The Newsroom on HBO

Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO

I've added yet another show to my DVR list...
HBO's The Newsroom, created by Aaron Sorkin (the Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Social Network) and starring Jeff Daniels as the grouchy cable news personality Will McAvoy. I recently ran into one of the show's producers, who told me that Daniels followed Chris Matthews to prepare, but that the bigheaded character isn't based on any one anchor. Really? He certainly reminds me of a few I've seen on TV lately...
Gayle King walking on coals with Tony Robbins

Photo: Matt Peyton/Elevation Studios

After spending a day with life coach Tony Robbins...
I felt pretty damn motivated! At his recent "Unleash the Power Within" seminar in New Jersey, Tony inspired me to do things I never thought I would, like walk across a pit of hot coals in an attempt to put mind over matter (you may have seen Oprah try this on a recent episode of OWN's Oprah's Next Chapter). He also shared encouraging nuggets like "trade your expectation for appreciation, and your whole world changes in an instant." I'm still yelling his favorite "get pumped" mantra: Yes! Yes! Yes! P.S. He'll be in San Jose this month! (Visit tonyrobbins.com for more info.)
Scott Uehlein's lettuce-free chopped salad

Photo: Canyon Ranch Resorts

Salads don't usually excite me...
but Canyon Ranch chef Scott Uehlein's lettuce-free chopped salad is an exception. When he made it in the Hearst Tower's cafeteria, staffers from magazines like Cosmo, Esquire, and, yes, O were lining up! I'm all thumbs in the kitchen, but Uehlein swears it's easy to prepare: Just toss shrimp and veggies in a mustard vinaigrette, then top with Manchego cheese for a mere 355 calories of deliciousness.

Get the recipe: Manchego Chopped Salad with Shrimp
Katy Perry

Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

I first met Katy Perry...
backstage at the Oprah Winfrey Show's 2011 Oscar special; she'd flown all the way from Austria to sing with a New York City public school choir, and I was blown away when she performed "Firework." This month you can catch Katy on the big screen—in 3-D!—in Part of Me, which shows how she got her start and what her life is like on tour. My favorite moment is when she looks at the camera with those ginormous blue eyes and says, "My goal when I'm playing shows is just to make people smile." Katy, mission accomplished!
Maroon 5's Overexposed

Cover Art: Nicholas Van Hofwegen; CD: Kyoshino/IStockPhoto

I'm still singing Maroon 5's catchy "Moooooves Like Jagger"...
and now the group is back with a new album, Overexposed. Front man Adam Levine's falsetto really shines, especially on my personal favorite, "Beautiful Goodbye"—which, despite its summery vibe, is just what the name suggests: a great breakup song.
Weeds on Showtime

Photo: Jordin Althaus/Showtime

I've never smoked marijuana myself...
but lots of people do on Showtime's hit series Weeds, which stars Mary-Louise Parker as a drug-dealing mom of three who just can't get either job right. The show is back this month after leaving us in suspense last season with a mysterious "Who shot J.R.?" ending. I can never resist a cliff-hanger!

Next: Oprah and Gayle's ultimate conversation