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 Wed, 6 Oct 2004 00:59:13 EDT 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. 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Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/10/06/005913.php Jordan MendenhallAs much as we discuss, criticize, and laud on subjects ranging from divisive politics, beautiful music, and enchanting movies, one thing is true for all of us, even master critics such as you're wonderful blogcritics: we've gotta eat. A recent subculture of blog I ran into on the net is that of foodblogs. Some of the most amazing, entertaining, and outright odd writing I've read on food as not been from the NYT or Atlantic or various other expensive publications with well-funded food critics, but from you and me. From recipes to location-specific blogging, amateur food critics are taking over the net and getting damn popular. I've seen passions in blogs get excited over various things, but in the world of foodblogs it never wanes. Entries in A Spoonful of Sugar, Too Many Chefs, and Chronicles of a Curious Cook will thrown in both a creative recipe and interesting anecdotes. Some foodblogs are worth visiting not only for the content, but the pure beauty of their sites, such as Saute Wednesday, Chocolate and Zucchini, and Culinary Delights. The world of food blogs, as you can see, ranges widely and in diverse manners, dependent on the culinary and blog interests of their writers. Even famous chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Alton Brown have jumped on the bandwagon. An excellent list from which to explore your particular taste in food and foodblogging can be found here. Bon appetite! Culture20681@blogcritics.org Wed, 6 Oct 2004 00:59:13 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/10/06/002937.php Jordan MendenhallDizzee Rascal's sophomore album Showtime is, in my opinion, much more mature and well-rounded than his first, Boy in Da Corner. The lyrics and unique rapping style he brings to the genre are still evident, but a group of new producers have taken his broken-beat, bare song style and fleshed out some very dynamic, exciting beats. His first song "Showtime" reintroduces us to Dizzee Ras' and then continues into second track, a jumpy fun electro-garage track that would get anyone jumping about in ecstatic fun at a party. "Everywhere" knocks you out with its minimal bassy subtlety and tight rhymes. I could continue but the album as a whole is brilliant, other than a few minor exceptions. "Hype Talk" and "Imagine" can get annoying after a while. The kitsch value of "Dream"'s intro is more than worth the price of the CD as he samples beats and song from what seems like a British children's show then raps over it. The strongest tracks are "Get By", where he combines sadly beautiful lyrics, a steel drum sample, and a dirty synth, "Fickle", an aggressive, driving track that sounds like it has some Kanye West influence but far better lyrics, and "Learn", which I've listened to more than any other track since I've bought the cd. Dizzee Rascal one ups himself on this wondrous sophomore album, and even though it does have a few week tracks, I think Dizzee is young and talented enough to learn from his experiences here and, hopefully on the next, produce one of the best UK rap albums we'll hear for a while yet. Music20677@blogcritics.org Wed, 6 Oct 2004 00:29:37 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/17/232453.php Jordan MendenhallWhy are is the world community dithering around on this issue? This is the perfect scenario in which the US and world community could come togther and show the true meaning of multilateral action wherein no one nation has an express interest other than to help that suffering people of another nation. It is prime time for the UN to show it has some bite, as well as for the US to show that it has a heart and the ability to work with the other bickering nations for a common cause. The World Health Organization has reported the horrid conditions. Colin Powell has taken the extra step and challenged the world community to action by calling it a genocide. It has taken months for the world to get its feet moving on the issue, and it's still stalling. The threat of sanctions hasn't ever stopped anyone from continuing with the death and destruction they have promised their citizens. Look at North Korea, Iraq, or Afghanistan for examples. Peacekeepers on the ground, and given powers to be effective (unlike the Dutch UN soldiers in Srebenica) could head off more deaths and provide support for getting aid to the million or so in the refugee camps. There has been many calls to action by various nations and humanitarian organizations, yet they have been muffled by the bureaucratic interests of those in the UN, and its decision-making arm of the Security Council. The US can't afford to go it alone here, given its current unpopularity around the world. The UN can't afford not to go, or else it risks its credibility as an organization that promises help but won't deliver. Culture19953@blogcritics.org Fri, 17 Sep 2004 23:24:53 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/17/225530.php Jordan MendenhallEmergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures is the recollection of three different workers with the UN through their trials and trevails in the 1990s, working in such diverse places as Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia. Each chapter is titled after the alert signals used on UN radio channels to tell what type of danger to expect, and within each chapter the three different authors, Ken Cain, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thomson are given sections in which to weave the diverse yet parallel courses of their UN careers. The well-educated writers of each section write beautiful, engaging prose that draw the reader to continue to be engaged with the development of the story, from the intial optimism at the beginning to the sudden loss and hurt in the middle as the action gets more dangerous, then finally to, if not cynicism, doubt about where their careers have taken them. The diverse careers of the authors help create a well-rounded world from which to view each of the missions the authors are engaged in. Ken Cain is a law school grad, and given tasks that vary from arranging elections in Cambodia to setting up a court system in Mogadishu. Heidi Postlewait was a social worker in New York who decides starts as a secretary at the UN offices and then ends up with a massive responsibility in developing situations in Somalia. Andrew Thomson began as a Red Cross doctor in Cambodia and got sucked into working with the UN in their various missions in Haiti, Rwanda, and Bosnia. These three people were centered in the middle of the action of some of the most gruesome insurgencies of violence in the post-World War II world. The reports from Ken and Heidi in Somalia and Andrew in Haiti put a lot of things that our legacy media friends might have skipped over in its reporting of those events, as well as the tack U.S. and UN foreign policy have taken since the incidents that occured in Mogadishu. It's refreshing to hear the stories