"Spectacle: Elvis Costello With..." on Sundance Channel -- If you ask members of the editorial staff to make one of those "dream dinner party" lists, there is a strong chance Elvis would show up on a few submissions. In addition to being a music icon, Costello is a literate, intelligent guy who showed great chops a few years ago while filling in for an ailing David Letterman. His new hour-long show, which premiered Thursday, is described as "Inside the Actor's Studio" for musicians, but it's more than that. Costello, a Hall of Fame rocker himself, talks to guests as a peer and thus elicits more telling responses than the average celebrity interviewer. Elton John, a producer of the show, was the guest on the debut and the two talked at length about songwriting and influences. Costello and friends play music during the show. I'm looking forward to an upcoming episode when Lou Reed actually smiles (gasp!) and reveals the "secret chord" to the song "Sweet Jane." He's also going to talk to Smokey Robinson, Rufus Wainwright and Bill Clinton. This is one worth using the "Record Season" function on your DVR. --Drew Olson
Carlsberg -- Carlsberg's tagline "Probably the best beer in the world" dates back to the early 1970s. I'd never had this tasty brew from Denmark until last weekend, when I ordered one at Fat Abbey. It's a German-style pilsner right in line with my beer tastes. Little to no after taste and a very smooth drink make Carlsberg a great beer for this week's recommendations. --Jeff Sherman
http://www.streetsmilwaukee.blogspot.com -- Attention Milwaukee fashion hounds: there's a new fashion blog on the scene and it's updated weekly with photos of real Brew City people expressing themselves, supporting local or hand-made designs, supporting local retailers or "just looking rad," as the blog quotes. The Streets team was out and about at Art vs. Craft last weekend and captured many stylish shoppers. --Julie Lawrence
Exercising in the morning -- This concept is a no-brainer for many people, I know, but for me, it's a new routine and I love it. I used to try to squeeze in a treadmill run around lunchtime or later in the evening after my kids were asleep, but exercising in the morning is better. I was already aware that morning cardio would make me feel more calm and alert from the get-go, but the surprise bonus is that the daunting thought of exercise doesn't hang over my head for the entire day. I start to think, "I should really exercise today" and then I get to tell myself, "I already did!" Hooray. --Molly Snyder Edler
Warren Zevon (Rhino) -- Although I've always respected Zevon, who was the bull in that tepid '70s California smooth rock china shop, it would be a stretch to call myself a fan. Being an East Coast native, I was always more "Rosalita" than "Carmelita," and listening to the first couple songs on this two-disc reissue of Zevon's first Asylum disc from 1976 -- produced by Jackson Browne and produced for reissue by Milwaukee ex-pat Cheryl Pawelski -- doesn't help much. But by the time we reach "Backs Turned Looking Down the Path," "Hasten Down the Wind" and "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," I'm reminded that Zevon was sassy and ready to mix things up in a scene that was known for it's pillowy snare drums and soft rock fluff. The real revelation comes on Disc Two, when a series of demos and alternate takes strips away the gloss to uncover Zevon's skillful songwriting and amazing piano skills (he was classically trained and gained the approval of Stravinsky!). --Bobby Tanzilo
"Two and a Half Men" -- As long as I'm recommending a high-brow TV show like "Spectacle," I figure that it's OK to balance it out with a little locker-room humor. This show, which airs on CBS and in syndication, makes me laugh. Charlie Sheen plays a hedonistic advertising jingle writer who lives an affluent lifestyle in Malibu and takes in his younger brother Alan (John Cryer) and his 10-year-old son Jake (Angus T. Jones). The show steals a lot from other sitcoms and is somewhat predictable (the brothers are opposites, their mother is hedonistic, their housekeeper is wacky), but the writing is razor-sharp. Sheen is particularly brilliant in his role. The show is good for a laugh, but you may want to turn the channel when kids are watching because it can get a little bawdy. --D.O.
Amazon Mobile for iPhone -- My favorite online store, Amazon.com, released its official iPhone application on Wednesday and, like everything else the company does, this app seems to work really well. It's a nice, concise application, and for me, it's the first dedication tool for buying stuff online via my iPhone (mobile Safari is nice, but it's too unwieldy to use for eCommerce). The craziest tool on the new Amazon Mobile is its "Remembers" tab. Basically, you can snap a photo of a product, and Amazon tries to match it with something it sells. I tried it this afternoon with a water bottle I actually bought on Amazon.com, and it says it can take up to a few days to deliver results -- so we'll see. However, even without that add-on, I can easily see Amazon Mobile becoming one of my most-used iPhone apps. --Andy Tarnoff
Kiss My Face cranberry orange lip balm -- Finding the right lip balm can be tricky. It's common to try out a few before finding the perfect mouth goo. This season, I got lucky, and on a whim, grabbed Kiss My Face's cranberry orange lip balm and it's exactly what I want in a chap stick. It's made with organic ingredients, but most important, it straddles the line between too dry and too greasy. It slides on with ease and stays on for a while. Plus, it tastes pretty good, especially during the holiday season when All Things Cranberry are at the height of their popularity. This lip balm costs $3.50 and you can get it at Beans & Barley. --M.E.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.