in 10 seconds or less.
Pop reader Jess started an experiment on his blog a few weeks ago by combining two of his favorite shows: Lost and Survivor.
aims to find out which character on the Lost island (or should we say islands ?) can outwit, outplay and outlast them all. After each episode, he adds and subtracts points for each character based on his/her actions.
Right now Locke leads the pack with 126 points, but Desmond is catching up with 116. (He gained 19 after last night's episode.) Poor Kate lost 18 points with her idiotic moves, but I'm betting she'll pull ahead in no time.
that Chuck Norris gave the Mona Lisa that smile and has counted to infinity twice. But did you know he now writes a weekly column? WorldNetDaily.
com nabbed the superstar to talk about . In , Norris addresses the now-famous list of Chuck Norris Facts and emphasizes his religious faith.
An excerpt: I've got a bulletin for you, folks.
I am no superman. I realize that now, but I didn't always. As six-time world karate champion and then a movie star, I put too much trust in who I was, what I could do and what I acquired.
I forgot how much I needed others and especially God.
If that's not enough Norris for you, check out . Priceless.
No, it's not 'The Biggest Looser'
Yahoo has done a funny roundup of its . Most of them are celebrities' names: Rachael Ray tops the list, followed by Scarlett Johansson, Weird Al Yankovic, Evanescence, Barbra Streisand, Louis Vuitton and My Name Is Earl's Jaime Pressly. Two variations of Britney Spears' first name appear on the list, proving that no amount of tabloid press can influence people's spelling skills.
We have about two weeks until Oct. 31, which means it's time to get serious about those costumes. (I have a good one in mind, though I may not have a chance to use it because my parents are visiting and I don't want to scare them.
)
In , AOL suggests several movie-inspired getups, including Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights, Borat, a Snakes on a Plane flight attendant and Nacho Libre. A few more off the top of my head:
- Dharma food. All you need is a white box, black paint and maybe some dried macaroni to glue on the top.
Voila! Hurley would salivate at the sight of you.
- Ugly Betty.
Grab the loudest items in your closet and some geeky glasses frames. Crimp your hair. Smile big.
Run into things.
- Suri Cruise. Wear a short, dark wig (parted on the side, of course) and wrap a around your body.
Act mysterious.
- John Mayer. Pair an outfit from Banana Republic with a curly wig and a Jessica Simpson CD.
Don't forget to pucker your lips.
- The . Dress from head to toe in the brightest, most annoying shade of green you can find.
Feel free to share more costume ideas in the comments. Bonus points go to those that cost $10 or less.
I'm working on a roundup of the must-read comics I discovered at the Small Press Expo, but I need more time to read them!
In the meantime, here's a collection of odd and endearing objects I accumulated. As always, click the images to enlarge:
1. An inspired drawing of Brad and Angelina.
New York-based artist Joan Reilly uses this sketch she made as her business card. Soon she'll have to make an updated version with baby Shiloh ..
. or maybe she'll move on to, say, Tori Spelling.
2.
Portraits of '80s comedians. It's pretty obvious from the cover and design that Paulette Poullet puts a lot of time into . I bought the first half issue, which includes five signed and limited-edition prints of '80s standup comedians.
On the left is Steven Wright; I also got Bobcat Goldthwait, Judy Tenuta, Sam Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay.
3. A mix CD.
A Pop Candy reader and comic-book writer named Macon spotted me on the convention floor and pulled this out of his bag. I have a really boring job, so I spend a lot of time reading your blog, he said. At first, I thought maybe his bag was full of CDs he was giving away, but sure enough, when I opened the case, my name was on the inside!
4. The Booglebrack. This is a page from a great little book I picked up called Wolfman's Got Nards: A Compendium of New American Monsters.
On each page, an artist has drawn a monster of their own creation. This one, the Booglebrack, is described as such: Rather than gather food, build shelter or even go to the bathroom, Booglebrack spend 95% of their time riding their deerlike steeds looking for Strickles to bother. The other 5% of their time is spent making funny masks, cracking their knuckles and calling in to sportstalk radio.
5. A free portrait. This is what happened when a guy drew a blind portrait of me without looking at the paper as he scribbled.
Apparently, I look a lot like Tony Curtis in drag.
Fall is such a glorious time of year: the leaves change hues, we pull our sweaters out of storage and Linus waits all night for a view of the mythical Great Pumpkin. The pop-culture podcast Just My Show has posted devoted to the Peanuts classic, in which director Bill Melendez chats about what it was like behind the scenes.
