“Palmyra’s symbolism is powerful, and not lost on IS. At its height the city was the centre of an empire that covered, among other territories, all of modern Syria and Israel and parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It is still one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the Middle East.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Iraq’s National Museum Is Open Again – Now People Have To Start Coming
“Guides and curators say the museum has averaged about 300 visitors a day since it reopened [in February] … Those who do brave the risks of terrorist attacks and the traffic, which is snarled by regular checkpoints, say they are thrilled to see the museum’s collection, which has been largely closed to the public for the past 20 years.”
Could This E-Platform Build A Big New Audience For Short Stories?
“The clean, minimalist interface echoes popular blogging platforms, and visitors are encouraged to search for something to read by theme and length: trending tags at time of writing included #crime, #humour and #10minuteread.” And its analytics are all too thorough and honest.
Laid-Off Sacramento Ballet Dancers Debut As New Troupe
“The ballet recently announced that it would cut its season short as a cost-saving measure. … In response, more than 20 of the laid-off performers founded the Capital Dance Project, a new, dancer-driven company that held its first production Saturday. The dancers put the show together in 20 days.”
Neuroscience And Neighborhood Blight
“Blocks and neighborhoods aren’t concrete concepts that mean the same thing to everyone, unlike, say, things like ‘apple’ or ‘sky.’ Points of reference shift depending on the person that’s using that reference, so blocks/neighborhoods are more like alternate realities laid atop one another, like plastic sheets on an overhead projector. There’s even a phrase for the study of this murky concept: mental maps. They can help us understand why some neighborhoods thrive, others die, and how changes are made.”
Jean Ritchie, Appalachian Folk Song Legend, Dead At 92
“With her clear, uninflected soprano voice, Ms. Ritchie helped spark renewed interest in traditional folk music. She became a fixture at Greenwich Village coffeehouses and often appeared on the New York radio broadcasts of folk singer Oscar Brand and occasionally on television. She played a key role in introducing younger musicians to the mountain dulcimer, an elongated stringed instrument that she strummed on her lap while singing.”
The Top Ten Musicals Of All Time (As Chosen By A Brit Critic)
Mark Shenton of The Stage selects some no-brainers (Sweeney Todd, A Chorus Line), some head-scratchers (Pippin?), some obscure-to-Yanks titles (what’s The Hired Man?), and some appalling omissions (where are West Side Story and Gypsy??).
Why Philip Larkin Refused Oxford’s Super-Prestigious Poetry Professorship
There was one part of the job that he dreaded above all others …
Michael King, 67, King Of The TV Syndicators
With his brother, he “transformed King World Productions, a modest company they inherited from their father, into a syndicator of television megahits like The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.”
Folks Behind ‘Big Bang Theory’ Create Scholarships For Needy STEM Students
“The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment has already raised $4 million to support undergraduate students at UCLA who are studying the sciences. Starting in the fall, 20 Big Bang Theory grants will be awarded to UCLA science students who have gotten in on academic merit but need extra support to supplement their financial aid … Every year, five more students will be added.”