“For years, 15-minutes of ads was a kind of unofficial barrier for TV, a mark that no network wanted to go past for fear that it would turn viewers off.” Now two American networks have crossed the line. “Soon we’ll have no programs left to watch.” – New York Post
Author: Douglas McLennan
BATTLE FOR HOLLYWOOD
A bitter war has broken out in Hollywood, with agents battling to lure new clients. “In the past year, the business has been thrown into turmoil because many of the biggest stars and most powerful agents have abruptly changed agencies, lured by the promise of better roles and more money. With stars and directors commanding millions per picture, plus a hefty percentage of the gross, the stakes are high.” – National Post (Canada)
LANGUAGE OF THOUGHT
European thinkers are curious about American intellectual thought, and seem to seek it out to engage with it.The reverse is not so often true. “In failing to read our European contemporaries in their own languages (especially when they write about their own philosophical classics), don’t we deprive ourselves of important cognitive sources?” – Chronicle of Higher Education 08/07/00
CITY TAX FOR ART
A proposed “cultural tax” in Detroit would pump $36 million annually to arts and culture. “It is being pushed by Detroit Renaissance, a group of business executives trying to enhance the area, and a coalition of cultural institutions. They contend that the money is needed to keep Metro Detroit’s cultural landmarks vibrant by stabilizing funding and providing support for the arts if the economy slows.” A poll shows 58 percent of those surveyed said they would approve it. – Detroit News 08/07/00
STORE THIS HERE
“Think about it – every time you see a web page that’s using a piece of clip art with a dog looking surprised, there are anywhere from six to a thousand other web sites using the exact same image, all stored in different places. This is what my Information Mechanics professor used to call a ‘waste of space’.” That’s why I invented a program for the Library of Congress to erase duplicate information. – *spark-online 08/00
SIR ALEC GUINNESS —
— dies at age 86. – The Age (Melbourne)
SIR ALEC GUINNESS —
— dies at age 86. – The Age (Melbourne)
- TRIBUTES: “He was one of the last surviving members of a great generation of UK actors, which included Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Mills.” – BBC
IN YOUR FACE THEATRE
“Now approaching its 25th anniversary, Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre is mentioned by critics in the same breath as U.S. legends such as the Group Theatre from the 1930s and New York’s Circle Repertory. Variety magazine calls it the country’s foremost actors’ theatre. ‘A name synonymous with a visceral acting style full of raw passion,’ said Playbill magazine, ‘the uncompromising, in-your-face school of acting dubbed ‘rock’n’roll theatre.’ ” – The Globe and Mail (Canada) (Guardian)
WILDING
- An unfinished Oscar Wilde play is discovered in a California library. – BBC
STRIKING FOR ART
About half of the Museum of Modern Art’s 250 administrative employees have been on strike against the museum since April. But though some of the museum’s educational programs have had to be canceled, the strike seems to have had little impact on the museum’s operations. – New York Post