(Melendez also voiced Snoopy.)
Has it been too long since you've seen Charlie, Lucy and the gang? You can watch It's the on YouTube from start to finish.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the 'toon, and it's still as charming and funny as ever.
What else can $1.65B get you?
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the Google has forked over for YouTube -- $1.65 billion, to be exact. How did they come up with such an enormous figure?
Will it be worth it?
I say no: For that amount of dough, just think of all of the other cool stuff Google could've purchased:
- 275,459,098 packages of headache remedy;
- 4,714 starring Charlie Sheen;
- 2,864 78-inch models of the U.S.
S. Enterprise (like the one sold for $576,000 in last week's ); or
- 1,650 nights with Demi Moore (according to Indecent Proposal).
Got more shopping tips for these super-rich guys?
Flex your mathematical muscle (that number is $1,650,000,000), and post them in the comments. Here's hoping their next spending spree will be more creative than yesterday's.
Do you need a '70s green- and gold-beaded evening gown?
How about a gothic chandelier or a mirrored screen?
Today kicks off a of Cher's personal belongings at the Beverly Hills Hilton. You can watch the whole thing live on eBay -- just beside the auction date.
Thanks to Pop reader Kelli G. for the tip.
I thought about keeping my virus-affected activities secret -- and usually I do, when they involve things like eating enormous bowls of Jell-O while watching a Starting Over marathon -- but there are a few things I feel compelled to share.
Aside from sleeping and moaning, here's how I spent the last several days:
- Watching . I know I'm one of the last people to see this flick, but I have to say, I didn't hate it. Yes, it's cheesy and Disney-fied and the leads don't even kiss, but I'm a sucker for a high-school this totally sucks, but we're all in it together -type story.
The next time you're sick, drunk or desperate, give it a whirl.
- Watching Pretty in Pink: Everything's Duckie Edition. Aside from James Spader and the original ending, pretty much everything is included in this new DVD.
Fun fact No. 1: Duckie's record-store dance scene was choreographed by Kenny Ortega, who went on to direct ..
. High School Musical. Fun fact No.
2: Benny, the popular girl who asked Andie if she got her clothes at the five and dime plays Ellen (Saul's wife) on Battlestar Galactica. (I hope you're the one person who finds this as fascinating as I do.)
- Watching episodes of My So-Called Life.
I've been taping these at 5:30 a.m. ever since a reader tipped me off.
They still hold up!
- Reading by Stephen Chbosky. This is quickly becoming one of my new favorite books.
Yes, it's a young-adult book, but it's part of the genre in the same way Catcher in the Rye is a young-adult novel. It takes place in the early '90s and is told from the perspective of a sensitive high-schooler who has just discovered The Smiths. I wish it were waterproof so I could read it in the shower.
Update: Pop reader Sean J. points out Chbosky is an executive producer on CBS' Jericho. There's an added reason to watch!
- Buying a mattress. As soon as I was well enough to get out of bed, I told my husband to drive me to the nearest mattress store, because I was convinced ours was making me sicker. I'm mainly writing about this to pass on a little-known tip: You can bargain with mattress salesmen.
It's sad but true.
- Listening to M. Ward.
My friend J.J. played his Post-War album for me through his iPod as we walked down the street Sunday, and it made me feel healthy and happy.
You can hear the whole thing on .
- Buying crafts. I'm so glad I was well enough to hit the yesterday.
My purchases included a T-shirt with Serge Gainsbourg's face on it and a great album cover notebook from (aka Jill), who somehow recognized me. If I see her again, I hope to look a little less sickly.
Oh, how I wish the younger version of me were here to read this interview .
..
Even if you don't recognize 's name, you've probably heard him -- the actor has voiced husky Transformers hero Optimus Prime for 20 years, and he appeared in nearly every popular cartoon during the '80s: The Smurfs, Snorks, Gummi Bears, Ghostbusters, G.
I. Joe, Voltron, the list goes on. In recent years, he has also voiced Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh cartoons.
Recently I chatted with Cullen about what it's been like to play an Autobot for two decades, and what he thinks of the upcoming live-action Transformers movie, in which he'll reprise the role. If you'd like to meet him in person, he'll appear at this weekend's in Lexington, Ky.
Me: I grew up hearing you in several cartoons -- how did you get into voice work?
Cullen: For me, it goes back to my early childhood. I had a penchant for doing sounds. .
.. I could do dogs and cats and cows and horses and little things like that.
