http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 12 Feb 2006 21:13:05 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/12/211305.php Joe BattistaRant begin.I realize it's all over the national media by now that United States VP Dick Cheney was involved in a hunting accident. And I'm not going to spend time recounting the details of the event. If you want to know, just go to your nearest news site. The national media is all over it. I can tell you that this type of accident happens all the time, though the outcome doesn't usually end in a visit to the emergency room. I've taken a few pellets myself. It's not pleasant. It hurts. But, I was lucky enough to be able to get over it pretty quickly. I don't even remember who it was who did it. When you hunt quail, as Cheney's party was, you really have to be aware of where your party is because quail only fly short distances and they don't get very high in the air. I'm not saying Cheney isn't at fault. He is. You should always know where the other members of your party are at all times. But, Cheney has already apologized to the only person who deserves one, and that's where the discussion should end.It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this story is about to be twisted and manipulated for certain groups' agendas. It's all part of the "culture of blame" so prevalent in this country. The thought that there's no such thing as an accident will be put to the test with this story. Whether you agree with me or not, I urge you to follow the story to see how quickly the actual story gets overshadowed by political posturing and who knows what else.Rant end. Culture43534@blogcritics.org Sun, 12 Feb 2006 21:13:05 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/12/053354.php Joe BattistaThough this is by no means a review, I attended a concert in Fort Worth last night that's worth at least a mention-and-a-half. A buddy and I drove west to Bass Hall Friday night to check out a guitar virtuoso named Tommy Emmanuel, who, I'll be honest, I wasn't familiar at all with before the show. I basically agreed to go for the sake of getting out of the house more than anything else. I'm really glad I did.First off, the show wasn't exactly in Bass Hall, which is typically reserved for orchestras and members of the high-falootin' set. It was next door in a Bass Hall annex building. That didn't turn out to be an issue because the sound was good and our seats (general admission) were fine.The show opened with a Canadian singer/songwriter named Tracy Rice. She's got quite a voice and an earnest delivery, and writes a nice song, too. She's clearly on the front end of her career so there's not a whole lot of information out there about her. She has one independent CD called Out of the Light, which she sold herself at a table in the lobby before and after the show. She would be someone to watch out for if you're into the Shawn Colvin or Kim Richey sound.And then came Emmanuel. For those like me who aren't familiar, Tommy Emmanuel is considered one of the greatest living guitar players in the world (really, it says so on his website!). The Australian Emmanuel is one of three people ever given Chet Atkins' "Certified Guitar Player" status. Like the late Atkins, Emmanuel is a finger picker, which is sort of like playing a guitar like a piano. Each finger is doing something different. Strumming is not on the menu.I am a total guitar hack. I don't even know if "hack" is the correct term for what I am. I'm truly worse than that. But Emmanuel is a total freak. This guy does things on a guitar that I would never have thought to do. It was amazing. From playing three guitar parts at the same time to using his guitar as a percussive instrument, he completely blew the room away with his precision skill. It was so remarkable that after a while I found myself thinking, "Okay, I get it. He's awesome. Can we go now?"It's not that I didn't enjoy it. I really did and I'm glad I went. But, I suspect you have to be a total guitar geek to get really into it. And that's really what I wanted to say. I recognize his proficiency and expertise with the instrument. But, there's a point when it takes more than technical skill to hold my interest.For me, the execution isn't as important as the planning when it comes to music. Bob Dylan is my favorite example of this. Music43499@blogcritics.org Sun, 12 Feb 2006 05:33:54 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/01/17/022819.php Joe BattistaHeavy Ornamentals, the eighth studio album from the legendary alt-country outfit the Gourds, is the perfect companion to standing over a smoky Weber with a cold one in hand on a hot Texas afternoon. The Gourds are the consummate thinking-man's party band, strutting lyrics bordering on the beautifully obtuse and strumming tunes catchy enough to incite a swamp riot.Hailing from Austin, one of the greatest music cities in the country, the band's left-of-center approach is lauded by critics and fans all along I-35. The Gourds ability to thrive in this