Let's Roll: Metal Gear Solid 4
Konami Digital Entertainment

Grand Theft Auto IV and Wii Fit have scored headlines for shifting public opinions about videogames by deftly tackling the respective subjects that inspired them: crime and fitness. Now comes Metal Gear Solid 4 ($60; konami.com), whose major themes derive from a most unlikely place: President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address warning against the dangers of the military-industrial complex.

Well before last October’s hearings into possible abuses by real-world contractors like Blackwater, game designers became fascinated with the character of the hired gun, including such pro-mercenary titles as Raven Software’s Soldier of Fortune (2000) and Pandemic’s Mercenaries (2005). The appeal is perhaps obvious, but psychologically telling: placing you in the role of a merc gives you access to all the cool ordnance you’d find in the glut of Army games out there, but without having to deal with the annoying hierarchical command structure that comes with the armed forces.

MGS 4 isn’t the only game looking skeptically at the post-9/11 corporatization of military functions—clips and quotes from Eisenhower’s 1961 speech were prominently featured in the trailers for both Army of Two ($60; ea.com) and Cipher Complex (not yet released; ciphercomplex.com)—but it’s by far the most thoughtful, even if its premise is not particularly original. Yes, a villain from the previous games turns up in the Middle East with yet another plan for global domination and, yes, only your lone hero—the prematurely aging Solid Snake—can stop him. But creator Hideo Kojima clearly has more on his mind than a repeat of the hide-seek-and-shoot mechanics that have made him the master of the genre he calls “tactical stealth action,” which emphasizes patience and strategy over the simple pleasures of run-and-gun.

By Joan Raymond 

It’s getting hot out there, so don’t forget to give your pooch some extra H2O. Doggie dehydration is a real issue in the summer, especially for active canines who live to take long treks with their active humans. The good news is that you don’t have to share your designer electrolyte and vitamin water with your pet. A healthy dog is going to excrete those items at the nearest fire hydrant, says Dr. Gregory Hammer, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association in Schaumburg, Ill. Pooches need about one ounce of plain water per pound of body weight every day, and more when they are active and hot. Discolored gums signal dehydration. So does loose skin—unless you own a Shar-Pei. For dogs on the go, check out handi-drink.com, which features a belt clip, carrying strap and a built-in tray ($6.99 for the 9oz size, $7.99 for 17oz and $9.99 for 25oz). Discriminating dogs might like the Drinkwell Hydro-Go, with a refillable canteen that can also hold food ($19.99 for 36oz; thepetstore online.com). You can even make your own portable doggie bowl free of charge, with plastic sheeting, aluminum foil and some scrap wood (www. instructables.com/id/Foldable Portable-Superlight-DoggyWater-Bowl-0/). That should leave you some extra bucks for doggie treats.

Judging from its size and low model number, you’d guess the 135i is an economy Bimmer. But auto enthusiasts know otherwise. This is BMW’s very well priced, rip-it-up performance car. Think of it as the naughty little brother to the marque’s own M3.

Engine: A very able 300-horsepower motor belies the car’s sporty heritage. The six-speed automatic, which is somewhat fuelefficient, comes with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Interior: The three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel has hands-free Bluetooth phone controls. And the eight-way adjustable front seats are comfy.

 By Temma Ehrenfeld 

If you care for the environment but don’t want a wedding that screams “I’m green,” add these simple ideas to your festivities:

• Arrange ahead of time to have a food-rescue organization like secondharvest.org pick up your untouched entrees.

• Instead of exotic cut flowers that re-quire shipping and refrigeration, Valerie Edmunds of greeneleganceweddings.com suggests potted plants that guests can take home. Or use local, in-season blooms.

• Donate your wedding dress to making memories.org. Bridesmaids can donate gowns to charities that recycle them as prom dresses (try glassslipperproject.org or donatemydress.org).

By Michelle Jana Chan 

A wave of hotel openings across the Andes means the classic Peruvian circuit is no longer just for backpackers. With the dollar still strong there, you can even opt for some luxury.

Casa Andina Private Collection, Arequipa Check in to this stylish urban retreat near the baroque convents and 16th-century villas in Peru’s loveliest colonial town (doubles from $199 with breakfast; casa-andina.com).

Las Casitas del Colca Make a side trip to the Colca Canyon, twice as deep at the Grand Canyon, and stay at this luxurious outpost with hot plunge pools on each private terrace. Spot condors, fly-fish and bottle-feed baby alpacas (doubles from $500 full board, including activities; lascasitasdelcolca.com).

Inkaterra Machu Picchu After visiting the great Incan citadel, bed down at Inkaterra’s gorgeous villas and indulge in the spa’s coca treatment (doubles from $832 full board; inkaterra.com).

By Tina Peng 

Trying to keep Johnny from trading his apple for a bag of chips? A small subset of overachieving American parents have started sending their kids to school with bento boxes, packed meals that emphasize portion control and nutritional balance. The boxes meet guidelines set by Japan’s food pyramid: three parts grain (usually rice), one part meat and two parts vegetable—no junk food, no candy and as little oily, greasy food as possible. Deborah Hamilton of lunchinabox.net goes the extra mile by making faces out of cheese, and bunnies out of apple slices. But novices can easily jazz up sandwiches, pasta, salads and stews with toothpicks or colorful fruits and vegetables. “It’s just a compact, balanced, visually appealing lunch,” she says.

Buy traditional boxes at jlist.com and ichibankanusa.com, or use shallow plastic containers like the three-piece Lock & Lock ($6.99; heritagemint .com). Other useful accessories include silicone baking cups to use as dividers, and thermal containers, like the Nissan Stainless Steel Food Jar ($19.95; amazon.com).

Hear Emmylou Harris’s “All I Intended to Be.” This crisply sophisticated, sometimes solemnly tinged collection of originals and favorites of her fellow artists shows that Harris is still the stalwart songbird at the top of the roost ($18.98).

Rent “Heavy Metal in Baghdad.” Hipster American filmmakers Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti plunge into bullet-riddled, paranoid Baghdad to chart the fortunes of Iraq’s only heavy-metal band, Acrassicauda, who are driven into exile in Syria.

See “End Game—British Contemporary Art From the Chaney Family Collection,” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The exhibition features major works of the radical London scene, from the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s (including Damien Hirst) to today’s avant-garde (mfah.org).