Britain's Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year

Tag : Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
THE 1 ROCKIN' PODCAST
If you are a podcast person of the rock 'n' roll persuasion, get aload of "Sound Opinions." This weekly hourlong talk show, whichoriginates in Chicago and doesn't air in the Boston area, is hostedwith passion and winking humor by rock critics Greg Kot and JimDeRogatis. As these guys zip among genres and eras, you're bound tostumble across great new music, from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds'(left) latest album to Rhymefest's cool Michael Jackson remixes. -MATTHEW GILBERT
THE 1 OLYMPICS KNOW-IT-ALL
NBC diving analyst Cynthia Potter is not a commentator. She's acritic. If a routine doesn't impress her, she'll tell her poolsidepartner, Ted Robinson, in her unlikely Texas twang. (More than oneperson has noted that she sounds like Nancy Grace; she can be justas unforgiving). But Potter, to a degree you rarely get intelevision sports commentary, gives us the most vivid technicalsense of how diving works. Online message boards indicate that alot of viewers can't stand her, but her analysis is invaluable.Cynthia, how's my typing? - WESLEY MORRIS
THE 1 GOLD MEDAL OLYMPICS AD
The relevance of the national anthem to selling athletic shoes isunclear. Yet that hasn't kept a Nike ad from being the best thing about watching the Olympics. Itfeatures Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" atthe 1983 NBA All-Star Game intercut with footage of the US Olympicmen's basketball team. The way Gaye phrases and plays with time isof gold-medal caliber _ and then some. (You can see it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbZTmcIfdBQ .) All hail Michael Phelps, but for viewers with ears the real starof this Olympiad is Marvin Gaye. -MARK FEENEY
THE 1 PECULIAR BOOK PRIZE
Britain's Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year isholding a 30th anniversary competition for the oddest of the odd;that is, the oddest title of the 30 winners since 1978. The choicesare listed at www.thebookseller.com . It's not clear when the voting closes, but the winner will beannounced Sept. 5. Among the memorable winners of yesteryear, allreal titles of published books, are, "Population and OtherProblems" (1982), "Proceedings of the Second International Workshopon Nude Mice" (1878), and "The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories"(2003). - DAVID MEHEGAN
THE 1 BEST WAY TO OPEN A MUSIC MOVIE
Julien Temple's film, "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten,"about the Clash's leader, has everything you would expect from thedean of the British rock doc, including testimonies by admirersnamed Depp, Bono, and Flea and reams of archival footage, plusextra interviews on the DVD. But nothing eclipses the iron-hotopening. For roughly 40 seconds, we see a '70s-era Strummer,tightly filmed in black-and-white, shouting the opening of "WhiteRiot" a cappella before the music bursts in. It's punk perfection,and the ultimate reminder of the late icon's unbridled energy. -GEOFF EDGERS