Kicking back into 2006 gear and already there is an undulating post-new year cornucopia of stories written by Blogcritics.org writers and editors to feast your eyes on.
You need something to feast on in between celery sticks and resolution-mandated runs to the gym, right?
Because we took a week off for the holidays up in these virtual parts, we relaxed the rules ('cause we like to break them too, actually, if truth be told) and let in a few bits of brilliance scribbled during the final week of '05.
We'd also like to officially welcome SciTech to the percolating picks party as well as SciTech Editor Lisa McKay.
Enjoy!
Music
Music Editor: Connie Phillips
CD Review: John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band Some Time in New York City by Al Barger (Dec. 24)
Al delivers a provocative review of a well-known album. Honest and articulated, he gives his detailed song-by-song take looking at all aspects of the production as well as the construction.
Does Your CD Lose Its Value By The Bedpost Overnight? by uao (Dec. 28)
This is an interesting look at how CDs hold their value by comparison of genre. A very fun, and yet still well-written piece.
Music with "Universal Appeal" Does Not Exist by Michael J. West (Dec. 29)
A well-articulated essay on the universal appeal of music or lack thereof, Michael examines many of the ways people react to music and how they associate music with events in their life.
CD Review: Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of the Box by El Bicho (Dec. 29)
Thank you, El Bicho, for this incredibly detailed look at Cobain, Nirvana, and this box set. The review is comprehensive and well balanced, giving the reader and informed look.
Books
Books Editor: Warren Kelly
Graphic Novel Review: Epileptic by Nik Dirga (Jan. 02)
Nik doesn't treat this book as just another comic book — he treats it as a work of art. What could have been just another graphic novel review turns into an art review.
Book Review: An Intelligent Person's Guide to Modern Culture by Roger Scruton by Tony Dalmyn (Jan. 2)
Tony takes a scholarly topic and makes it accesible to everyone, providing links to more information on many of the people and ideas in the review. Wikipedia gets a workout with this review, but that's not a bad thing, given the subject matter of the book.
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Egad! Thanks mates!
Much fine reading here - get it while it's hot
2 - Ken Edwards
Gaming pics fixed. They now show the new picks.
3 - Deano
Hey Eric,
The editors picks missed Dec 21 through to December 26! Your last batch was Dec. 14-20th and this batch is Dec. 27 to Jan.4th....What gives?
Of course I ask from a completely altruistic perspective...not because I posted a terrific (and brilliantly written) news post on Dec. 21st (which you obviously criminally missed reading completely)...(that's a hint by the way...)
4 - Eric Berlin
Congrats to all pickees !
Deano, I mention up top that the editorial staff took the week off over the holidays. Sorry that your post got lost in the mix!
5 - Deano
Curses! Another piece of scintillating breathless prose lost to the ages because of the vageries of #$@#&*%^!* editors...
6 - Eric Berlin
Dude, editors need some time off, just like everyone else! We publish over 400 stories a week -- that's a lot to cull through, even with the burst of energy that scintillating breathless prose gives.
7 - RJ Elliott
Ah! Thanks for the mention, Suss! :)
8 - Al Barger
Thank you for your kind words.
On a related note, check out my new Beatles Photo Gallery.
9 - uao
Thank you Connie, for the kind thoughts on the article, I really appreciate it. I can't really take full credit though; the Blogcritics and visitors who commented made the piece a lot better.
I didn't know about the picks picking picks, but I will do my bit. Just want to read some of the ones I've not gotten to yet this week...
10 - Nik
Thanks also for your kind words toward my meager scribblings! Much appreciated!
11 - Diane Kristine
Thanks! For my editors' pick pick, I'm going to go with Brandon Valentine's DVD review of Pi (http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/01/03/165123.php). Brandon's reviews are always well thought out and well written, and this one is for a lesser-known movie that isn't for everyone, but he really captures why those of us who like it, love it.
12 - Eric Berlin
That's brilliant Diane but you jumped the gun a little -- time frame is 1/4-1/10 for the next set of picks. No worries though, if you don't check in with a new one, we'll see if we can sneak Brandon's piece through!
13 - Diane Kristine
Oh, sorry, I thought it was for the same time period as the title. You're asking for a lot ... good reading comprehension AND that I'll remember to think of this in a week.
14 - El Bicho
Thank you for the selection, Connie. Is the brief mention with it yours or Eric's?
15 - Eric Berlin
Diana -- We know you can do it!
El B -- All annotations here are the work of the section editor(s). I personally commented on each pickee's article page this week as well.
16 - Eric Berlin
Joan -- Thanks for selecting my television piece! (I didn't pay her, I swear!)
17 - diana hartman
my sincere thanks for the pick!
*smiles* abound!
me and my younguns have been sick since new year's day so this was a great pick-me-up!
18 - Bennett
Thanks for the nod Lisa! Okay, here's my nominee for editorial pickin' glory
NFL Picks of a Thoughtful Fool, Season Wrap-Up by David Mazzotta
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.
19 - sal m
I'd like to nominate Mark Steyn Predicts The Collaspe Of "The West" - Sadly I Agree, by Hugh Hewitt at
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/01/08/060238.php
as an editor's pick for the week of 1/4-1/10.
Mr. Hewitt has crafted a well-thought out addendum to a great piece by Mr Steyn, that deals with a very difficult and complex subject.
This kind of well-thoughtout and well-written article is a great example of what blogging is all about.
20 - Nik
If it's not too late, I'd like to tap H. Michael's piece here for 1/4-1/10:
"Buy the World An iPod" was a nice paen 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!
21 - Scott Butki
Congrats to all picked. There's a bunch of pieces here - especialy the tv ones - that i am going to bookmark to read this weeken.