1. 31 Dec


    Top: This unusual image was made possible by a confused bear who found his way onto the University of Colorado’s campus in Boulder. The poor beast had to be tranquilized after climbing up a tree on campus, and this picture of his fall quickly became an internet sensation and the subject of some hysterical memes. PHOTO: AP Photo/CU Independent, Andy Duann

    Bottom: An Afghani man is obscured by the enormous bunch of balloons he has for sale near the National Stadium in Kabul on August 14. PHOTO: REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

    The best photos of 2012

    (Source: theweek.com)

     

  2. 31 Dec


    The best albums of 2010The most critically acclaimed albums released this year, according to the nation’s top pop authorities 1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West“Twisted Fantasy” is no less than “this century’s definitive portrait of torment, vanity, self delusion, and pathos.” Most importantly, it’s “magnificent pop music.” 2. This is Happening, LCD Soundsystem “This is Happening” is “LCD’s best album.” It’s a real shame it might be their last — but then, “the coolest kids always ditch the party early.” 3. The Suburbs, Arcade FireA “vast, orchestral rock that locates the battle for the human soul amid big houses and manicured lawns,” says Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield.  Here’s the full list

    The best albums of 2010
    The most critically acclaimed albums released this year, according to the nation’s top pop authorities

    1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
    “Twisted Fantasy” is no less than “this century’s definitive portrait of torment, vanity, self delusion, and pathos.” Most importantly, it’s “magnificent pop music.”

    2. This is Happening, LCD Soundsystem
    “This is Happening” is “LCD’s best album.” It’s a real shame it might be their last — but then, “the coolest kids always ditch the party early.”

    3. The Suburbs, Arcade Fire
    A “vast, orchestral rock that locates the battle for the human soul amid big houses and manicured lawns,” says Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield. 

    Here’s the full list

     

  3. 28 Dec


    The best novels of 2010 Based on year-end recommendations from 14 publications, we bring you an aggregated list of the most memorable novels released this year. Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom, which has been called “a work of total genius,” tops the list, but the others may surprise you.

    The best novels of 2010

    Based on year-end recommendations from 14 publications, we bring you an aggregated list of the most memorable novels released this year. Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom, which has been called “a work of total genius,” tops the list, but the others may surprise you.

     

  4. 20 Dec



    Economic chaos, political deadlock, religious and ethnic conflict, another awful season for my Mets — what a mess. And yet… In defiance of both evidence and reason, I cling to the conviction that human beings have a spark of the transcendent within us, and that we are part of the unfolding of something wonderful and mysterious.
    — William Falk finds hope in examining the past 12 months of conflict, stupidity, and disaster in the most recent edition of The Week’s Editor’s Letter