environment for the past eight years is a testament to their appeal. It also doesn't hurt to have great musicians and songwriters like Kevin Russell, Jimmy Smith and the "stringed assassin" Max Johnston (formerly of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco).Gourds music is typically characterized by healthy jumbles of Texas country, Americana (non-Nashville country), zydeco, bluegrass, and punk. But I don't want that to scare off the uninitiated. Go to Amazon.com and check out some of the sound clips to get a feel for the band. Then come back here and continue reading.You back? Good. As you might have guessed, I really like this record. I like it more than my favorite CD of 2005, Jimmie Dale Gilmore's Come on Back.Kevin Russell is truly a "twang master". His vocals on "The Education Song" and "Our Patriarch" is greatness. His voice can not be overrated. Jimmy Smith comes through, too. Though vastly different from Russell, Smith brings a raw "rock & roll" sound to the table. Jimmy's lyrics, though purported to be a little more serious on this record, can still be just plain absurd. Take "Collections Getting" as an example:This here, the difficult third verse. Jolly Joe drink his cappuccino. Jolly Joe drink his cappuccino. Jolly Joe drink his cappuccino.It's really hard to describe how much fun this album is to listen to. It appears that one of the most entertaining live bands in Austin has figured out how to transfer all the energy and spontaneity of a live performance into a recording. That's rare.I have a tip to share regarding getting the most out of the sound. This CD sounds much better when played on a traditional stereo than on a computer with headphones. The sound is much fuller when it has more to bounce off of than your eardrums. I used headphones the first few listens and wasn't terribly impressed by the levels and mixing, but a $30 CD jambox in the backyard turned me completely around on that.The one thing missing from this album are Max Johnston tracks. His tunes have become a welcome addition since he started contributing in Bolsa de Agua.Once everything's said and done, this record should satisfy current fans' appetite for another "legal" recording to play in their iPod, produce a new crop of fans who will wonder why Jimmy Smith carries a "man purse" in all the photos, and, finally, further the legend of the band that makes "music for the unwashed and well read."Track lowdown: "Declineometer" - catchy tune with great writing "Burn the Honeysuckle" - mandolin and accordion were made for each other"Mr. Betty" - nice rock tune featuring Johnston's fiddle"Shake the Chandelier" - this is why the Gourds are the greatest party band alive"New Roomate" - Jimmy takes a humorous look at wheels-off roommates"Hooky Junk" - see "Shake the Chandelier""Weather Woman" - ever been inspired to write a song while watching the TV weather report and listening to Neil Young's "Southern Man"?"Stab" - Johnston and Russell go after it in this Celtic-influenced instrumental"Our Patriarch" - just a beautiful song and a great departure for the band "The Education Song" - a fast, soulful "message" song that reminds me of a cross between Steely Dan circa 1973 and Otis Day and the Knights"Collection's Getting" - see "Jolly Joe""Pill Bug Blues" - kind of a cross between Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty" and Clapton's "Promises""Pick and Roll" - they call it a "filk song," but I'm not hip enough to know what that is Music42384@blogcritics.org Tue, 17 Jan 2006 02:28:19 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/28/211430.php Joe BattistaWhat constitutes a bluegrass "hit" anyway? This 20-track compilation's liner notes give a pretty good explanation. Bluegrass Hits is made up of songs that made Bluegrass Unlimited magazine's National Bluegrass Survey, which is a nationwide poll that pulls from radio stations that include bluegrass records as part of their regular rotation and various regional and local bluegrass radio programs. The album's subtitle, Twenty Timeless Favorites from Yesterday and Today, may make you think that you're about to embark upon a what's-what of bluegrass history. But, the oldest song in this collection was released in 1988 with the remainder leading up to 2005. So I guess "yesterday" is relative. Maybe they should have called it Twenty Timeless Favorites from the 80's, 90's and Today. Now, that's catchy!Another beef I have with the title is that it doesn't exactly come clean about its contents. Every song on this collection is from a Rounder release, or, in the case of Weary Hearts' "I Know the Way to You by Heart," Flying Fish Records, which is a subsidiary of Rounder. The packaging is nice, and I like the retro cover photo. Imagine one of those old Herb Alpert or Martin Denny albums from the '60s with a sexy woman on the cover. Got it? Now imagine that woman sitting provocatively on a blanket in a field next to what looks like one of those army-green record players from junior high music class. Spread across the