The Goods, the Bads and the Uglies

Goods

• Anthony Tommasini's notebook entry on the many high-quality recordings released in 2004
• Alex Ross' Apex 04 list
• Natasha Sinha's enchanting, Poulenc-tinged, trill-laden chamber music

Bads

• USA Today's frank report on Iraq war widows
• Rejection of United Church of Christ ad for implying "exclusion of gay and lesbian couples by other [religious] groups" (in other words, for implying the truth?)

Uglies

• Sharon Rocha's yelling in court
• Ukraine's election mess
• The most kitschy death ever

...and a point to ponder

• "Doing easily what others find difficult is talent; doing what is impossible for talent is genius." - Henri Frédéric Amiel