the scoop

the scoop

boss is ready to rock

Bruce Springsteen says he was energized to make a new album quickly after recording a song he calls a “love-in-the-time-of-Bush meditation.”

In notes posted on his Web site Tuesday, Springsteen explains the creation of his new disc “Working on Dream” (due out Jan. 27) — which follows his last album, “Magic,” by only 15 months — an unusually quick turnaround for him.

It started with the song “What Love Can Do.”

Springsteen says he usually doesn’t write that quickly, but that the excitement from “Magic” left “more than enough fuel for the fire to keep going.”

Springsteen will perform during halftime at the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla. Springsteen recently was nominated for two Grammys for best solo rock vocal performance and best rock song, both for “Girls in Their Summer Clothes.”

beyond youtube

Although it seems like it, not every video circulating around the Internet originates on YouTube. There are hundreds of video Web sites on the ‘Net with more popping up every day. Finding these sites can be tricky — with so many sites out there, where do you begin to look? One place to start is OVGuide (ovguide.com/).

OVGuide doesn’t house any Internet videos, but rather, is a repository of sites that do. Think of it as a channel guide — it’s where you can go to find out what’s playing on the Web and where.

OVGuide has indexed more than 2,970 video sites, and organized them in more than two dozen categories. Viral videos, television shows, video podcasts, instructional vids — you name it, and chances are you’ll find a link for it here.

Each site listing includes a description, an OVGuide user rating and list of top searches on that particular site. You may sort the site listings by number of visits, user rating and more.

coffee question

Q: I heard that drinking coffee or tea could stop you from growing any taller. Is this true?

A: That’s an old myth that probably got started because parents were concerned about general nutrition. As long as you are eating a balanced diet and getting enough calcium, drinking coffee or tea shouldn’t interfere with growth. Most adolescents get their calcium from dairy products. So just make sure that the coffee and tea isn’t replacing your intake of dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream).

To have TeenGrowth’s board of physicians answer your health question, go to teengrowth.com.

digital getdown

Times are rough, and your parents are pinching pennies everywhere they can. Your minimum wage job probably isn’t letting you get by any easier. But music is one thing you shouldn’t have to give up.

eMusic is an alternative to those 99-cents-per-song popular music downloading services, like iTunes. With eMusic, you pay a monthly fee, based on the amount of songs you want to download. So you can get 30 downloads for $11.99 a month (or 40 cents a song), or 100 downloads for $24.99 a month (or 25 cents a song).

And who says nothing is free? eMusic also gives you 50 free downloads when you sign up, and a free download every day.

So, how are the prices so low? A quick browse of the service shows the library may not be extensive as its competitors, but they have a ton of old classics, mixed with chart-toppers like Taylor Swift and Lil’ Wayne.

messfest returns

Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh is breaking out its messiest, sloppiest, grossest activities for a one-of-a-kind New Year’s Day celebration guaranteed to kick-off 2009 with a plop, splash, squish, and fizz.

MessFest 2009 will feature exciting hands-on activities available only once a year. Visitors will stroll across a kiddie pool of slimy Oobleck, try some edible dirt, experience exploding gelatin, and more on Jan. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Carnegie Science Center.

Returning to MessFest this year is the highly-popular Diet Pepsi and Mentos fountains made famous several years ago by video posted on the internet. The Science Center fountains may not rival the complexity of Las Vegas’ famous Bellagio Hotel water fountains, but they certainly make a bigger mess.

Carnegie Science Center will be open on New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MessFest 2009 activities are included with a general admission ticket to Carnegie Science Center. General admission is $14 for adults and $10 for children (ages 3-12). Call (412) 237-3400 for more information.