Notables: Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. While we were away, a lot changed in the world of movies and music (but not in the world of books, as you shall see - and probably suspected).

The top flick over the Thanksgiving holiday was not a surprise: the Reese Witherspoon/Vince Vaughan comedy Four Christmases. People are ready for Christmas - maybe not the receipts, but the warm blanket of nostalgia. People are also ready to laugh. There's not much laughing going on in our nation. If there's one thing we've learned in 2008, it's that if you are a filmmaker, and the country finds itself in a deep, painful recession, make a movie about talking Chihuahuas, lovesick vampires, or Christmas.

The second movie on the list, Bolt, is a cartoon from Disney. This one is for the kids, and it looks like the kids like what they see.

Number three, Twilight, was a monster hit its first week out, but it's taken a bigger drop-off than I expected. It'll make tons of cash, don't get me wrong. It just seemed like this thing was going to be through the roof. I at least expected it to be in the second spot. That's the power of kids and cartoons. Nonetheless, Twilight is huge and the sequel has already been given the green light. I still think this is worth a mention here or there, so check out what folks have been saying about this cultural phenomenon. There are some great ideas - more importantly, some appropriate and thoughtful ideas (i.e. not forced) - floating around out there.

As for the bottom two: Bond has slipped to the fourth spot, and rounding out the top five, we have Australia. The director, Baz Luhrmann, wanted to create something in the vein of the old Hollywood epics. The previews and scene selections that are making the rounds on talk shows and the like seem to indicate he nailed it - right down to a bit of cheese. Every time I've seen a cut from the film, I've half expected the cast to break into song or for the film's star, Hugh Jackman, to smile with a CGI-inflicted twinkle bursting forth from his teeth.

Top Five Books (according to USA Today research)
1. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
2. New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer
3. Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer
4. Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer
5. The Pagan Stone, by Nora Roberts

Notables: See how nothing has changed in the world of books? The movie version of Twilight pretty much guarantees another round of life for this series. People don't want to wait to see the sequel, so they are probably actually going to read the sequel. Every once and a while, America actually likes to curl up with a book. It's nice to see, even if it is a book I'm not particularly drawn to myself.

The only other book that cracked the top five is Nora Roberts' The Pagan Stone. I think I've noted Roberts' prolific writing before, but this woman could sneeze on paper and it would get published. Even more so, people would buy it. According to the marketing copy for her newest work, "[The Pagan Stone is] the conclusion to the electrifying trilogy of three men and three women who join forces - and hearts - to battle the ultimate evil." I don't know who the ultimate evil is in her world. The Devil? Human depravity? Vampires? The Hills? Either way, it's your classic good-versus-evil yarn. Nothing much to look into, I bet.

Top Five Albums
1. 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West
2. Fearless, Taylor Swift
3. Chinese Democracy, Guns N' Roses
4. I Am?Sasha Fierce, Beyonce
5. Theater of the Mind, Ludacris

Notables: At the American Music Awards, Kanye West said he wanted to be "the next Elvis." Time will tell, I suppose. His newest is selling well, but the reviews have been a little lackluster. When I survey what's been written, it seems most critics share the sentiments of a critic from RollingStone: West's newest work is "a noble failure". If I were Kanye, I would have no idea how to read that. My guess is, he'll camp out on the "noble" part of it. I would probably think, Oh man. I missed it by this much. Now I'll never be Elvis!

As for the rest: Taylor Swift is hanging in there. She even managed to beat the Guns N' Roses album everyone has been waiting for. The G 'N' R album had taken so long that the running joke was "democracy would come to China before Chinese Democracy came out in stores." Well, $11 million and 13 years later, and the band - what's left of them (all but the lead singer, Axel Rose, had quit) - was finally ready. And it got beat by an 18-year-old country singer who sings about how one of the Jonas Brothers broke her heart. Rose is a prime example of how too much analysis can lead to paralysis.

Beyonce is back on the scene. I don't really care for her music all that much, but I am fascinated by the album concept. She's created a sort of alternative identity: Sasha Fierce. I don't know, it's sort of odd to see a superstar shamelessly mugging the approach of another superstar. It's also interesting to see how Beyonce wants everyone to know she's changing her style to fit the times, grow with her audience. I Am?Sasha Fierce basically translates as I Am?Not Quite the Same Beyonce?Please Know That I Am Growing As an Artist?That This is Something New?Because I Realize You Want Something Different?So Please Hang With Me.

Rounding out the top five is a new album from rapper-turned-actor-but-still-rapping-don't-worry-fans Ludacris.

Top Singles
1. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyonce
2. "Live Your Life," T.I. (featuring Rihanna)
3. "If I Were a Boy," Beyonce
4. "Whatever You Like," T.I.
5. "Just Dance," Lady GaGa (featuring Colby O'Donis)

Notables: This list makes sense. T.I. is still popular, and if Beyonce is in the top five albums list, that probably means she has some hit singles. I had never heard of Lady GaGa until today. She makes club music. And weird videos.

Top Five Web Searches (according to Google Trends)
*Exercise caution when searching; some topics may be inappropriate.
1. harry winston
2. paul benedict
3. boxing day
4. koobface
5. price spider

Notables: An interesting list?

Harry Winston is a fine jewelry store that has quickly become a favorite target for thieves. If things keep going the way they're going for old Harry, he'll probably request a bailout.

Paul Benedict is a famous actor who passed away this last Monday. And he is famous even if you said "Who?" when I wrote that. You know him! He played "the eccentric English neighbor Harry Bentley" from The Jeffersons. Or, as I know him best, he's The Mad Painter from Sesame Street!

Boxing Day isn't traditionally celebrated until December 26, but it's on folks' minds already. Well, it's at least on the minds of folks from United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Facebookers beware: a virus known as Koobface is spreading throughout the popular social networking tool. After reading the article, I actually think this one is full of illustration possibilities.

Price Spider is an Internet tool that helps consumers find the best price for gifts. Awwww, good ole' consumerism. But it's also a sign of the times, too. We've always searched high and low for the best prices, but we're really searching now, aren't we? There is no doubt in my mind that the economic crisis will be the issue of the rest of 2008 and the bulk of 2009. You're going to have to address it, because I see it everywhere right now: in our viewing habits to our searching habits.