Sorry, no poetry and/or music this week. Maybe next week? As for everything else, you know the routine. It’s the same every week. Little if anything ever changes as the waves of information (or is that mutilation) keep rolling on. Here’s some of the things that made me pause while sludging through the quag (or is that mire) that is the world wide internet.

Read Allmusic’s perception of the new Tom Waits box set, Orphans. Read Rolling Stone’s 4-Star review. Read the New York Sun’s review. Read Pitchfork’s review.

In more Waits news, read Pitchfork’s recent interview in which Waits says: “what you “know” about me only what I allowed you to know about me. So it’s like a ventriloquist act.”

Browse Wired’s options for getting music off of your iPod.

Bookmark and browse often as Fimoculous.com has already begun collecting the year-end lists, including Uncut’s 2006 Top 50 Albums.

Browse Sports Illustrated’s list of the best baseball books of 2006.

Read the New York Times article asking which novels are shoplifted the most.

Reflect with the Times Online about the continuing influence of the Smiths.

Grab a towel and prepare for the “baptism cannonball.”

Browse Chrisianity Today’s list of the best albums of 2006. Read their review of the new Sandra Webb, I mean McCracken album.

Read Pitchfork’s review of Sufjan Stevens‘ Songs For Christmas. Read Pitchfork’s interview with Steve Reich. Read why one writer isn’t afraid to admit that they’re not impressed with Stevens. Read Drowned In Sound’s take on the Christmas box set.

Read the Portland Mercury’s piece pitting the single against the album which contains the line: “As far as I’m concerned, commercial music as we know it is currently teetering on the cusp of collapsing entirely.”

Read about major credit card companies refusing to approve charges to the mp3 site allofmp3.com.

Read the New York Times piece chronicling music companies’ pursuit of older music consumers.

Read the Billboard piece in which bassist John Stirratt confirms the new Wilco album, noting that: “people may have an idea in their head about what it will sound like, but it’s going to be different than that.”

Browse the Stylus list of the “Ten Worst Sounding Albums (1997-Present).”

Read about the Anchorage, Alaska church that received a scathing e-mail from PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for its live nativity scene. The problem, as the article notes, is that: “No animals are harmed in the making of the church’s holiday nativity display. In fact, animals aren’t used at all.” Were they concerned about the people being subjected to the cold and adverse weather conditions? Oh, never mind.

Read Al Mohler’s “instant review” of the recent “Nativity Story” movie, which, he says: “presents key truths such as the virgin conception and deity of Jesus with unambiguous clarity and artistic force.”

Browse the Atlantic Monthly’s list of the “Top 100″ most “influential” Americans.

Read the Books & Culture article that calls for a moratorium on rock critics.

Read Pitchfork’s review of one of my favorite albums of the year, Max Richter’s Songs From Before.

Read NPR’s profile of Vince Guaraldi’s classic soundtrack to the animated Charlie Brown Christmas.

Read about ABC’s soap opera “All My Children” introducing the first “trans-gendered” character.

Browse Mute Math’s “video blog” at You Tube.

Read Pitchfork’s review of U2’s recent compilation of singles.

Read Christianity Today’s recent interview with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot in which Foreman says of his band and the labels that surround them: “I’ve always been a little bit leery of putting “Christian” as a tagline for anything. If you’re going to attach the name of Christ onto something, then you’d better have thought about it for a long time and really feel like that particular product, whether it’s a CD or a church or whatever, is worthy of that name.”

Read Christianity Today’s piece about Evanescence’s new album “The Open Door.” In dealing with questions surrounding the band’s spirituality, the piece offers this insight: “In retrospect, the band was never all that spiritual to begin with.”

Participate in NPR’s All Songs Considered’s poll regarding the best albums of 2006.

Read an interview with Joey Burns of Calexico about their recent television appearance for Austin City Limits.

Read PopMatters‘ piece opining about NPR’s This American Life, one of my personal favorite radio experiences.

Read Justin Taylor’s profile of Paul Tripp’s book War of Words: Getting To The Heart of Communication Struggles.

Read about the continuing controversy surrounding a (possible) tape of Rick Warren’s trip to Syria.

Read William Dembski’s piece “Wikipedia Hatchet Job on ID Leaders,” which claims: “A small group of Wikipedia admins with a grudge against ID have been running amok with no oversight performing and/or allowing hatchet jobs on ID and its leaders.”

Read Ann Coulter’s piece arguing that Arabs should be profiled at airports.

Browse BlogPulse’s profile of the year in blogging.