the scoop

the scoop
the grammy boost
And the Grammy winner is ... the music industry.
The CBS broadcast of the Grammy Awards on Feb . 11 delivered a powerful jolt to the U.S. album chart, especially the Dixie Chicks, who registered more than a 700 percent increase in sales of their CD "Taking the Long Way," which totaled 103,000 copies sold. The Chicks' CD, the album-of-the-year Grammy winner, jumped to No. 8, up from No. 72 the previous week. The trio won five Grammys, including record and song of the year.
The Chicks' album was one of nine last week to post six-digit sales.
The No. 1 album this week belonged again to Norah Jones, who did not appear on the Grammys. Her album "Not Too Late" sold 211,000 copies in its third week of release, suggesting that it was a popular Valentine's Day gift.
At No. 2 on sales of 165,000 copies, it was more romance in the form of "In My Songs," a posthumous release from R & amp;B singer Gerald Levert, who died in November at age 40.
playing politics
Could video-game violence become an issue in the 2008 presidential campaign? Not likely, given the more pressing concerns on voters' minds. Even Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, long one of the game industry's more vocal critics, has been relatively quiet on the subject since launching her campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Instead, Republican candidate Sam Brownback has picked up the gauntlet. The Kansas senator has reintroduced his Truth in Video Game Rating Act, which would require the Entertainment Software Rating Board to review all of a game's content before assigning a rating. The ESRB currently depends on publishers to send video footage of each game's most lurid content, which it then uses to establish a rating.
Critics of the bill say it would lead to a logjam, particularly when the board was faced with 100-hour-plus epics like "Final Fantasy XII." Other have wondered how the board would be able to review massively multiplayer online games like "World of Warcraft," which, by nature, are never complete.
new video games
Xbox 360 users are clamoring to get their hands on Microsoft's urban crime saga "Crackdown," mainly because it includes a password to participate in the online beta test of the eagerly awaited "Halo 3." ... The PlayStation 3 drought ends with Sega's "Virtual Fighter 5." ... And "Sonic and the Secret Rings" marks the saucy hedgehog's debut on the Wii. ... EA Sports has a couple of remedies for the post-Super Bowl blues: "NBA Street Homecourt" for the Xbox 360 and "Arena Football: Road to Glory" for the PlayStation 2.
... And the title of the week goes to Atlus' role-playing game "Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja," for the Nintendo DS.
video of the week
Justin Timberlake's new music video for "What Goes Around" might be the most ridiculous thing to hit pop music since R.Kelly decided to trap himself in the closet. Watched by over a million people on YouTube, the movie-style production begins with pretentious credits for a music video: "written by Nick Cassavetes" and "directed and photographed by Samuel Bayer." Scarlett Johansson co-stars as JT's double-crossing love. Her payback? Death by car accident. I hope you're taking notes, Cameron Diaz.
aids education
It's hard to grasp just how serious the global HIV/AIDS epidemic is. Yet, the statistics can't be ignored. According to the United Nations, in 2005, approximately 5 million people were newly infected with HIV and of that number, 700,000 were children under 15. Worldwide, about 10 million young people are living with HIV.
One of the best ways to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS is through education, particularly education of teens and young adults. To that end, the Staying Alive (Staying-alive.org) campaign is dedicated to enlightening young people about the facts of HIV/AIDS and to also "challenge the stigma and discrimination" associated with it. The campaign is a partnership between MTV Networks International, Family Health International, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the United Nations.
Staying Alive takes a multimedia approach to HIV/AIDS education. Among the things you'll find on the Web site are diary entries from a young adult from Portugal who recently found out he contracted HIV and how he's dealing with it. You can also watch "Staying Alive Revisited," an MTV documentary on young people from around the globe living with HIV. In addition, you can also watch videos of young people from other countries sharing their thoughts on safe sex and HIV/AIDS. And of course, you'll find the latest statistics and information on HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS treatment.
caffeine and granola
If you need to be just a little bad and get something sweet -- and as long as you like coffee flavor -- this is the snack for you. The kick to Caribou Coffee's new granola bars is the bottom of the bar -- it's dipped in a creamy yogurt-like coating that's flecked with bits of actual coffee beans, so you get a little caffeine with your sugar and whole grains. Though new to shelves, Caribou has already added two additional flavors to complement the original Chocolate Mocha and Vanilla Latte bars. Now you can also get Caramel High Rise and Mint Condition (named, naturally, after their yummy hot drinks). We tried both the Chocolate Mocha and Vanilla Latte and found them equally good. The flavor combinations are excellent and coffeehouse aromas wisp from the bar the instant you open the wrapper. A bar is one serving: 140 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 26 grams carbs and 2 grams protein. Find Caribou Coffee Chewy Granola Bars ( 2.89 for a box of six) at major retailers like Target or buy them individually at Caribou Coffee stores.
--Kim Ossi, McClatchy Newspapers
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