Rolando Sarabia, 23, one of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s leading dancers, has defected to the US. “His departure, which was first reported by the Spanish newspaper El País, will be keenly felt in Cuba. Critics have called him the “Cuban Nijinsky” and compared him to the young Mikhail Baryshnikov. A company dancer since 1999, he has won ballet competitions in Paris; Varna, Bulgaria; and Jackson, Miss. Christened Sarabita by his many fans, Mr. Sarabia is the love object of at least half the adolescent balletomanes in Cuba, of which there are many.
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Windfall For Rings Rights
A producer who didn’t work on The Lord of the Rings movies (which earned $2.9 billion) has earned $168 million from the project. “Saul Zaentz got the payout from film studio New Line because he bought the rights to JRR Tolkien’s books in 1976. The windfall is revealed in court papers after New Line settled a legal wrangle with Mr Zaentz, Variety said. He sued New Line for a further $20m, saying they miscalculated the box office royalties he was owed.”
US Cities Say: Wi-Fi For All
Hundreds of US cities are working on offering wi-fi internet service as basic city service. “A number of factors have come together to create this marriage of civic activism and a hot technology. First, there’s the decreased cost of key wireless hardware and software components. Jupiter Research estimates that citywide systems will cost $150,000 per square mile for five years of operation. Neff puts it lower, though, saying her costs in Philadelphia were closer to $70,000-100,000 per square mile. Second, broadband penetration in the United States rose above 50 percent in fall 2004, for the first time, which introduced the concept of broadband as a critical service.”
A Placebo That Causes Physical Change
The placebo effect has long fascinated researchers. A new study says that the placebo effect might not be all in your head. “The mere belief that they had received a pain killer was enough to release the brain’s natural painkilling endorphins in the patients tested, scientists say.”
An Orlando Performing Arts Center – Planning Gets Serious
After two decades of talking, Orlando Florida is working seriously on building a new performing arts center. “A glittering new performing-arts complex in downtown Orlando could draw the best performers from Orlando and around the world and could serve as a uniting force for Central Florida. A poorly planned and supported project could become a giant vacuum, sucking up the Orlando area’s energy and cash.”
CBC Unlocked: Toronto Show Moves Across Town
CBC Toronto’s top-rated morning show crew have moved their show over to the University of Toronto’s radio station while CBC employees are locked out. “The most delicious aspect of Toronto Unlocked is in its timing: Sept. 5 marks the start of the fall radio ratings measurement season. And so, with neither CBC nor the Guild even talking about returning to the bargaining table: “In the best of all possible worlds — I mean this is crazy — but at the end of the rating period, it would be nice to see that CIUT has the best-rated morning show in the city.”
Amazon – Unlocking The Words Inside
Amazon’s new “search inside” feature unlocks a wealth of analysis about the texts of books. “Thanks to a sensational subsection called Fun Stats, you will know just how many words you are getting per dollar and per ounce with each book. For instance, “War & Peace” by Leo Tolstoy gives you 51,707 words per dollar, while “Obliviously On He Sails: The Bush Administration in Rhyme” by Calvin Trillin delivers only 1,106 words per dollar.”
Runnicles To Lead Grand Teton Festival
Conductor Donald Runnicles has been named director of Jackson Wyoming’s Grand Teton Festival. “In addition to his position as music director and principal conductor of the San Francisco Opera, Runnicles, 50, is also principal conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York City and principal guest conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He guest conducts frequently in Germany, Austria and Great Britain.”
Company Claims Patent On Part Of iPod
Digital music device maker Creative says it owns a patent for a feature used by Apple in its popular iPod. “Creative said the patent covers the way music tracks are selected on a device using a hierarchy of three or more successive screens. On the iPod, for instance, users can scroll from artists to albums to songs. Creative ranks far behind Apple in the market. Apple dominates over 70 percent of sales for music players that use hard drives to store music.”
Studios Using Amazon, Netflix As “Seers”
Hollywood studios are discovering that tracking sales and “wish lists” of online DVD retailers and renters such as Amazon and Netflix is giving them insight into what TV and movies will sell…