blanket are LPs of some of the artists featured on this collection. It's completely cheesy and equally clever.In addition to a nice overview of the genre, the liner notes contain mini-bios of each artist, which is nice. It would have been even nicer if the date each song was originally released was included along with the highest chart position each track achieved.Regardless of the somewhat misleading title, it's a solid compilation. It contains many of the biggest contemporary bluegrass artists out there, including Alison Krauss and Union Station, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Rhonda Vincent (she's the best!), Tony Rice and J.D. Crowe and the New South.Stand-outs from the album include Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver's "Heartbreak Number Nine," Longview's "High Lonesome," Stuart Duncan's "Lonely Moon" and "Everybody's Reaching Out For Someone" by The Cox Family.There's not much more to say about the music except that it's a legitimate collection with a lot of strong cuts. If you like contemporary bluegrass, are partial to Rounder artists and you don't already have all this stuff, Bluegrass Hits is a good buy.Editor's note: This work of yours now has another venue for success - and more eyes - at the Advance.net Web sites, a site affiliated with about 12 newspapers.One such site is here. Music41558@blogcritics.org Wed, 28 Dec 2005 21:14:30 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/19/223324.php Joe BattistaTake the most consistently funny show on television, gather a bunch of clips from two of the most popular subjects from that show (kids and animals) and you have America's Funniest Home Videos--Best of Kids and Animals. I'm an animal clip man myself. I think dogs chasing laser pointers and cats getting sprayed with a water hose are funny. Good or bad, it still makes me laugh.For what it's worth, it must make others laugh, too. The show has been on the air for 16 seasons. I wrote a review of the first AFV collection four months ago. I received a good amount of feedback about the article, most of it about the psychology of the show. I heard comments to the effect of "people take pleasure in watching others' misfortune." To respond, let me just say that nothing truly terrible has ever been aired on the show. I suppose it depends on your perspective of what's acceptable behavior. I happen to think it's relatively harmless. This three DVD box set includes something that the first AFV DVD set released earlier this year didn't have (at least not more that a couple of minutes worth). That something is the genius of AFV's original host Bob Saget! Genius may be pushing it, I know. I just wanted to stress that he's part of the collection.Here's a rundown of what's included in this three-disc set:The first disc includes the classic episode "AFV Looks at Kids and Animals" and the 1997 $100,000 season finale, both hosted by Bob Saget.The second disc contains "All Animal Extravaganza" and the 2004 $100,000 season finale, hosted by the Emmy-winning host Tom Bergeron. The third disc is a departure from the kids and animals theme carried through the first two discs. The two-hour "Battle of the Best" episode (another Bergeron episode) is a sort of "greatest hits" (no pun intended) of clips from the first 12 years of the show's history. And to spice it up, various B-list celebrities, including Coolio, Martin Mull, Picabo Street and the always annoying Kathy Griffin pick their favorite clips, with the audience voting on the best clip at the show's conclusion. Personally, I could have done without the celebrity angle, but maybe there are a lot of "Fernwood 2Nite" fans who disagree with me.All told, it's about 222 minutes of family entertainment that most everyone can enjoy. You will enjoy it! The sweater-wearing poodle with masking tape stuck to her feet demands it! Video41243@blogcritics.org Mon, 19 Dec 2005 22:33:24 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/09/225412.php Joe Battistawahba, an independent Christian rock singer/songwriter/musician, has recently released The Beautiful Effect, his second full-length album. I like wahba. You can find wahba playing gigs and leading worship services in and around his hometown of Tempe, Arizona--the home of the Arizona State University Sun Devils. If you're into Christian rock and have you've never heard of wahba, you may soon. He's a talented musician with a great voice. He's also quite popular over at indieheaven.com, a website devoted to emerging and independent Christian artists using music in their ministries. The Beautiful Effect is the follow-up to wahba's debut record proskyneo. wahba calls the new record a "concept worship" album, which is anchored by two basic themes, Beauty and Effect. Beauty, the first half of the record, features songs that identify the gifts God provides. Effect, the album's second half, is made up of tunes that highlight the believer's response to these gifts. wahba works in multiple rock styles on this record, including power pop, funk