Adults who take piano lessons, and who simply can’t be perfect at it, can find something new. “Playing the piano has accomplished what all that yoga and meditation never could. I can quiet my mind and focus entirely on something: not my breath, but the music.” – The New York Times
Blog
Is ‘Scientology Did It First’ A Good Defense For Running A Bullying Sex Slave Ring In Hollywood?
Yes, this sounds salacious, but it’s sadly, depressingly real: Smallville actress Allison Mack offered that defense in court. “Mack’s lawyers argued that Mack’s threat to release naked photos and disparaging statements made by cult members against their relatives doesn’t rise to the threat of ‘serious harm’ required to prove someone engaged in forced labor.” – Deadline
The Re-Rise Of The Antenna
That’s right: Rabbit ears are back, baby. Or, well, people are turning to “over-the-air digital antennas — a one-time investment of as little as $20 — as a way to slash their monthly video subscription costs.” – Los Angeles Times
Why Many Americans Don’t Know Their Grandparents’ First Names
This revelation comes courtesy of the Big Data of Ancestry.com, one of the most popular genealogy (and DNA testing) sites. Ancestry and demographers provide a variety of explanations, from immigration and language changes to smaller family sizes meaning there’s no one left to ask. – The Atlantic
The Young Mezzo Taking The Opera World By Storm
Anita Rachvelishvili, 34, has impressed conductors, directors, and the opera world in general. Riccardo Muti: “Rachvelishvili was for me a revelation. … She is without doubt the best Verdi mezzo-soprano today on the planet. Without. Doubt.” – The New York Times
Dame June Whitfield, Star Of BBC Comedies Including ‘Absolutely Fabulous,’ Has Died At 93
Whitfield spent decades being sought out for famous British male comics to play off her superb timing – but then she found her own stardom on TV in Terry and June and then as Edina’s mother in Absolutely Fabulous, which was, and still is thanks to streaming, international comedic gold. – BBC
What Happens If You Log Off Social Media And Just Read?
This is going to surprise everyone: When people get off Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Slack, and more, they get a lot of books read. However! “My only real distractions were hunger and cold. My heat came from a small wood-burning stove, and keeping the tiny house at the right temperature, it turned out, required the same kind of constant low-level attention as my Twitter feed.” – The Guardian (UK)
These Two Male Conductors, Fired For Treating Women Badly, Are Back On The Podium, But Why?
Yikes, and yuck. “The rapid return of Mr. Gatti and Mr. Dutoit has led some to ask whether the cult of personality that surrounds maestros in a tradition-bound field has won out, particularly in countries like Italy and Russia where the reaction to #MeToo has been relatively muted.” The New York Times
Hogwarts Fanfiction Is How To Turn College Students Into Screenwriters
One perhaps charmed USC student says, “The things that we’ve learned in this class are so universal, not just in regards to Harry Potter, but to becoming a good writer and understanding storytelling as a whole.” – Los Angeles Times
The Books (And Movies, And Music) That 44th President Barack Obama Enjoyed In 2019
No surprise, his favorite book was Becoming, by Michelle Obama. But of course, many of us who enjoy streaming platforms live for his playlists, and this year’s no different. – The New York Times