These are a few of our favorite things this week:
Brick3's Caprese pizza by the slice -- Brick3, 1107 Old World Third St., is now open and it's serving something I can't resist: pizza by the slice. The Caprese slice is amazing. It's made of generously sliced fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes, green olives, a few onions, basil and olive oil. The slice is delicious, filling and costs $4.95. Of course, Brick3 does other "authentic New York Style pizza" too with BBQ Chicken and Bacon, Pepperoni, Tomato Basil, Meat Lover's and the traditional cheese (among several others). A slice of cheese, by the way, is only $3. Stop in or call (414) 224-6040 for delivery. Check them out online here. --Jeff Sherman
The Black Cab Sessions -- One Song. One Take. One Cab. One black London cab, that is. Everyone from Bon Iver to Doves to Ryan Adams to Spoon to Daniel Johnston to Calexico to Futureheads to Fleet Foxes to Death Cab for Cutie (too obvious?) to Richard Thompson has taken part in this video series in which one song is played acoustically in the back of the cab as it travels the streets of the English capital. You can find them on You Tube, but they're all in one place at blackcabsessions.com. Unsurprisingly, Jens Lekman performs "Black Cab." --Bobby Tanzilo
coolmaterial.com -- If you like surfing around to see cool, "guy" gadgets. This is your site. Backpacks. Belts. Wallets. Home furnishings. Computer gadgets. They've got it all. Even if you don't buy anything, you'll have fun looking around. --Drew Olson
"Amazon Women on the Moon" -- This movie isn't what you may think. The 1987 flick from the makers of "Kentucky Fried Movie" is an excellent way to waste 85 minutes. Spoofing old 1950's sci-fi movies and the long-forgotten television "Late Shows" (thus, the title), the collection of comedy bits includes a hilarious lineup of guest stars including Arsenio Hall, Phil Hartman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steve Guttenberg, Joe Pantoliano, David Alan Grier, Rip Taylor, Slappy White, B.B. King and more. If you're looking to kill a few brain cells or just turn off your brain for awhile, pick this up next time you can't find a new release that piques your interest at the video store. --Andrew Wagner
Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper -- Determined to use my microwave less, I decided to bag my nuke-able bags of corn for an actual popcorn popper. I researched poppers on the Internet -- and by that I mean I asked my Facebook friends to weigh in with their suggestions -- and I learned about the West Bend Stir Crazy popcorn popper. This popper sells on Amazon.com for $29.99 (the price seems to range a bit) and it does a great job popping almost every kernel with a very small amount of oil per cycle. I forgot how much better popcorn tastes when made the old school way. Plus, the dome top doubles as a convenient popcorn bowl, and because it's clear, the popping process is observable. This is big with the kids ... and this adult, too. --Molly Snyder Edler
ih8that.com -- Feel like ranting a bit to blow off steam? This is your site. Post your own gripe or just dive into this collection of rants from strangers, many of whom seem to be in junior high. You can agree, disagree or post a comment. You might end up feeling less aggravated then when you started. --D.O.
Gene Mueller and "Wisconsin's Morning News" -- For years, I was a loyal listener of the morning show on WTMJ (620 AM). Over the past five or six years, I moved away from radio news in the morning to the beauty and simplicity of the Web. Since I have such a short commute, time isn't on my side. But, the past few weeks I've tuned back in for 5-10 minutes in the morning (a few times per week) and really enjoyed the banter, insight and "realness" (if that's a word) of Gene Mueller and his morning partner John Jagler. They don't seem to be just reading the headlines from jsonline.com anymore but rather giving the news a personal and often funny touch that I really enjoy. Mueller's a true pro and a great Milwaukee guy. Tune in or check out his blog. --J.S.
Table-side guacamole -- Guacamole is such a great dip that even when it's bad, it's pretty good. There are a few restaurants in town -- notably Jose's Blue Sombrero and Habanero's Mexican Kitchen -- that will smash the avocados and mix your guac right at your table. Fresh is always best, and the warmer weather is perfect for a margarita, Dos Equis and some chips and guac. --D.O.
Tori Praver -- You may not have heard of this model/actress, but she's the girl in the new Arby's commercial. You know, the one where the schlubby guy is sitting on the park bench with a burger, the hot girl (Praver) inexplicably gives him her phone number, which is smudged beyond recognition by his greasy fingers. Praver looks like a younger, less crazy Denise Richards. It's easy to predict big things for her, like a Maxim cover or a role in one of those "Scary Movie" installments. --D.O.
Pod2Mac -- After buying my new laptop, I struggled to transfer thousands of songs from my iPod to the new machine. I found plenty of software titles that would do the job for a fee, but I found the open-source Pod2Mac did the job just fine. It transfers all your media -- and your playlists -- with a few clicks of the mouse. There's also a PC version, if you are a Windows user. --A.W.
