Five things we think you’ll really like
By the Christian Science Monitor
The winner of March Madness will be …
Connecticut and Washington are so close in most statistical categories that it makes sense they share the nickname Huskies as well. And four-seed Boston College, loaded with upperclassmen, makes the Eagles a dark horse in the Minneapolis regional.
Good sport
Columnist Bill Simmons puts the entertainment in ESPN. The self-styled Sports Guy has a rabid cult following – and not just for his vast sports knowledge. He’s a must-read for his fresh features (extended e-mail dialogues with the likes of Malcolm Gladwell or Mark Cuban) and spot-on pop-culture references (comparing a New England Patriots’ loss to when Oliver joined the cast of “The Brady Bunch”). Find him at sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/simmons/
Springfield, UK
To promote a new season of “The Simpsons,” a British TV station created a live-action homage to the sitcom’s opening sequence. You, too, can see it by searching for it on YouTube.com. The clip is so well-executed – right down to the family’s final dash to the couch in front of the TV – that it’ll make Bart eat his shorts.
Dean of style
If it’s true that you’re nobody until somebody loves you, then Dean Martin is somebody millions of times over. This week there’s even more to love as 12 of the Rat Packer’s albums come to CD, including “This Time I’m Swingin’,” arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Recorded during his finest period, the disc contains four bonus tracks. Just in time. It defines swing. Nelson Riddle did the arrangments and conducted and he could make me sound good, let alone a croner like Dino. Also, this was one of the last few recordings he did for Capitol before he switched over to Reprise (which was Frank’s label ane he was part owner as well) which many of his fans consider his best period.
Home sweet home improvement