rock, and good ol' modern worship and praise. And he does it well. wahba's got a "smoove" voice and a great backing band. Efficiently produced, this is one of the more "clean" sounding independent records you'll hear. The thing I think I most admire about wahba is his songwriting. Musically, his songs are fairly simple, but at the same time still interesting and lyrically uplifting (which is the whole point, right?). These are great songs to hum or sing along with. I challenge anyone to listen to "Giver," "Saint" or the cheesy, but terribly infectious, "All That We Need" and not get at least one of those tunes stuck in your head. To pick this CD up, you'll need to go to wahba's page on the IndieHeaven website. wahba has full-length streams on that page for you to check out before you buy. Music40775@blogcritics.org Fri, 9 Dec 2005 22:54:12 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/01/200408.php Joe BattistaJimmie Dale Gilmore is the type of artist I could listen to all day, every day. There are few singer/songwriters who make better Texas country music than Gilmore. And I was initially excited to learn that he was releasing a new studio album. But then I read that this album, titled Come on Back, was to be a collection of old country standards. I was disappointed to say the least. The guy who wrote "After Awhile," "Dallas" and "Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown" is going to put down his pen and play other peoples' songs? And look at the songs! I mean, these are the songs played every Saturday night by fiddle-less country bands in rural VFWs all across the Llano Estacado.So with low expectations I cracked open the case and pulled the liner notes. I immediately noticed that fellow Flatlanders member and Texas music legend Joe Ely produced the record. So I looked some more hoping to find Butch Hancock's name, but no luck there. As I'm looking around, I see the story behind the music, which was penned by Jimmie himself. These were his Jimmie's dad Brian's favorite songs. Jimmie recorded this album as a tribute to the memory of his father.Isn't it just amazing how having a little background information about something can totally turn your attitude around on things?So now that I've forgiven Jimmie for his track selection, I thought I might take a listen. It's really hard for me to describe how much I love this record. It easily makes my top five records of 2005 and is certainly the best country album released this year.It's rare that a record of cover songs, and especially ones as prolifically recorded as these, can feel so new. And it only took one listen to hook me. This album is greatness from front to back. There are no throwaways or B-side quality songs on this record.Gilmore's voice is the main reason for my lavish praise. His sweet and, at the same time, haunting tenor tones really give these old songs new life. Gilmore's voice is so personal and full of emotion, he could make "Happy Birthday to You" sound beautiful.Jimmie's and his band's (which includes Joe Ely) playing is exceptional. These guys really "act like they've been there before." Ely's arrangements are very clean and crisp. Instruments are used with purpose, and not just as a layering effect as is done on many modern country records. The mix is very clean, too, with just enough of everything at just the right levels.I don't know what else to say about Come on Back except that anyone with an interest in country music or Texas country music (yes, there is a difference) should own this record. It's a personal collection that Jimmie chose to share with the world, and it deserves every bit of attention it gets.Brian Gilmore would certainly be pleased.Track list:1. "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" by Harlan Howard2. "Saginaw, Michigan" by Bill Anderson & Don Wayne3. "Standin' on the Corner (Blue Yodel No. 9)" by Jimmie Rodgers4. "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" by Slim Willett5. "Four Walls" by George Campbell & Marvin Moore6. "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" by Fred Rose & Hank Williams7. "Walking the Floor Over You" by Ernest Tubb8. "I'm Movin' On" by Hank Snow9. "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" by Marty Robbins10. "Train of Love" by Johnny Cash11. "Jimmie Brown the Newsboy" by A.P. Carter12. "Gotta Travel On" by Paul Clayton, Larry Ehrlich, David Lazar & Tom Six13. "Peace in the Valley" by Thomas A. Dorsey Music40366@blogcritics.org Thu, 1 Dec 2005 20:04:08 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/11/08/201439.php Joe Battista"Don't take life so serious. Enjoy it, be happy, and be happy." - Freddy FenderFreddy Fender, the self-proclaimed "King of Tex Mex" (and my grandmother's all-time favorite artist) releases Freddy Fender--Live at the Renaissance Center, a 15-song* live performance filmed in Laughlin, Nevada.I grew up listening to Freddy's biggest hits on what was probably the only country music station in Connecticut and through various K-Tel hits-of-the-day