Nestled in Northern California is a little college town with a lot of flavor. Home to Sierra Nevada Brewery, the largest Costco in the world, Synthesis, and for 70 happy years, the best ice cream ever. Chico’s favorite ice cream and candy parlor, Shubert’s, is making big waves as one of Good Morning America’s four finalists for “The Best Scoop in America”. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of licking a cone-full of Chico Mint, vote for Shubert’s right the heck now!

Other finalists are Moomer’s Ice Cream in Traverse City, Michigan, Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor in Dania, Florida, and Ron’s Gourmet Ice Cream in Hyde Park, Massachusettes. All lame names, all not as good.

In some flossed out corporate room somewhere, rap duo The Clipse just signed a contract (perhaps with a jewel encrusted fountain pen) with Rick Rubin (who I didn’t realize kind of looks like Spencer from Bear Hunter and MC Oroville) at Sony/Columbia Records. They love The Clipse, The Clipse loves them. Here’s the deets:

Their multimillion-dollar, 5-year contract with Columbia is rare given the stingy state of the industry. And it accommodates not only forthcoming Clipse albums, but also solo efforts from each brother, and collective recordings with co-conspiratorial MCs Ab-Liva and Sandman. Together, the foursome comprises the Re-Up Gang. In fact, a Re-Up release is first on the slate, aimed for March ‘08. The Clipse will follow come summer.

Says Pusha T about the relationship with Sony: “The Clipse represent everything that we’ve all known Rick Rubin to represent: hip-hop in its purest form. To know that the head guy is a creative guy as well, that makes me feel good.”

I wanna Ice Cream hat.