So Now Then.

M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel of She & Him

1. TELEVISION: Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown

For some reason the Travel Channel is missing in my cable package at home, but I'm getting my fix on this great show at the gym in my office during lunchtime. I run on the treadmill while I travel with plucky tour guide Samantha Brown to places like Lisbon, Rome and Seville. My own European Adventure is on the horizon, so I'm a tiny bit obsessed with learning as much as I can about European cities. What I love most about Samantha, who I wish was a friend, is her insatiable curiosity for the off-beaten path, for her sheer enthusiasm over something simple as a cup of coffee and for her humor (warm with just a dash of sarcasm). She makes my ridiculous case of wanderlust seem that much more reasonable - and for that, I'm grateful.

2. MUSIC: She & Him, Vol. One

"What can you do with a sentimental heart?" That's the question that indie-actress-turned-torch-singer Zooey Deschanel (pictured above) poses right from the start of her charming, wonderful new collaboration with indie troubadour M. Ward. And what do you do with one? You start the Spring season by listening to this album. It's a throw-back to a bygone era when vocals take the center stage and production fussiness is at a minimum. Fun Fact: As I learned from a recent interview with Ward in Rolling Stone, many of the songs on the album were recorded in just one take. How's that for natural talent? Don't expect perfection, though. The real quality of the record emerges when Deschanel makes no apologies for her unpolished, unforced delivery.

3. ONLINE FUN: The Jeannie Tate Show

Comedian Liz Cackowski's alter-ego Jeannie Tate, a hyper soccer mom, interviews celebrities in her mini-van while taking her kids to after-school activities. It's funny in the "Strangers with Candy" tradition, so expect sly, subtle humor that's slightly cracked-out with wide-eyed mania. Note to the casting office at SNL: Get this girl on-board! Start with this episode, where Jeannie picks up Rashida Jones from "The Office" and immediately nicknames her "Sheeda." For which reasons I can't explain, is the funniest part of the whole thing.

4. MUSIC VIDEO: Jens Lekman's "Sipping On Sweet Nectar"

I just saw Jens at Webster Hall last weekend and when his backing band (comprised almost entirely of beautiful women) started up "Sipping on Sweet Nectar," I immediately hoped he would bring some of the lovely whimsy he brought to his music video of the same name. I wasn't disappointed. Towards the end of the song, the band put down their instruments, flung out their arms and pretended to fly around the stage.

5. SHOES: Onitsuka Tiger by Asics Ultimate 81^TM shoes

Aren't these puppies beautiful? I want them on my feet while I walk up and down the street. As my boss says, "Every day is a Runway." Not exactly my motto, but damn if these shoes won't make me feel like a million bucks. Update: I still have not purchased them. Probably won't.

1. MOVIE: "Michael Clayton" - George Clooney, pictured above, is at the top of his form in this suspenseful, expertly-crafted corporate thriller. It's the directorial debut from Tony Gilroy, the hotshot screenwriter of the Bourne films, and wow, what an assured and chilling work of art this is. Even if you don't think this is your kind of movie, just go. Go to see Clooney bank on his old-fashioned movie star looks and talent. Go for the fantastic performances from Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollock and Tom Wilkinson. Go for the stark, sleek cinematography from Robert Elswit ("Magnolia"). Just go, go, go.

2. BOOK: The Best American Non-Required Reading - The introduction is written with humor and insight by singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens, who admits that he did not learn how to read or write until he was in the third grade(!) Now? Well, he's writing an album for each of the 50 states. Dave Eggers, the editor of this annual collection of unheralded triumphs, also writes an introduction in the form of a Q&A - and it's funny as hell. Includes short stories and features from Miranda July, Jonathan Ames and Conan O'Brien.

3. DVD: "Man Push Cart" - This 2005 film did the whole worldwide festival thing and was finally given a DVD release last week. It's a simple story about a New York immigrant working one of the thousands of street vendor carts found in the city. It's told with straight-forward, no-nonsense style that captures the city with an unwavering gaze, and gives a focus on a type of person we hardly ever see in the movies. Highly Recommended.

4. MUSIC: Radiohead's In Rainbows - I'm the first to admit I'm not the reigning authority on Radiohead. But I can tell you two things: 1) It's a very good album - a jolt to the heart, and easily the band's most accessible albums in years. 2) Read more about the whole pay-as-you-like phenomenon at Gathering Evidence, a terrific blog written by two terrific people.

5. PERSON: Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize - How awesome is that? What a year Gore has had - he's taken home an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and now a Peace Prize. Global Warming finally gets the global stage it deserves.

Ratatouille tops this week's list.

I'm beginning a new series in this blog (which I apologize has gone astray lately) that involves making lists. Everyone loves a list, right? Sure you do!

Here it is, my Top Five Favorite Things this week:

1. MOVIE: "Ratatouille"

This new Pixar movie from writer/director Brad Bird ("The Incredibles") is one of the few great summer movies - and surely one of the year's best. It's animation is simmering and beautiful, its humor is spry and sophisticated and it's subject - a rat who loves to cook in Paris - is one that, believe it or not, is not as gross as it sounds. Even if you're not someone who goes to see animated films, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

2. DVD: "Weeds" Second Season

Mary Louise-Parker stars as a suburban widow who makes a living selling pot. A great premise. In this second season of the dramedy, now finally released on DVD, we pick up after our heroine has learned the guy she's fallen for - gulp - turns out to be a DEA Agent. It's a terrific bit of acting from Parker, who always seems to be the smartest, most sardonic person in the room.

3. MUSIC: Stars - "In Our Bedroom After the War"

Lucky for us, Canadian indie-pop outfit Stars decided to release their new full-length album months earlier due to internet leaks. Although a bit uneven and undisciplined (for one, it feels too long at 13 tracks) there's still a lot to like here. The arrangements are lush and theatrical (ready made for an opening sequence of, say, an episode of "Grey's Anatomy") and the lyrics are romantic but not sentimental. Stars are reaching farther and wider, and I've embraced their sound as my personal soundtrack to the hot, sticky nights of August.

4. BOOK: Aimee Bender's Willful Creatures

Simply magical. This audacious collection of short stories by Bender will make you look at the world in a new way. Her stories are strange (there's one about a boy with keys for fingers, etc.) but also grounded in simple human truths (loneliness, despair, love and hope) that will have you turning the pages with eager curiosity. If you think you can't relate to a middle-aged woman who discovers one morning she has four Potato Children, with little potato arms and legs, you are sorely mistaken.

5. WEBSITE: PlanetHiltron.com

I admit, this is a guilty pleasure to the nth degree. The entire site is dedicated to placing famous faces on normal (Middle America) bodies. Who doesn't love to see Nicole Kidman as a fat woman with bad hair?