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Notables: This is awfully similar to last week's list, so there's not much to report. Still, there is something worth noting in the world of film: the Golden Globe nominations were announced. They are always a bit of an indicator as to who might get an Oscar nomination. And all of this is sort of an indicator as to what Hollywood and her critics think we ought to be talking about, thinking about, embracing, or changing. Consider Milk (the film, not the drink). Or how about Doubt (the film, not the inclination)? And we even have ole' Clint Eastwood in the mix. Critics are loving his Gran Torino (the film, not the car).

These are the films that might not make millions of dollars, but they raise millions of questions - questions you might want to tackle one way or another.

For more about Doubt, a film that covers a lot of faith/religious/controversial issues, check out this article.

Top Five Books (according to USA Today research)
1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, by J. K. Rowling
2. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
3. New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer
4. Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer
5. Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer

Notables: Who on earth would ever have the literary clout to knock Stephenie Meyer out of the top spot? How about the author who made Stephenie Meyer possible? J. K. "Harry Potter" Rowling is back with a new collection of children's stories. In a clever marketing move, Rowling says the storybook is the very storybook mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In other words, you now get to read the same children's storybook the characters in the Harry Potter universe read as children! I'd say that pretty much guaranteed she would sell a million copies right out of the gate. In fact, I'm fairly confident that if Meyer and Rowling combined financial forces, they could bail out GM. And Ford. And Chrysler. And the United States.

Top Five Albums
1. Circus, Britney Spears
2. Fearless, Taylor Swift
3. I Am?Sasha Fierce, Beyonce
4. 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West
5. Dark Horse, Nickelback

Notables: A lot of folks from last week's list just switched places. However, I'm sure you noticed who was in the top spot: Britney Spears. This is quite a comeback. RollingStone offers an apt summary of her last year: "she spent a month in rehab, endured a brutal custody battle with her ex-husband Kevin Federline, and careened toward a massive - and very public - meltdown that culminated in two involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations in January." Regardless of how you feel about stars like Spears, her story is a devastating one. To read the rest of RollingStone's feature article about the comeback - one that comes at great costs - click here.

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

Notables: Similar to last week's list with the exception of Britney (who was covered in the previous section). If you're interested, here are the lyrics to "Circus." I find them?interesting.

Top Five Web Searches (according to Google Trends)
*Exercise caution when searching; some topics may be inappropriate.
1.
2. southlake texas
3. raghuveer nayak
4. raul ibanez
5. psnh

Notables: "Hey, Brian - why is the number one slot empty?" you ask. "Well, because the top searched-for item when I looked at Google Trends was clearly going to be a pornographic one, so I ignored it. And you should, too."

A note to all who frequent Google Trends. Here's a rule of thumb that I have followed since day one: if a female name that is not obvious to you appears in the top five or top ten or top twenty-five, ignore it. In the type of society in which we live, it will probably always be a bad, bad thing.

As for item #2 - according to a recent Forbes study, Southlake, Texas, is the most affluent neighborhood in the country. The average median household income is $172,945. What a pleasant time for you to release your report, Forbes. Wound that is afflicting the majority of Americans? Here's a little salt.

The third spot is currently held by Raghuveer Nayak. Who is Mr. Nayak? Well, it appears that he might have something to do with this whole Rod Blagojevich mess. Ahhhhhh - Illinois politics!

Item #4: I think the Phillies really want to win the World Series again.

As for the final item on our list - PSNH - wow! An ice storm in New Hampshire has left over 340,000 people without power. PSNH (Public Service of New Hampshire) is not sure when everything will be restored, but in the meantime, Governor John Lynch has declared a state of emergency to ensure "all state resources are available to help families impacted by the winter storm."