of three people, optimistic and happy go-lucky at times about their missions, and seeing the colossal forces of the UN, U.S., NATO, as well as the media that supposedly keeps these forces honest, or corrupts stories and national politics agains them, and how the outcomes for different countries and their populations could have been different. I am not a totally against the actions or inactions of the UN as many from various politcal strata may be but it is worthwhile to see the dirty part of the 'benevolent' UN. Unfortunately, Cain and Postlewait have nearly lost their jobs with the organization because of the book. Instead of trying to reform and rethink some of the issues that continuously come up in the work, it seems the UN would rather squash dissent from within the ranks. Emergency Sex is a worthwhile read, for both those interesting in the seedy side of foreign politics, sex and corruption as well as for its overall message of thinking of how things could have been and still could be better, and how we and the international community might have failed some countries in our actions. Honest, erotic, refreshing, gruesome, it works and makes your brain work. Books19951@blogcritics.org Fri, 17 Sep 2004 22:55:30 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/06/123050.php Jordan MendenhallAfter the tragedy that befell the Russian nation this weekend, many difficult questions face the shaken nation and its leader, Vladimir Putin. First, what exactly happened at Beslan and how was it able to occur? It seems that it is still very difficult to tell why the bombs were triggered when they were, whether there was a failed storming of the school or a misunderstanding between the hostage-takers on the government workers and police around the site. Obviously, the hostage-takers put themselves in a position in which it made it more likely than not that they and the hostages, as well as government troops, would be injured or killed regardless of the outcome. Just like the theatre hostage situation in October 2002. It will be quite a while before the truth of what exactly happened during those final moments leading up to the mass death and explosions is uncovered, if it ever is. Putin admitted the weakness of the governmental and security structures within Russia, which are underfunded and fraught with corruption. But other than pointing out this widespread weakness, it would not be surprising if a bungled assault on the building or other details pointing towards fault on the Russian military's forces were covered up or fabricated. It has become increasingly obvious throughout the world the desperate condition of Russia's military, with the Kursk incident and reports of widespread hazing abuse, starvation, suicide, as wells as problems with hardcore drugs, AIDS and hepatitis. Another question that must be answered is where does the administration go from here on the issue of Chechnya. The Kremlin, for it's part, really hasn't helped matters in the area with its tough-fisted policies. As has been known for a while now, many of the more militant splinter groups have increasingly turned to "foreign" aid (from al-Qaeda and other international funders of Islamist terrorist groups) for fighters and financial matters. The make-up of what nationalities or organizations participating in the Beslan siege is still unknown, but it is thought that it was a multinational force with foreign backing. Fighting governmental forces within the nation is one thing but being able to coordinate and fund huge hostage-taking situations is another and points at an influence from terrorist brethren elsewhere. Russia has had one of the worst two weeks of the past three or four years, with the death of so many at Beslan, the Moscow subway bomber, and the two downed aircraft just outside Moscow at the beginning of the week. This is not the mountain Chechen fighters of old, but a more hardline sect, willing to take the extra step down the path away from freedom fighter and into blatant terrorist, suicide belt and all. Giving full-fledged independence to Chechnya is most likely out of the question right now, and I doubt would achieve much else other than encouraging terrorist to believe their actions successful. But, unlike the elections the past week, the upcoming parliamentary elections need to be as fair as possible. For some reason, international observers decided not to oversee the Chechen presidential election, which many critics see as having been unfairly run and placed a Moscow-backed candidate in office there. Free and fair elections are the key. And it's the key policy for that should be set in place for the entire nation instead of continuing the subtle centralization of power that still exists with regional and local leaders all usually having very close ties to the national government in Moscow rather than independently running for the welfare of their oblast (province). With a Chechen government with Chechen interests in mind, there will be more to work with on the political front. Unfortunately, finding moderate Chechen candidates willing to work with Moscow might be difficult. A peaceful political solution needs to be found in this long-troubled region. Chechen independence could be found through the federal system that Russia has set up within its post-Soviet self. There are many huge nearly-autonomous provinces within the nation, ruled peacefully and somewhat successfully. But politics is still very corrupt in Russia and cleaning the system so that smaller countries such as Chechnya and others feel part of the system and able to rule themselves will be a long process. Also, vast problems within the military will continue to create loopholes through which security weaknesses can be exploited. Unfortunately for the world, this also means the guardianship of one of the world's largest nuclear arsenals is also in danger. With al-Qaeda operatives working actively within the Caucasus, this is a very very dangerous game in which the world has a great stake. Culture19512@blogcritics.org Mon, 6 Sep 2004 12:30:50 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/31/005544.php Jordan MendenhallOne of those fortuitous opportunities presented itself to me this weekend as I visited my newly expanded independent record shops. After searching through racks of music I either had no interest in or ever heard of I discovered Playgroup's Playgroup. I had downloaded "Front 2 Back" the year before but didn't think it worthy enough of getting the CD at the time. This time around, with a new paycheck in the bank, the impetuousness of fiscal irresponsibility presented itself to me and I was awarded with one of the best albums I've heard all year. Poppy, fun, and just damn funky, on the ride home I pumped up the bass as loud as possible and grooved to perfect summertime tunes. Fat basslines and an ecletic collection of sounds drawing from electro, retro 80s, and even reggae and dub, Playgroup's Trevor Jackson twists it all into an audibly orgasmic journey for the cruise on a steamy, tropical afternoon or the beginning of a banging house party setting the mood to dance the night away. Music19261@blogcritics.org Tue, 31 Aug 2004 00:55:44 EDT