Kaleidoscope

Like any self-respecting nerd, I love to make lists. And to-the-death cage match brackets. That's why I'm obsessed with flickchart.com (still in beta). Flick Chart's modus operandi is simple: You are shown two movie posters, you pick which one you like better, they compile a list. Sure the algorithm isn't perfect — and there's a distinct lack of movies made before 1970 and from other countries — but it's funny to see what you pick when two of your favorite very different movies go head-to-head. Who knew I liked True Lies this much? —Molly Eichel

It doesn't matter that there's not a lot of original content — or that many of its contributors are dead — Lapham's Quarterly is the brightest lantern in the mineshaft. Each issue is an impressive collection of stories, quotes and anecdotes on a single subject. The current edition, "Travel," features pieces by Calvin Trillin, Florence Nightingale, Herman Melville, Ovid and Petrarch. —Patrick Rapa

Explosives and fatty foods will do the trick, but why not celebrate Independence Day with what really makes America great — half-naked girls and offensive jokes? Revival Burlesque, a highbrow troupe featuring Randi Warhol, DD Ramona and several other absurdly named women, is putting on Land of the Free, Home of the Burlesque! on July 3 at 8 p.m., at Rembrandt's. The ladies promise nothing's off limits — Betsy Ross will do a striptease, a robotic Marilyn Monroe will hunt down JFK, and Thomas Jefferson will state the "Dick-leration of Sex-dependence." Jesus Fucking Christ, I love America. —Holly Otterbein

Can a rapper-turned-actor become a rapper-turned-actor-turned-rapper-again? In this case, yes. Taking cues from the culturally schizophrenic M.I.A., Mos Def's The Ecstatic features both music and subject matter from around the world — he raps in Spanish, talks about European club kids, and samples both traditional Indian music and psych-rock from Turkey. Plus, he rhymes the way he did 10 years ago, which may have been the last time we loved him this much. —Holly Otterbein