compilations. In the 90's I became a fan of Freddy's work with the Tex Mex supergroup Texas Tornados. I even saw the Tornados once in San Marcos, Texas. And after seeing this video, I can say that Freddy has lost none of the energy and personality that he had when I saw him in the early 90s.This video features strong performances of many of Freddy's nearly 50-year career.Highlights from the DVD include some of Freddy's biggest commercially successful songs like "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," "You'll Lose a Good Thing," "Vaya Con Dios" and "Since I Met You Baby." And just for fun, he throws in a few covers, including the Hank Williams classic "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" and the casino night club standards "Margaritaville" and "Wooly Bully."Freddy also takes time to talk to the audience, mixing in jokes and an incredibly long and confusing story that introduces "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)."The best part of this video is the interview found in the bonus material. This 15-minute talk with Freddy gives the viewer some insight into the artist. Simply put, this guy really appears to be genuinely happy to be alive and playing music--almost happy-go-lucky. Freddy talks about the early days of his career, including a little background about the origins of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," his stint in the Louisiana prison system, and the great Doug Sahm among other topics.Other bonus material includes a text biography, a photo gallery, the video credits (the same ones that appear at the end of the video), and a screen that features web links.Consider this video a great gift idea for the hardcore Freddy Fender fan. However, if I were introducing someone to his music, I would probably start with one of his greatest hits collections or even a Texas Tornados album.*The 15th song is "Six Days on the Road," which is played in the introduction. It doesn't appear in the chapter list or the packaging. Music39233@blogcritics.org Tue, 8 Nov 2005 20:14:39 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/11/02/221223.php Joe BattistaArguably the most vital role in an IT development project's success is that of the Project Manager (PM). And in the big world of IT Project Management, there are many resources available to the PM from process improvement systems like CMMI and ISO 9000 to all-in-one reference guides, seminars, webinars and PM workshops.Syngress Publishing's How to Cheat at IT Project Management by Susan Snedaker is a recent entry into the project-management reference-guide category. And though this book is a reference guide, its title is somewhat misrepresentative. Not unlike crying in baseball, I say there is no cheating in project management. Effective project management requires too much preparation and planning to risk any half-baked shortcut that the word "cheating" implies. But don't let my critique of the book's title scare you away. Just read on.How to Cheat at IT Project Management makes no bones about the results one can achieve by following its methods and techniques. The bar is set in the Foreword with the following statement: "In this book, you'll learn how to become an exceptional IT professional." Wow! I want to be an exceptional IT professional. I can't wait to read this book!From the start, it's very obvious that the author is extremely knowledgeable about project management. She has not only accurately captured the more common and even obvious aspects of the role, but she speaks to topics such as politics, leadership buy-in and team member cultural issues &#8212 all subjects that are usually encountered on the job and not in books.And as accurate and insightful as the information is, it is made even better in the way the book is organized. Each chapter contains a concise introduction, well developed topics, a thorough summary, concise bullet lists covering each section's main points and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that reflect the chapter's contents.Additional features include: Enterprise 128--This is a case study from an actual project gone awry that illustrates how effective project management could have helped avert its doomed destiny.Cheat Sheets--These mini-topics (usually no more that a few short paragraphs) contain helpful tips on many subjects, including IT Team Performance, Task Ownership and Selecting Project Management Software Tools. Applying your Knowledge--These topics help readers apply what they've read in the previous section. The IT Factor--These entries contain interesting and applicable information relating to the current topic.Additionally, when you register at the publisher's website, you get access to even more resources, including sample project management templates and supporting documentation, four e-booklets containing related topics from other Syngress books, links to resources listed in the book and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) reprinted from the first five chapters of the