With that briefest of brief preambles out of the way I give you this week's best as brought to you by the editors of Blogcritics.org.
Music
Music Editor: Connie Phillips
CD Review: Carlos Jimenez, Arriving, by John Owen (Jan. 4)
John Owen offered up three reviews this week, but this one stood out. He takes an in-depth look at this artist, the album, and the jazz flute in general. He gives a full and complex review and offers up a bit of history to the instrument and the genre.
The Friday Morning Listen: Devendra Banhart by Mark Saleski (Jan. 6)
Mark always delivers great tidbits in his weekly column, but this weeks edition was especially enjoyable as he examines an artist who had to grow on him.
Books
Books Editor: Warren Kelly
Mr. Kelly did not make a selection this week, so I'm going to slide in a pick here by a true class act, Blogcritics.org Editor Natalie Bennett:
Book Review: Duel: A True Story of Death and Honour by James Landale by Natalie Bennett (Jan. 4)
A tale of Scottish dueling and family history reviewed and laid out in a rich and uniquely British voice? Yes please, and I'll take milk with my tea as well, ta:
The reader can imagine a Prussian aristocrat shuddering with horror at the scene and the class of the opponents. But now it was that the two men had to meet on that muddy field the next morning.
TV/Film
TV/Film Co-Editors: Alisha Karabinus and Joan Hunt
The American Family Association Questions The Book Of Daniel by swingingpuss (Jan. 4)
A new year, a new controversial show on TV - that's the name of the game. Except that The Book of Daniel is likely to be less objectionable that watchdog groups would like to have us believe. However, the good news is that their outrage draws attention to the show and provides greater publicity than NBC could have ever planned. Or did NBC plan it that way? Swingingpuss looks at the show and the reasons the America Family Association is up in arms.
Do Comedians Have A Point of View? by Tony Fiqueroa (Jan. 6)
Tony jumps into the Bill O'Reilly vs. David Letterman pool with both feet. I don't think he bothered to test the waters first, but that did hurt him one iota. Included in this article are portions of the transcript of the encounter, including some of the best lines heard on TV in a long time.
Nipplegate II: WWE's "Live Sex Act" Shows Nudity by Matt Paprocki (Jan. 10)
An exposed nipple during a live sex act is news? Well, it is if it happens on TV. I'm not sure how the wrestling part figures in, but Matt has the full scoop and I'll leave you to work it out for yourself. Way to jump on a story, Matt!
Movie Review: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Mike Cullinan (Jan. 10)
When a movie review makes me salivate, it simply must be included in the Ed. Picks section. Mike managed to convey the excitement and humor inherent in the movie, and he did it flawlessly. Great writing, great reviewing, and best of all: convincing. This is one movie that goes on the "must see" list.
Culture
Culture Editor: Lisa Hoover
Ms. Hoover did not make a selection this week, so I went to the far Blogcritics shore to find a recently-inebriated Shark:
Shark's Post-Holiday Booze Report by Shark (Jan. 9)
It's a report from the front lines and boozed-out alleys of the United States, reported in a way only Shark can relate, as in his own words:
Anyone can get drunk, but not everybody can afford to do it from an inverted chandelier designed by a dead Bauhaus architect.
Politics
Politics Editor: Natalie Davis
Ms. Davis did not make a selection this week, so I went to the political salt mines and came away with Blogcritics gold:
Seymour Hersh, the Reporter's Reporter, Speaks on Iraq by Steven Hart (Jan. 8)
Great coverage of a great coverer and uncoverer:
Hersh's Nov. 30 speech got some cursory coverage at the time, but nobody captured every detail and nuance of this gem-studded lecture and the followup questions, which are refreshingly articulate and pertinent.
Sports
Sports Editor: Matthew T. Sussman
Hype Machine Breaks Down in Rose Bowl" by Zach Baker (Jan. 5)
After a very exciting championship game, Zach broke down exactly what broke down. No, not the USC defense. It was the media-inflicted llusion that USC was unbeatable, proved by citing that three years ago the same mistake happened when nobody could beat the Miami Hurricanes until Ohio State did just that. Not satisfied with blasting just the media's premature love for a human team, Baker also parallels USC quarterback Matt Leinart's comment of "we're still better than them" to that of another loser 10 years ago — the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. Few have compared Leinart to Carlos Baerga, and few ever will.
Gaming
Gaming Editor: Ken Edwards
Cross System Comparison Review: Peter Jackson's King Kong by Matt Paprocki (Jan. 4)
A direct comparison between eight different versions of this strong movie-based video game. That is a lot of game playing! Read Matt's in-depth review of everything from the mobile phone to the Xbox 360 Kong.
