“Orchestra Victoria spends most of its time in the pit at the State Theatre supporting performances of the national ballet and opera companies. But after a year marked by tense industrial negotiations and uncertainty about its future, the orchestra has announced a program designed to raise its profile around the state.”
Month: February 2012
Is Education Really A Public Good?
“While higher education is generally regarded as a good (mainly because folks with college degrees make more than folks who lack such degrees), there has been considerable debate in the United States as to whether or not higher education is a public good” (and thus deserving of funding by taxpayers). A look at a few of the arguments pro and con.
Romance Writing Contest Bars Same-Sex Entries – And Suffers The Consequences
The ‘More than Magic’ competition, run by the Tulsa chapter of the Romance Writers of America, this year for the first time declined to accept any gay- or lesbian-themed entries. (Sex with vampires, werewolves and aliens is fine.) The backlash was so swift and fierce that organizers have now cancelled the event.
Why Is It So Hard For New Musical Instruments To Catch On These Days?
“It’s hard to overstate the importance of new musical instruments in history. The piano’s dynamic range allowed for a subtlety in composition previously unimagined. The modern drum set paved the way for jazz. Rock and roll would not have happened without the electric guitar. … So what happened? Why has there been such a drought of [successful] new instruments – especially in rock and pop, which thrive on novelty?”
Anorexia? There’s No Anorexia Here, Say La Scala Dancers
“The ballet company at Milan’s famous La Scala opera house fought back Wednesday, after one of their leading dancers was fired for giving interviews in which she said the industry has an anorexia problem. … ‘There is no anorexia emergency, and whoever is part of our world knows that well,’ said the company.”
You Know What The Trouble Is With Confidence?
It’s “a completely unreliable guide to decision making. … [We’re] often confident in our intuitive judgments even when we have no idea what we’re doing. And to make matters worse, we tend to evaluate the reliability of other people’s decision making on the same basis – if they’re confident, they must know what they’re talking about.”
Charles Dickens Was Obsessed With Theatre (Who Knew?)
The novelist “originally wanted to be an actor. … He was an avid theatregoer, joined the Garrick Club at the age of 25 and had many theatrical friends … He visited circuses and melodrama houses; his periodical writings covered vents and ‘grimacers’, waxworks, freak shows, actors, gaslight fairies and clowns.”
Good Urban Design Makes People Happy (Social Science Says So)
From a study of polling data published last year in Urban Affairs Review: “We find that … [cities] that provide easy access to convenient public transportation and to cultural and leisure amenities promote happiness. Cities that are affordable and serve as good places to raise children also have happier residents.”
Is This Africa’s Art Deco Capital?
Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, still has a collection of Art Deco and Italian Modernist buildings that were constructed when Mussolini’s Italy controlled the country. Present-day Asmarans now seem to consider these landmarks part of Eritrean culture and heritage, rather than colonial impositions.
The Real Star Of The Artist – Uggie The Dog – Retires Due To Illness
“Now it’s been revealed that the 10-year-old Jack Russell, who will retire from feature film-making after the Academy Awards ceremony, is leaving the biz due to a mystery illness that has baffled experts and cost his trainer thousands of dollars in vets’ bills.”