We are the new kid on the block, and are in the process of getting there. So far, we have put up three weeks of editor's picks. Notice the singular? Told you, we are getting there! So, yes this is subjective, though care has been taken. For instance, I refrained from selecting any article by the contributing editors. And there were a few good ones. Perhaps, as we make further headway, we will include them, too.

Here are the links for the first three weeks' picks.

Desicritics Editor's Picks - May 15-21
Desicritics Editor's Picks - May 08-14
Desicritics Editor's Picks - May 01-07

I have picked out some articles to highlight the past week. Nothing unusual in that. But what is unusual is that some of the writers have more than one entry. And two of them merited a third honorable mention.

If you are a contributor and do not find yourself here, please do not be unduly bothered. This list is arbitrary and subjective. Each contributing writer to Desicritics is a special writer. And do not pay heed to rumors that praising certain poems by a small time poet would get you here.

Any past writer who has been highlighted here can recommend one of their choice to me or one of the other editors to be included in the next selection.

Your suggestions are welcome too, specially for book/movie/music reviews. Here are this week's selections:

Raw Materials by Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa May 29, 2006 - kamla bhatt writes:

A few months ago I met with Vijay and Rudresh in New York where we spoke about their upcoming album, what it was like growing up in the USA, and how they decided to make music their professional career. Both, Vijay and Rudresh had no role models when they made their choice to become musicians. Vijay in fact finished his PhD and then switched to become a jazz musician. Rudresh went to a music school and got his undergraduate and graduate degree in music.

The Struggle with Web 2.0: You Are Not Alone... May 31, 2006 - kamla bhatt writes:

Getting back to the struggle with these Web 2.0 applications here is what I have discovered in private conversations with fellow bloggers. They too go through similar experiences, but nobody talks about it. It is as though we have to suffer in silence and endure this whole Web 2.0 revolution that is unfolding. Creators of these wonderful tools and applications appear to forget that not everybody is a software engineer or a geek, and users do need a clear set of instructions. Many times the UI (User Interface) is so poorly designed that it makes it difficult to navigate. And, it seems like nobody is talking about it. Surely this whole thing is meant to be used by regular folks like us, users like us? If we don't let these folks know, who will? How will they know there is a bug here, and that this UI is not intuitive?