When I became an actor, I studied with the in Montreal, Canada. As a young actor, I would be invited to the radio drama department to do voices for different chraacters, and I found that I could do quite a few of them. I wasn't a visual presence, and I found it easier to construct a voice from the written page.
That easiness never left me, and when I did television, I would do impersonations. On The Sonny and Cher Show, I did Peter Falk as Columbo, John Wayne, Kissinger, Nixon. When I got out of the television part of the industry .
.. (an agent) said if I committed to just voiceover, he would give me 100% of his time.
Do you remember the first big paycheck you got?
I did a radio drama with some very important people -- Christopher Plummer, Julie Harris -- it was called The Lark, which was a Joan of Arc story. I got a check in the mail for $90.
This was back in 1959 ...
and I was walking by a travel agency and saw a sign that said, Bermuda: $90 return. (Laughs) I said, Oh, my god, I can go to Bermuda and back just by talking?
So what was your first cartoon gig?
It was Mighty Man and Yuk with , a silly little cartoon that I transformed into a little superhero.
How did the role of Optimus Prime come along?
It was a cattle call, really.
I rememer being very, very confused. I said, What is this? A toy?
I had no idea what it was all about. Then I read the character breakdown, and it was pretty straightforward. One of them was to be the lead of the Autobots, and his character was described as a leader .
.. I had always kind of kept in the back of my mind the idea of what a hero would sound like if I ever got the opportunity.
It fit really well.
When you're not busy watching Veronica Mars or The State or listening to Lebowski today, check out this . The object, of course, is to defend Galactica against the Cylons.
So far I'm terrible at it.
I will keep saying that Battlestar is the best show you're not watching on TV, and you won't regret putting the series on your Netflix queue. (Start with the 2003 miniseries before watching the first season.
) The third season debuts Oct. 6 on the Sci Fi Channel. Don't miss it.
This morning Howard Stern called Adam Carolla and both DJs broadcast the conversation live on their morning shows. You can hear the whole thing (it's expletive-free) on . Thanks to Pop reader Lewis K.
for the tip.
I was kind of surprised by how friendly Stern is to Carolla -- in fact, he essentially endorses his show. I am telling you, I was miserable, I am happy now.
I enjoy my job, Stern tells him, adding firmly, We're not coming back to terrestrial radio.
Pop reader Freelin J. (who may have the coolest name ever) told me about on StarWars.
com that lets users make their own Star Wars T-shirts. I just had to make one with Princess Leia on the front with the caption Rebel, Rebel,' he said.
I'm between Jabba and Lando, but it's taking me forever to come up with a slogan.
So much for getting any work done today ...
Are you playing Gold Rush?
Thought I should point out that you can still join Mark Burnett's online reality game, -- in fact, one of the three finalists for the first round, David V. of Odum, Ga., discovered the game via Pop Candy! (Last weekend he was sent to Las Vegas to compete for the $100,000 prize.)
There's already a community of Candy Gold Rush players building below , if you're interested.
If you need help with an answer or a clue, they can probably give you a hand. Good luck, guys.
Have you ever met a celebrity?
I'm looking for some great, funny, wacky, disturbing and/or absolutely true celebrity encounters. If you have one that you wouldn't mind sharing in a podcast, . Please include your daytime phone number, because I may call and ask you to repeat it on the phone.
(Tip: I need stories here, so please refrain from one-liners like I saw Larry King at the airport a couple years ago looking very nervous. )
Update: Thanks for all of your e-mails! I've gotten about 250, so don't be upset if I can't call you at work.
I am slowly getting through all of them, though -- and man, are they making for some hilarious dinnertime conversation.
of The Five Most Ineffective Anti-Drug PSAs of All Time brought back a lot of memories -- I was always disturbed by that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles marijuana commercial, though probably not for all of the reasons its creators had intended.
I do see one glaring omission from the list, however, and I think it can be summed up in one sentence: I wonder where that father and son are now, 20 years later?
Here's hoping he's not a Grandpa with a habit.
Normally, I'm all for going out on the weekends, but since and don't sound like $10 movies, I'm thinking about spending some quality time with my husband, some and my flatscreen TV.
1.
The ACL Fest will be online. That's right -- will be webcasting portions of this weekend's Austin City Limits Music Festival for those of us who couldn't make it down there. The festivities start today at 1:30 p.
m. ET. Acts include John Mayer, Tom Petty, the Flaming Lips, Ben Harper and KT Tunstall.
2. Short films galore! I apologize for not mentioning this yesterday, but if you're near a tube, turn it to Turner Classic Movies.