PC Game Review: Shot Online by Warren Kelly (Jan. 7)
Online Gaming doesn't have to be expensive, and you don't have to sacrifice quality. Sometimes, it's even free. Editor's Warning: This game may well ruin your livelihood. Yes, it is that good. So go download it now.
Nintendo DS Review: Animal Crossing - Wild World by Aaron Auzins (Jan. 9)
Every once in a while a game is released that doesn't really fall within the boundaries of any particular genre. But that does not mean you shouldn't take notice. Wild World took everything that was great with the GameCube release and made it even better.
SciTech
SciTech Editor: Lisa McKay
Digital Cookery: Take Three Foods, Google Them, et Voila! by Alpha (Jan. 7)
The next time you're wondering what to fix for dinner, take Alpha's advice and give "Google cooking" a try! This fun look at a gastronomical use for everyone's favorite search engine provides a brief history of this culinary phenomenon and comes with a couple of recipes for good measure.
The Hot Topic: FM Is Stereo. Does That Really Mean Anything? by Bennett Dawson and the rest of the Hot Topic Team: Duke de Mondo, Eric Berlin, and Mark Saleski (Jan. 9)
Do you remember the old days when you could tune up your car in your driveway? Do you know what stereo actually means? Do you understand the inner workings of any of the tech toys you play with? The gentlemen who bring us The Hot Topic discuss whether or not technology is turning us into a generation of end users who can't fix anything and don't understand how stuff works.
Best Articles Written By Blogcritics.org Editorial Team
As chosen by the very same, the self-referential and spotlight seeking thugs that we are!
Blogcritics.org Executive Producer Eric Berlin chose:
Book Review: Duel: A True Story of Death and Honour by James Landale by Natalie Bennett (Jan. 4)
A tale of Scottish dueling and family history reviewed and laid out in a rich and uniquely British voice? Yes please, and I'll take milk with my tea as well, ta:
The reader can imagine a Prussian aristocrat shuddering with horror at the scene and the class of the opponents. But now it was that the two men had to meet on that muddy field the next morning.
More Best of Blogcritics.org Articles of the Week
As chosen by Blogcritics who have had their work highlighted by editors last week
El Bicho chose:
Do Comedians Have A Point of View? by Tony Fiqueroa (Jan. 6)
An interesting piece about comedians and the Letterman/O'Reilly incident. It's ripe for a whole series about different comedians. It made me want to write, which is the best kind of writing.
Aaman Lamba chose:
Paris Visa: Falling in Love by Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti (Jan. 9)
Bennett chose:
NFL Picks of a Thoughtful Fool, Season Wrap-Up by David Mazzotta (Jan. 6)
David started doing a weekly NFL column during Week Eight of the season and immediately became one of my "must read" favorites. His scientific tomfoolery and solidly logical predictions were one thing, his deadpan humor was another thing altogether.
He delivered more laughs from day one than almost anyone else on BC, in a football column no less.
I'm not kidding when I say that I looked forward to the "Thoughtful Fool" each week as much as I used to look forward to Joe Bob Briggs' Drive-In Movie Column in the Sunday paper, back when I was a younger pup.
David's clever writing should be rewarded with enough hard cash to allow him to bet big in Vegas. Every single week of the football season.
Mr. Mazzotta is a huge asset to Blogcritics.
Sal Marinello chose:
Mark Steyn Predicts the Collapse of "The West" – Sadly I Agree by Bird of Paradise (Jan. 8)
Mr. Hewitt (Bird of Paradise) has crafted a well-thought out addendum to a great piece by Mr. Steyn, which deals with a very difficult and complex subject. This kind of well-thought out and well-written article is a great example of what blogging is all about.
Nik Durga chose:
Buy the World An iPod by J. Michaels (Jan. 10)
"Buy the World An iPod" is a nice paean to that must-have consumer good; bought my first one myself last fall and it's my favorite material possession. J. did a nice job just summing up the simple pleasures of the pod, without lapsing into critical overhype or aimless wandering. A fun, short piece!
Production Notes
Blogcritics selected this week: please feel free to make a selection for next week's edition. You can leave them in the comments or send them to Eric Berlin: dumpsterbust@gmail.com.
All are more than free to leave general impressions and personal selections for this or any week below!
How'd we choose these things? Find out here.
Please send you input, ideas, and suggestions to Eric Berlin: dumpsterbust@gmail.com.
Thanks for stopping by!
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