The Checklist

RENT "Volver" on DVD. Pedro Almodóvar's latest, with Penelope Cruz, is a mellow melodrama filled with comedy, compassion and a sense of female community.

HEAR "Because of the Times" by Kings of Leon. The Brothers (and one cousin) Followill have made a raucous, retro rock-and-roll record. Think a punk version of the Allman Brothers. The first song is seven minutes long. Some of it sounds as if it was made in their basement. These are good things.

READ "The Smart Traveler's Passport" ($14.95). A collection of hundreds of useful tips from the editor of NEWSWEEK's sister publication Budget Travel magazine, plus suggestions from his readers.

SEE "New Skins," by Andrea Carlson and Jim Denomie, at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts starting April 6. This free exhibition features artistic portrayals of politics and culture through the ancestral perspective of the artists' Anishinaabe tribe.

SURF Ratemyspace.hgtv.com. The ultimate site for real-estate voyeurs. Post photos of your own renovations or flame someone else's.