Mike's Picks of the Week:

Dean Koontz's Odd Hours - Koontz continues his series featuring the charming Odd Thomas who can see the dead and sometimes is called upon to help them find their way home. The Odd Thomas books have gotten better as they go along so it's no reach to assume this one will be worth the price of admission.

Larry's Pick of the Week:

Cargo Pants - OK, it may seem like an arch or ironic fashion choice if you live in an urban environment, never more than three blocks away from the life-saving supply depot that is your average Starbuck's, but take it from a new dad: venturing out into the world with an eleven-month old is a logistical undertaking on the level of a well-planned military strike. Gone are the days of just hopping in the car and going down to the local bodega to grab some Vitamin water for a stroll down to the zoo; nope, now you need a change-of-diaper kit with moist towelettes, a fresh set of clothes, various unguents and creams, food and water and formula and toys; maybe a new shirt for Daddy, too, if you're going to be out long. Add in sunglasses and baseball caps and contact lens solution and kleenex and band-aids and wallet and car keys and cell phone and unless you want to be one of those guys carrying a purse, it's time to spring for a coupla pair of pants with nine pockets instead of four.

Ash's Picks of the Week:

Comic Relief - I haven't been to Comic Relief in a couple of years, as I never get across the Bay to Berkeley anymore, but I was shocked to hear of of Rory Root's passing Monday. There are plenty of people who have more to say on the subject - personally, I feel like I need to head over to BART sometime this weekend and shell out a buck or two in honor of one of comics' strongest advocates.

Erin's Pick of the Week:

Giant Bicycles, Suede w model So all of my friends are tired of hearing about this but, honestly, I'm just going to have to keep talking for just a smiiiiiiidge longer - I have a new bike. There comes a point in every sweet suburban lady's life when she has to own a Real Bike. My cousin defines this as a bike purchased at an official bike shop that costs over four hundred dollars. I used to scoff at this, wondering why anyone in their right mind would spend that kind of cheese on a bike when your local big box store has some sweet rides for under a hundred bucks. If you were looking to splurge, there's some for $150. Well, I strolled into my local bike store to look at someone's left-behind mountain bike and came out a believer. This bike is amazing. It's a sky blue cruiser-style with flat pedals and has big ol' gel seat for my big ol' butt and a super-light frame. This bike looks and feels like the one you had when you were eight, kind of like a seven-speed leg-powered chopper and is an easy, upright ride for those of us who are not digging the near-horizontal feel of most of today's modern bicycles.

Go on, it's summer, find your helmet. Do some lazy figure-8s through the neighborhood, watching the sun dappling across freshly mown lawns and waving to your neighbors. You'll find it's an afternoon well-spent.

Rich's Picks of the Week:

The Damned: Prodigal Sons #2 - I was able to read a preview of this issue and wow is it fun. Whereas, the original series went for an old James Cagney gangster flick vibe this new series seems to be going for 1930s pulp adventure.

Hulk Visionaries: John Byrne TP Vol. 01- I loved John Byrne's run on The Hulk when I was a kid. It was pretty short compared to his more lengthy and more famous runs on The Fantastic Four and Superman but it was just as character redefining and fun to look at. It's got everything you want in a Hulk comic - Doc Samson, the Hulkbusters, Betty Ross, the Avengers, New Mexico deserts, lots of debris.

One thing it has that you don't want though is the Hulk wearing tight purple briefs.

Julian's Pick of the Week:

Toronto Hispano American Film Festival - One of the other film festivals in Toronto. With the big, flashy, star-studded Toronto International Film Festival being the one everyone's heard about at one point or another, the smaller film events tend to get lost in the shuffle. This is just one of many excellent, alternative and inexpensive film events in the city throughout the year. With films from countries like Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Argentina and Spain, among others, for the affordable price of $10-12 and at Toronto's Bloor Cinema (one of the few remaining theatres that has a personality of its own) this is an excellent option to see movies with a soul instead of special effects.