Arts & Entertainment
from the June 16, 2006 edition

Monitor picks

Five things we think you'll really like.

Fever pitch
(Photograph)
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It's do or die for the US in the World Cup - and things aren't about to get easier. On Saturday (ABC, 2:30 p.m. EDT) the Americans face powerhouse Italy. Lose and it could be arrivederci. Then on Sunday (ABC, 11:30 a.m. EDT), it's Australian heart vs. Brazilian soul. Sure Brazil is favored, but Australia is riding high after scoring earlier this week for the first time in its (albeit limited) Cup history.

In the cards

Saturday is National Baseball Card Day. Register at mlb.com/cards, a new website from Major League Baseball, and receive 12 free cards. The site offers a pack-of-the-month club, articles about new releases, and links to buy cards that may be missing from your collection. It's the Topps!

Counting by tens

Think of it as an almanac of the arbitrary. At tenmojo.com you'll find a remarkable aggregation of Top 10 lists - soccer rankings, honeymoon spots, and tax deductions, sure, but also cat names, best rock movies, outrageous statements, and other compilations you never considered. Each list is sourced; you make the call regarding credibility. Then start drafting Top 10s of your own.

(Graphic)

Baby talk

Just had a baby and don't have a clue - not even a name? Check out Munchkin.com. With a mission to "excite and delight new parents," this site offers day-care tips, a national baby registry, and innovative products. Our favorite: the portable food- and bottle-warmer for the car (which, incidentally, holds a tall Starbucks latte perfectly).

Pick Pixar's pic

It's become something of a tradition: Each new Pixar movie is prefaced by one of the animation studio's short films. One Man Band, a delightful four-minute tale of two multitasking musicians vying for the attention of a small girl at a piazza, is showing in cinemas with "Cars." It's also now available for download on iTunes.

(Photograph)
PIXAR


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