Monitor picks
Pay your own way
Paste, the intelligent music, film, and culture magazine in which each page scans like an art gallery, wants you to make it an offer it won't refuse. For a limited time only, you can choose how much to pay for a one-year subscription (minimum is $1). The sweetener is the free, cover-mounted CD that comes with the magazine each month. Visit www.pastemagazine.com.
More freewheelin' Bob Dylan
In the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, six actors – including Cate Blanchett! – portray the iconic songwriter. The soundtrack invites over 30 artists to play Dylan. The best cut is "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the duo from the film "Once," but covers by Eddie Vedder, The Black Keys, Sonic Youth, Sufjan Stevens, Los Lobos and Cat Power are all stellar.
Rat in the kitchen
For the first, and only, time in history, rodents and gourmet food make for a glorious combination in Ratatouille, Pixar's Michelin-guide worthy confection, now on DVD. The film, about a rat who wants to be a chef, proves once again that no other animation studio pays as much attention to story and character as it does turning pixels into fine art .
Sitter search
Word of mouth can be great. But the hunt for reliable caregivers – for children, elders, or pets – can turn frantic once your top options are exhausted. Emerging helpmate: care.com. The site, searchable by zip code, turns up listed caregivers (and tutors) and enables contact. Basic membership (including search function and some video interviews) is free; $10 a month (after a $30 fee) allows unlimited access plus the ability to post jobs and request background checks.
Runaway 'Runway' success
As Heidi Klum tirelessly reminds viewers of Project Runway, "in fashion, you're either in or you're out." On the eve of the Bravo reality show's fourth season (Wed., Nov. 14, 10 p.m. EST), the search for America's best new designer is still very much in – it's as chic as a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress.
