Bioshock 2 (Video Game) - February 17, 2010
The first Bioshock was the thinking man's first-person shooter. Many elements are recycled here, but thankfully there is enough innovation here to make it playable. The novelty has wore off, but there is still enough fun to be found here to make another go at Rapture worth-it. 7/10 (Single Player).
Venetica (Video Game) - February 10, 2010
Relatively low budget RPG (compared to BioWare's epics anyway) that stacks up quite decently to the heavyweights. With a simple learning curve and story-quest approach (reminiscent of Jade Empire, including its combat), I'm delighted I get to spend more time playing than learning the game. Buggy and runs poorly (on the PC) though. 7/10.
The Fall of Baghdad (Book) - February 10, 2010
A very personal account of the brief (and ongoing) Iraq War and may very well be one of the best. The author might be spending more time describing the thoughts of others than his own, but this is no Gibbon-esque account of the fall of Saddam's government. 9/10
The Lovely Bones (Movie) - January 28, 2010
Aside from a rather laughable depiction of heaven (to be fair, I'd rather endless green landscapes than five people), a compelling story. Ronan is exceptional, as is Tucci's portrayel of a serial killer (he's going to still look creepy when he makes other movies). 7/10.
