Yep, it’s still October. Man! What a long month!

I’m quickly running out of scary stuff, at least the stuff that’s suppose to be scary, so this week I’m going to stretch it a bit and let you decide how spooky the shows I look at are.

So, without further ado...

Remember Ricki Lake? She first made a big splash in American media in the title role of Tracy Turnbald in the 1988 movie, Hairspray. She went on to get a variety of TV and big screen parts, many in which she played as a somewhat rotund sidekick or girl with a weight problem. She also hosted a talk show that did very well.

Well, times have certainly changed for Ms. Lake. She’s lost weight, a lot of weight. And while Ricki wasn’t hard to look at before she can definitely stop traffic now.

So, how does one who has had a weight problem during all of her public life show off her new body? Why, in a TV movie, of course.

In Matters of Life and Dating Ricki plays Linda Dackman, a youngish career woman who enjoys life, men, her friends, men, parties, and men. I don’t mean to say that Linda is loose, but, like any typical healthy American woman, she likes to feel attractive to the opposite sex.

Now, here’s the scary part: Enter breast cancer.

Linda now finds that she has to deal not only with a life threatening disease, but also the connotations society has associated with breast cancer survivors. She wonders if she is still feminine and attractive enough to date and find a significant other, and can she ever have some semblance of a normal life in a society that is so conscious of looks and so focused on breasts?

The iTunes Store is offering a sneak peak of Matters of Life..., and from what I’ve seen it looks to be an good movie. Ricki Lake seems to be ideal for the lead, and the subject matter is something we all (even us guys) should pay attention to. Down load the sneak peak and see if you don’t agree.

Next up: Life in the Hip Hop lane.

In the Hip Hop world Irv Gotti was a mogul. His music label, Murder Inc., sold millions of albums producing a stack of platinum and gold records. Gotti had family, money, power, and influence. Gotti and Murder Inc. could do no wrong.

Now, here’s the scary part: Enter the F.B.I.

Irv Gotti was charged with money laundering. He lost his family, many friends, much money, and his standing in the music industry.

After a court battled that ultimately exonerated him of any wrong doing, Gotti must now try to put the pieces of his life back together. Why not do it in front of a camera? (Maybe that’s the really scary part.)

The iTunes Store is offering the premier episode of the VH1 reality show, Gotti’s Way, where we catch up with Irv in a quest to reconnect with his estranged wife, his kids, and the music industry. With the help of his friend and number 1 artist, Ja Rule, Gotti is looking to score a hit which would punctuate his comeback and help Murder Inc. with some much needed cash flow.

I’ve never been one to get all up in someone’s life, but it is interesting to see how business is handled on the Hip Hop side of the world. Check out Gotti’s Way at the iTunes Store. the premier episode, Get a Hit, is a free download.

And last on the list this week is the video podcast, Monocle. Let me say right now that I really like this podcast because it does exactly what the name implies; it takes a closer look, as if through a monocle, at different things, people, and events around the world. Stuff that you might never have known existed otherwise.

For instance -- and here’s the scary part -- there’s a kindergarten outside of Tokyo where the kids are allowed, even encouraged to play on its roof. It sounds downright frightening, I know, that is until you see the fence all along the roof that keeps the tikes from taking a serious tumble. There’s even a huge slide that lets the wee ones go from roof to ground level in seconds.

The school is innovative in other ways too, with open classrooms and trees that grow from inside the school. Makes me wish I were a 5 year old in Tokyo.

Other Monocle shows highlight other social oddities, like e-sports in Korea, or an examination of intriguing urban design elements in different cities around the world, like outdoor cinemas in Athens, Greece, or the newly update transportation system in Chicago.

I’m a fan of this podcast, and I think there’s something for everyone here, so grab a few episodes, kick back,Êand check it out.

There you have it. Not too scary, and definitely some cool stuff to look at. Stop by next week when I take a look at nothing but podcasts.

Other freebies on the iTunes Store:

Vern Seward is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He’s been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.