“Five university presses have announced a collaboration that seeks to find a way to reduce costs of scholarly publishing and to allow more books to be released… The new system is expected to yield enough savings to allow each of the presses to increase output by five books a year.”
Author: sbergman
It’s An Online World, And 45% Of Us Are Living In It
“About 38 percent of U.S. consumers are watching TV shows online, 36 percent use their cell phones as entertainment devices and 45 percent are creating online content like Web sites, music, videos and blogs for others, according to a new-media survey…”
Great Film Crop Shows The Value Of Great Scripts
“In a sense, the writers strike couldn’t have come at a more opportune time, because it is a painful reminder of what we lose when there are no writers… [This] fall saw what is arguably the best year in American film since the late ’70s.”
Oscar Voting Begins
Oscar ballots have been mailed, heralding the official start of awards season in Hollywood. Nominees will be announced on January 22, with the Academy Awards telecast scheduled for February 24.
Brainy Art
A group of scientists is convinced that Michelangelo painted a barely concealed image of a human brain into his fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and that other famous paintings are hiding brains as well. According to the theory, “the artists were fascinated by the scientific discoveries being made by anatomists, but their theories had to be concealed in the imagery of their paintings.”
Quietly Dropping Copy Protection
“In the recording industry’s latest move away from its reliance on digital locks to reduce piracy, the Warner Music Group said on Thursday that it would sell songs and albums without anticopying software through Amazon’s fledgling digital music service.”
Golden Globes May Not Be Telecast
The writers’ strike may not cancel the Golden Globe Awards next month, but it has the potential to render it a non-event. “Indeed, whether the Globes will be broadcast has come into doubt.”
A Venue Alone Does Not A Metropolis Make
Beijing constructed its new $40m egg-shaped performing arts center as part of a larger plan to turn itself into a true 21st-century city. But while the venue itself may be a smashing success, local critics say that Beijing audiences have a long way to go…
Why Giving Feels Good
“Americans gave nearly $300 billion away last year, and some charities claim to collect as much as a quarter of their annual contributions in the month of December alone.” And in case you need an incentive to contribute some of your hard-earned cash, consider this: “It is a fact that givers are happier people than non-givers.”
Oscar Peterson, 82
“Oscar Peterson, whose early talent, speedy fingers and musical genius made him one of the world’s best known jazz pianists, has died. He was 82… Peterson’s family were with him during his final moments. The cause of death was kidney failure.”