book (I'm not sure why all the FAQs from chapters 6-12 weren't included.).Visually, the book is quite nice. The text's large point size makes it easy to highlight key points without unintentionally marking up other things. Headings and subheads really stand out. I like the author's use of "chunking" in which the information is communicated into small and easily comprehendible pieces. Bolding along with numbered and bullet lists are used effectively throughout the book. The book also contains many useful tables, flows and charts.The only negatives I could take away from this book are the occasional statement that I personally disagree with. See the following statement for an example of this: "Set clear expectations about their participation, and when the requirements are agreed upon, they should be 'etched in stone' to prevent scope creep." This assumes that the PM can control variables that are typically, in my experience, out of a PM's control.I'm all for avoiding scope creep, but how about setting up a mechanism for unforeseen changes like a Change Request process? Who are we kidding, unforeseen changes will happen and it's not always cost-effective to create another project for the additional functionality. As much as we wish it were true, etching requirements in stone isn't always the right solution.There is another passage where the author recommends that PMs "resist defining or managing big, complex projects." In my experience, resisting managing a big, complex project can quickly turn into managing no projects at all, if you catch my drift.I believe both seasoned and newer PMs will enjoy the information this book provides. This book is not a complete end-to-end project management resource, nor does it claim to be. "It is intended to get you up and running in IT project management with the least amount of effort and the most amount of improvement possible." And for that, I totally recommend How to Cheat at IT Project Management. Edited: PC Books38978@blogcritics.org Wed, 2 Nov 2005 22:12:23 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/09/234743.php Joe BattistaI spent countless hours of the most formative years of my childhood playing with LEGOs. I was really good at building spaceships and houses, and nothing else. It got to be frustrating after a while. I always assumed that I just didn't have the patience or the imagination to create a three dimensional masterpiece like you'd find in the photos on the LEGO boxes. But after reading Allan Bedford's The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide, it now looks like maybe all I needed was a good reference guide. There are many how-to books and web sites out there that contain instructions on how to use LEGOs to build certain types of projects, but up until now there hasn't been much available that gives builders the (pardon the pun) "building blocks" necessary to aid in building their own creations. Enter The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide, an "instruction manual" for building with LEGOs.This book is full of methods, tips, and usable techniques that just about anyone can apply to their own projects. If that wasn't enough, the book also contains helpful information on such topics as design, engineering, architecture and color. And all of this information is organized in easy-to-follow chunks, with accurate illustrations, and straightforward and understandable writing.The coolest feature of this book is the Brickopedia. The Brickopedia is a categorized list of LEGO pieces that includes an illustration of each piece, its size, subcategory, part number and a description of the piece. Though it's not a complete list of LEGOs (nor is it supposed to be), it gives you a pretty good look of what's available.So for all you kids who want to move beyond building the pre-designed kits, adults who may have been away from LEGOs for a while and want to brush up on your building skills, and to adult hobbyists like myself who never learned the proper techniques as a kid, The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide is a great resource to have on hand. The book has 13 chapters and two appendices. Here's a list:Chapter 1: The LEGO System: Endless Possibilities Chapter 2: Back to Basics: Tips and Techniques Chapter 3: Minifig Scale: Oh, What a Wonderful Minifig World It Is! Chapter 4: Miniland Scale: The Whole World in Miniature Chapter 5: Jumbo Elements: Building Bigger Bricks Chapter 6: Microscale Building: More Than Meets the Eye Chapter 7: Sculptures: The Shape of Things to Build Chapter 8: Mosaics: Patterns and Pictures in Bricks Chapter 9: Technic: Not as Technical as It May Seem Chapter 10: Putting It All Together: Where Ideas Meet Bricks Chapter 11: Beyond Just Bricks: Other Things to Do Besides Building Chapter 12: Sorting, Storage, and Sitting Down to Build Something Chapter 13: Making and Using Tools for LEGO Projects Appendix A: Brickopedia Appendix B: Design Grids: Building Better by Planning Ahead Books37671@blogcritics.org Sun, 9 Oct 2005 23:47:43 EDT