Idlermag.com

December 5-9, 2011

Nothing sours you on Christmas music faster than working in retail. But for the second year, Mike Vincent does some digging and gives you a Christmas mix that will break those stale, repetitive Christmas music blahs. Read “The war against Christmas music, part 2”

In line with his general contrary nature, Mike Vincent’s end-of-the-year wishlist starts off with some music and a video game, but quickly spins out into items of a less material nature. Read Mike’s “Dysphonia wishlist”

It’s hard to justify spending $60 on new release video games. With a bit of patience, you can get the same game for half the price or better, and use the money you save for important things like more video games. Still, especially as online play becomes more important, there are concrete downsides to waiting. New columnist Maurice Pogue helps you sort it out in “Buying ain’t what it used to be”

Rosemary Van Deuren’s second installment of “Peeps to Watch Out For” talks to four very different and very talented artists working in book and graphic novel illustration, animation design, and more. Read “Kassandra Heller, Eric Orchard, Rebecca Dart, Alexis Barattin”

The Idler’s orgy of end-of-the-year materialism continues in Ana Holguin’s “PopHeart wishlist”

The Gamers’ Club is playing EarthBound. Read “The end is the beginning is the end” by Daniel J. Hogan

As the end of the year approaches, many of us are shopping for gifts for loved ones. And ourselves. Over the next couple of weeks, Idler writers will be sharing their gift suggestions (and wishlists). Get started with Kate Sloan in “Practically awesome” and Lindsey Malta’s “Thoughtcicles wishlist”

In the first in an occasional series on comfort food, Gavin Craig takes on macaroni and cheese. “Adult” versions are starting to show up in respectable (or pretentious) restaurants, but Gavin shares a recipe that passes muster with the toughest mac & cheese critics he knows: his daughters. Read “Mac and cheese”