From now until 6 a.m. Saturday, the network is presenting , a 24-hour program of short film.
I've been watching it all morning, and so far I've seen some great Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton shorts. Others from Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Mario Van Peebles and David Lynch will air later.
3.
You can catch up on Battlestar Galactica. Watch out, because when the third season premieres, I'm going to be all over it. Tonight the USA network airs Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far at midnight as a primer for new viewers.
4. The WB signs off. of Felicity, Dawson's Creek, Buffy and Angel start Sunday at 5 p.
m. and will be the final programs aired on the network. Sniff, sniff.
5. Sunday is Goth Night. MTV2's airs Sunday at 1 a.
m. ET (tape it) that takes a look at the history of goth music with videos, interviews and more. (Bauhaus' Peter Murphy will be there!
) You can .
6. Animal Planet salutes the Crocodile Hunter.
The network airs the 15-hour starting at noon Sunday.
And hey, if none of that sounds good, you can always .
Nope, I'm not talking about Survivor's next season: Today marks the launch of , Burnett's online game that let's users compete for more than $2 million and other prizes from their office cubicles.
I'm writing about it here because the whole game has a pop-culture theme, with rounds featuring a series of entertainment-related questions.
Feel free to share your clues/observations in the comments, though I won't have time to participate in every round. The one downside is you have to register to play, but it's pretty quick, especially if you're already an AOL user.
Whew, I think I've finally cleared out all of the Lonelygirl-related e-mail from my inbox -- I had no idea so many of you guys cared about this girl! (At first I was wondering why I was getting so much more feedback about her than, say, JT Leroy. Then it dawned on me: We're talking about a foxy 16-year-old who posted smart videos on the Internet, not an asexual author who wore wigs and sunglasses.
Aha, Sherlock.)
Anyway, as you may have heard, is officially a bunch of hooey cooked up by . Bree is actually a New Zealand actress named , as by 18-year-old Matt Foremski.
The creators plan to continue the videos, but will viewers still care, now that we know it's all scripted? I predict no.
If you haven't seen a lonelygirl15 video, to her YouTube profile.
also has a good primer on the whole plot/debacle for those trying to catch up. Once again, if something seems too cool to be true on the Web, it probably is.
An updated version of Monopoly was unveiled today.
The Here and Now Edition hits stores Thursday and replaces Boardwalk with New York's Times Square as the most valuable spot on the board. Other properties include national landmarks such as Fenway Park, the White House, Disney World and the Grand Ole Opry.
Of course, the most popular question is about the gamepieces.
Sadly, the iron and old shoe have been replaced in this edition with a New Balance sneaker, a Toyota Prius, McDonald's fries, a RAZR phone, a laptop, a labradoodle and an airplane. It just seems so wrong, doesn't it?
You can see the board at .
Click on the above pic to peek at the tokens.
Sigh. I really don't want to believe Lonelygirl15 is all part of an for a horror movie.
Then again, I'm still in denial that JT Leroy is really a middle-aged woman. Discuss amongst yourselves.
As for our weekly Q A, I'll get to some of your questions later this afternoon, though things are still kind of crazy over here with news stories/photo galleries/phone calls/other business-y things that are no fun to write about.
In any case, send along your pop-culture questions and I'll answer as soon as I can! (By the way, I'm still looking for , too.)
The more I hear about retail chains and slapping them on T-shirts, the more I want to write about good shirts that credit their creators.
After all, most of my wardrobe consists of tees -- and while part of me hates to give away my shopping secrets, it's better to share than to keep letting big companies profit from other people's designs.
So here you go! If I don't include your favorite T-shirt seller below -- especially if it's an artist-friendly one -- give it some love in the comments section.
1. . The company solicits designs, lets users vote on the best and then sells them for a limited time, so nothing becomes too overexposed or trendy.
Of course, I guess the fact that I'm writing about it here makes the site a little trendy, so I apologize for that.
2. .
This site offers some of my favorite pop-culture tees; right now a good one shows Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner at the peaks of their careers. (Another shows a young Kristy McNichol with a cigarette in hand. It doesn't get more awesomely retro than that, my friends.
)
3. . This is where I got the Reading is Sexy shirt that was later made famous on Gilmore Girls.
It's a great site where artists have set up their own mini-shops, and nearly all of them offer something fun and unique.
4. .
This site lets you design your own T-shirt or browse hundreds for sale -- and you know all of the artists are getting paid, so there's no guilt involved.
5. .
After you get lost in the toy section for about two hours, head over to the shirts for plenty of original designs. (I also recommend Giant Robot magazine, a publication about Asian pop culture.)
