— New Year’s show has to go to Paris’s Eiffel Tower. How’d it happen? “It took five months for a crew of 20 mountaineers and rock climbers to string the 20,000 screw-in bulbs on the 110-year-old tower and an additional month for 47 more climbers and technicians to set 4,800 pyrotechnic launches on 80 specially created tower decks.” – Philadelphia Inquirer
Tag: 01.06.00
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO LOOKING AHEAD?
At the beginning of the 20th Century the future held excitement and allure. At the beginning of the 21st, we seem to be looking back a lot. Particularly in our housing. “Today’s domestic architecture has got stuck in something quaint. It’s like reading and rereading contemporary versions of Chekhov or Dickens without ever considering the merits of Margaret Atwood or Raymond Carver.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada)
AUSTRALIA JOINS ON
Adding to a growing international chorus asking Britain to return Elgin marbles to Greece. – Sydney Morning Herald
DEATH BY BRONTË
British writer has new theory about the deaths of the Brontë sisters – and it’s poisonous. – CBC
THE FAN IN CHARGE
Ex-Mobil exec named to run Washington Opera has always been a big fan. Now he’ll also call the shots. – New York Times
- Previously: EX MOBIL EXEC TO RUN OPERA: Appointment of ex Mobil treasurer brings some serious for-profit expertise to the non-profit Washington DC opera company at a time of potential expansion. – Washington Post 12/30/99
DEAD MAN SINGING
Used to be that opera was a stroll through the long-ago past. Not anymore. This is a Golden Era for new American opera. Latest to announce – composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally’s “Dead Man Walking,” based on Helen Prejean’s book, for San Francisco production next fall. – San Francisco Chronicle
BARNES AND NOBLE AND MICROSOFT —
— in an e-book deal to bring electronic publishing closer. – Wired
OUT, DAMN HOLLYWOOD
Canadian regulatory board tells Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to cut out American movies and reduce its sports coverage. Less hockey and curling they say. More arts and regional programming. “Yikes,” CBC execs say – “We could turn into PBS of the North!” Edict spells financial ruin, broadcaster says. – CBC 01/06/00
- Two issues: Public vs. private TV and Canadian cultural protections. – Washington Post 01/07/00
- We couldn’t possibly. – Ottawa Citizen 01/07/00
- The big chill. – Variety 01/07/00
NBC MAKES DEAL WITH NAACP
Will pursue initiatives to promote diversity in hiring at the network. ABC expected to follow with its own deal later this week. – Variety 01/06/00
- Washington Post account 01/06/00
NEW COMPRESSION SYSTEM —
— promises to deliver sound/images/video at much greater rate and clarity than current technology. Solution is software-based, so no hardware upgrades are needed. – Financial Times 01/06/00