“The teachers and scholars of the Modern Language Association have been studying written and spoken language for 120 years. One of their recent projects created a map of where languages are spoken in the U.S., based on the 2000 census. The map holds some great nuggets of information.”
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The R-Card… But Not All Movies aRe The Same
The new R-Card allows teenagers to see “R”-rated movies without an adult. But “the problem with the R-card is that all R-rated movies are not equal. The rating has been assigned to movies as diverse as the charming “Billy Elliot” (theatrically released as an R for bad language and brief sexual references, but later edited for a PG-13 on video) and the ultra-violent “Kill Bill” (rated R for constant carnage as well as strong language and sexual violence).”
Staff Protests Treatment Of Voice of America
Staff at Voice of America claim that their network is being ruined. “Nearly half of Voice of America’s (VOA) 1,000 staffers have signed a petition protesting what they call the ”piece-by-piece” dismantling of the 62-year-old service, which reaches 87 million people in 44 languages.”
Philly Orchestra Management Takes On Musicians On Website
Contract negotiations between orchestra musicians and managements usually take place behind closed doors, but the increasingly contentious talks currently ongoing in Philadelphia have apparently escalated into open warfare. This week, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s board chairman launched a new corner of the ensemble’s web site, entitled “Securing the Future,” which advertises itself to be an informational update on the negotiations while declaring that “it is our musicians’ turn to share responsibility.” Highlighted on the new site’s front page is a fiery declaration that “Our current trade agreement is a roadmap to extinction.”
Stars Yes, But No Icons Anymore
The passing of Marlon Brando has Renée Graham wondering where the movie icons of today are. Sure there are stars, but “there’s nothing special to grasp or hang onto. Absent is that extraordinary, almost otherworldly sizzle that inspires our adulation and those performances that become a blueprint for behavior, both good and bad.”
Vancouver Symphony Sees 23 Percent Increase In 2003/04 Ticket Sales
“After several tough financial years, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is reporting the largest leap in ticket sales it’s seen in at least 20 years. Over the 200304 season, the company saw a 22.3-percent increase in its paid attendance, which translates into about 30,000 more customers.” Why? Several new initiatives…
Pope Returns Icon To Russia
“Pope John Paul is to remove one of the Orthodox church’s most revered icons from his private chapel and dispatch it to Moscow in an attempt to improve the Vatican’s tense relations with the Russian Orthodox hierarchy.”
A Musical Rebellion Against Music-Playing Technology
“Imagine Thomas Edison going shopping for music today, however: the inventor of the phonograph would reel from one shock to another. Why have records shrunk to compact discs? How do you download songs from computers? How can thousands of them be stored on a tiny personal stereo? As for a portable telephone that plays the latest Britney Spears single – well, at that stage he would probably need a long lie down. The danger of grumbling about these new technologies is that you sound like a mildewy old vinyl bore who thinks records are intrinsically superior (which, let’s face it, they are). Yet there’s a perfectly sound, non-Luddite reason for resenting the attention iPods, ringtones etc are getting.”
Nests Of Baby Rowlings
JK Rowling has sold a lot of books. But that’s not her only accomplishment. “The catalyst of a fantasy renaissance, she’s the unmistakable force behind a boomlet in precociously youthful (and successful) writers.”
Re-Dissertation In A Time Of Plagiarism
A professor discovers that a colleague at another university has plagiarized her dissertation. “Is cheating so pervasive that even someone who seeks a career in academe will violate the fundamental principle of giving other scholars credit for their work? If so, what hope do I have of inculcating that principle in students eager to escape quickly with their B.A. in hand?”