Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
We've got your celebrity gossip and your live concert reviews. We've got all the political viewpoints covered during this most unsettled week. We've got plenty of sports news and we take a look at some aspects of the Internet that are worth pondering. In short, it's all here, every week.
Let me remind those of you who are chosen that you are invited to submit your own pick for next week (due to space considerations, please limit it to one). Please feel free to email me your picks (including the URL) by next Tuesday.
MUSIC
From Music Editor Connie Phillips:
Indie rock god and guitar hero are just two of the labels Mark Saleski examines in his signature style in CD Review: Built To Spill – You In Reverse. Do they apply? You'll have to read to find out.
Zach Hoskins of Modern Pea Pod talks about the "is DJing a legitimate art form" debate in his CD Review: Cut Chemist – The Audience's Listening. He also puts the disk under a microscope in his unique and entertaining way.
Thank you to Mary K. Williams for sharing her concert experience with us in Concert Review: Bonnie Raitt – Boston, MA (July 2, 2006). Read to find out why she describes the singer as fearless.
From Asst. Music Editor A.L. Harper:
Dawn Olsen makes short work of a bad marriage and reminds us that even punkers have hearts (and not just for breakfast).
Do you count how many years it's been since you last saw a has-been rock group? Well so does DJRadiohead, and it's been quite a few loops since he last saw Def Leppard in concert.
From Editor Gordon Hauptfleisch:
BOOKS
From Editor Gordon Hauptfleisch:
In her review of The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child, Catherine James says "were it possible, I would inundate every media outlet known to man with testimonials to the importance and quality of this book." Catherine does justice to her sense of dedication by articulately explicating the value of a fascinating book that draws on works from Jung to Brazelton, while effectively encapsulating the current neuro-scientific data "pivotal to human temperament."
TV/FILM
From Film Editor Erin McMaster:
Iloz Zoc's review of The Hills Have Eyes (unrated version) is informative and entertaining. Hope that 8th dimension doesn't hurt too much.
CULTURE
From Culture Editor Diana Hartman:
There are many circles in this life. This is beautifully illustrated as only John Spivey can, in Synchronicity and Grace.
POLITICS
From Politics Editors Dave Nalle and Mark Schannon:
Sri Lanka: Empathy, Education and Ethnicity, by Theena Kumaragurunathan, is not just a powerful plea for sanity in an area Americans know little about, but a plea that the entire world should take to heart.
From Asst. Politics Editor Mark Schannon:
Satire: Pentagon Announces Final Destruction Of Israel To Commence January 1, 2021, by Jet in Columbus, a brilliant satire that's so absurd it could actually happen.
G8: U.N. Board of Directors? by Z.Z.Bachman. Given the ineffectual efforts of the U.N., this article offers an intriguing option to resolving world crises.
Iran's Unanswerd War Against the West, by Dr. Politico. Whether or not things are as dire as the author makes them out to be, he raisees questions that need to be addressed.
Basic Facts on Illegal Immigration, by Dave Nalle, is a solid, rational analysis of the issues backed up with facts and statistics.
From Blogcritic Howard Dratch:
A lot is being written and reported on BC about the Israeli action against the attacks. It was and is the news of the week. I think Ruvy in Jerusalem's on-going post on the war news from Israel, News & Analysis From Israel: If We're At War, The IDF Didn't Plan For It, set a good standard for reportage on Blogcritics. Whether or not I always agree with Ruvy, he worked hard and well on this one.
SPORTS
From Sports Editor Matthew T. Sussman:
M.D. Sandwasher became a Blogcritics pioneer this weekend. To the best of my knowledge he is the first BCer to apply for a press pass to a sporting event. His narrative of being a baseball reporter newbie is one for the books, especially his line about seeing "Moonlight Graham" and "Chisholm Minnesota" on the scoreboard.
Sal Marinello lands another solid punch in the torso that is the culture of PED use. When a steroid doctor receives jail time for conspiracy charges, he points out that a conspiracy implies multiple persons are culpable. With all these lethal blows Sal is taking toward this illegal practice, I can't help but wonder what he's using while writing these.
From Editor Justene Adamec:
In Roethlisberger Gives Chilling Interview While Not Wearing Helmet, Sports editor Matt Sussman gets at the dirty little secret behind all of our interest in the first interview by the Steelers quarterback after his motorcycle accident.
GAMING
From Gaming Editor Ken Edwards:
PS2 Review: Eagle Eye Golf (EU) by Andrew Ogier. Why are golf games so enjoyable? They are one of my most favorite types of games to play. And this one has a level editor!
Live Blogging the Mobile Game Conference by QuicklyBored. With not one, but four articles devoted to the MGC, QuicklyBored is definitely not bored with mobile gaming — and neither am I, as I cannot stop playing Lumines Mobile.
SCI/TECH
From Sci/Tech Editor Lisa McKay:
We sometimes forget that one of the real-world values of the Internet is that it connects people who might otherwise remain un-connected. In an article about World Wide Help, Sujatha Bagal explores the humanitarian side of cyberspace.
Eric Berlin examines the distance between "old media" and the news of the future in this look at the New York Times' coverage of Netscape's news makeover.
