“Electronic multitasking isn’t entirely new: we’ve been driving while listening to car radios since they became popular in the 1930s. But there is no doubt that the phenomenon has reached a kind of warp speed in the era of Web-enabled computers, when it has become routine to conduct six IM conversations, watch American Idol on TV and Google the names of last season’s finalists all at once. That level of multiprocessing and interpersonal connectivity is now so commonplace that it’s easy to forget how quickly it came about.”
Blog
Radio Companies Negotiate Over Payola Fines
Four major American radio companies – Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Radio Inc., Entercom Communications Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp – are negotiating with the FCC over fines for illegal pay-for-play practices. “Some of the radio companies have proposed fines of as much as $1 million. However, at least one FCC commissioner, Democrat Jonathan Adelstein, is pushing for penalties that could exceed $10 million per company.”
Dance Umbrella – Creating A Dance Scene In South Africa
“In the 18 years since its inception, the festival has produced a number of choreographers who have established themselves on the international circuit, including Robin Orlin, Boyzie Cekwana and Vincent Sekwati Koko Mantsoe. It has also created an artistic community of contemporary dancers and dance-makers, serving as a means for South African artists to express hopes and fears about their society in ways that were often not condoned elsewhere.”
The Software That Lets Anyone Compose
Today’s music software is getting sophisticated enough that even someone with no music training can “compose” music. Of course, the sounds are all chosen and mashed together by a computer, but does it make you any less of a composer?
Bahamas: No “Brokeback” Here
The Bahamas has banned showings of “Brokeback Mountain.” “The board chose to ban it because it shows extreme homosexuality, nudity and profanity, and we feel that it has no value for the Bahamian public.”
Apple – Out To Own The Music Business?
“The music industry fled into Steve Jobs’ arms in desperation as it watched piracy erode its sales, so Apple signed great distribution deals with all the major labels. The people who manage the iTunes inventory are developing a stranglehold over digital music distribution that is giving iTunes enormous power. The record labels have to deal with iTunes or face oblivion as the iPod population grows.”
These Colors Are Completely Unreliable
“Colors: You can’t trust them. To test this proposition: When next in a museum, first buy yourself a postcard, then go and find the painting it pretends to reproduce, and compare them side by side. You’ll see. The card will be demolished by the real thing…”
‘Fessing Up To Ownership Questions
“A few museum-goers are starting to ask questions about the antiquities in their museums: How did they end up here, despite being considered stolen property under U.S. law, foreign law and the 1970 UNESCO treaty protecting cultural heritage? In many cases, the museums don’t know for sure — or aren’t saying.”
Downtown D.C. Finally Gets A Community Music Center
“After years of planning, organizers of a proposed National Music Center announced yesterday that they are moving to the former Carnegie Library [in Washington, D.C.] and starting performances, classes and exhibitions this spring… ‘The Gig,’ as the center’s public programs will be known, will test the waters for a more permanent, comprehensive museum of music.”
Danish Cartoons Won’t Be Found At Borders
Two of the largest bookstore chains in North America say they will not stock the April/May issue of the magazine, Free Inquiry, because it contains reprints of the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammed which sparked riots and protests around the world earlier this year. Borders and Waldenbooks, which ordinarily carry the magazine, say that they are acting out of concern for the safety of their customers.