6.
. Moby actually helped start this collective, which also sells clothing in child sizes.
7.
. Even if you don't read the music magazine, you still may want to snag the limited-edition T-shirts by artists the mag recruits every couple months. Once they're gone they're gone, though, so act fast if you like what you see.
8. . Don't want someone else to design what's on your chest?
Go here to make a shirt of your own -- and I hope you'll send me a photo.
Thanks to Pop reader Gabion P., I now know .
Unfortunately, this model is only 15 inches tall, but I'll take what I can get.
CityRag has about , a site where you can post and rate photos taken with famous people. (I love of Morgan Freeman and some dude staring into space.
)
I'm not encouraging paparazzi shots or anything, but if you ever snap a photo with a celebrity, feel free to send it my way, and I may post it in the Candy. I also use the term celebrity very loosely -- to me, a pic of from Veronica Mars is worth more than one of, say, the perpetually photographed L. Lohan.
I'll try to answer some of your pop-culture questions later this afternoon, so if anything's on your mind, drop me a line.
First, though, Pop reader Trish W. sent me a link to similar to the motivational poster site we saw earlier this week.
(I'm partial to the concert-ticket generator and the record/tape generators ...
) Enjoy.
Pop reader Jeff L. just sent me a link to that pulls random information from other websites' FAQ sections.
Go there now, and you'll learn the origin of the name Swayze, why Bravo has stopped airing Columbo and the cost of a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. This will definitely come in handy at my next social gathering.
I just spent way too much time on making my own motivational poster.
(Click on the image to see it.) It's pretty easy and addictive if you want to make one yourself -- in fact, if you jpegs of the posters you create, I'll post the best ones at the end of the day.
Thanks to Pop reader Kristi R.
for the tip and for sending me her poster, which I've included here.
This about a staging of Cats in Richmond, Va., reminded me of a Cats production I once appeared in .
.. when I was 10.
Though a few things go awry in the Richmond version (fallen wigs, a Guffman-esque rumor), it's nothing compared to the bizarre, unintentionally hilarious musical directed by my fourth-grade teacher. If only my parents had videotaped the performance, I'm certain today it would be a YouTube classic -- after all, nothing says comedy like 26 preteens mumbling the lyrics to Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer.
The doc also reminded me of about a small-town Peter Pan production that goes horribly wrong.
Sometimes, bad plays can be more entertaining than the good ones -- especially if you're not the one stuck on stage in pipe-cleaner whiskers and a fake, fuzzy tail.
Move over, -- Dwight Yoakam just may take your place in chicken history.
Minutes ago, a press release alerted me of the debut of Dwight Yoakam’s Bakersfield Biscuit Brand Chicken Lickin's® Gourmet Variety Pack.
That's right, the country singer's silhouette now occupies that includes boot-scootin' eats such as Boom Boom Shrimp and Lanky Links.
Hungry for more? Here's an excerpt from the e-mail:
First and foremost, Dwight's Chicken Lickin's taste delicious!
Once you taste the succulent flavor ...
there's no turning back -- you've crossed the line -- you'll be so excited that you won't be able to stop yourself from eating it! Dwight says, 'Just heat 'em and eat 'em.'
Somewhere, Kenny is kicking himself for not coming up with that catchphrase.
Pop reader Michael S. just sent me featuring Ricky Gervais (as David Brent!) and Stephen Merchant from the UK version of The Office.
The clips are supposedly directed at new Microsoft UK employees, and they run about 20 minutes each. Yay.
Update: If that link doesn't work for you, try .
I'm automatically a fan of any place that offers a private deck and apricot-scented lotion.
The best meals I ate were at the in Freeport (dishes are made from local and organic ingredients), Galyn's in Bar Harbor and the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth. Our inn's restaurant had an awesome blueberry souffle, and I think I tried every flavor but the lobster ice cream at .
The best thing about our rental car is that it came with satellite radio, which made our coastal drive even merrier. I'm still weighing the whole Sirius vs. XM dilemma, but I know if I get the former, I'll keep it on and the 99% of the time.
As for your recs, thanks to the Pop reader who told me to hit in Portland, where I picked up the new Serge Gainsbourg . I also visited Portland's Newbury Comics and did the whole whale-watching thing in Bar Harbor without getting seasick. I think one of you told me about the but neglected to mention Fort Williams' graffiti-filled ruins (left), which, to me, looked more like a mystical crackhouse -- and I mean that in a positive way -- than an historic landmark.
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