So yes, the 2007 Idolator Pop Critics Poll is officially a go, and it should be fun--hopefully the longer lead time (five weeks instead of two) will make things go much more smoothly than last time around, not to mention that I've got a few things on tap that I'm psyched about. Last year I felt beholden to a particular idea of how to present things; this year I'll be a little freer about it. Also, the ballots for last year disappeared when Gawker changed over its comments system, but while discussing the set-up for this year's, the tech people came up with a simple workaround that should rectify things. As the link says, if you're a critic who hasn't gotten an invitation and wants one, email poll@idolator.com to be considered.

Things have been hugely busy even outside of the run-up to the poll announcement--longer, and longer-term, freelance work, mostly. None of it is especially helped by the fact that Facebook now offers Arkanoid, my favorite-ever videogame. I spent about four hours on it a few days ago, which in getting-shit-done terms was pretty stupid, but at least I'm now good enough at playing it with my keyboard arrows (rather than the knob on the actual arcade game) that when I reward myself with a single game between work jags, the game can actually go for a little while instead of my getting all my turns killed off instantly. The next few days will be pretty much nonstop work--they'll have to be if I want to go to Minneapolis for Thanksgiving with a clear slate. A is meeting the family. I'm excited.