The archetypal news report for the archetypal 24-hour news network.
Tag: 03.09.10
Generosity As A Virus (Through Social Networks, Of Course)
“Because of social networks, your actions aren’t just having an impact on what you do, or on what your friends do, but on thousands of other people too. So if I go home and I make an effort to be in a good mood, I’m not just making my wife happy, or my children happy. I’m also making the friends of my children happy. My choices have a ripple effect.”
Egypt Restores Its Historic Synagogues
“Egypt will shoulder the costs of restoring the country’s Jewish houses of worship, said the culture minister Tuesday, two days after a historic synagogue in Cairo’s ancient Jewish quarter was rededicated … [The] ministry views Jewish sites as much a part of Egypt’s culture as Muslim mosques or Coptic churches, and the restorations would not require any foreign funding.”
Sue Bill, Vols. 1 and 2: Tarantino Faces Plagiarism Charges
“Quentin Tarantino – fresh from his Oscar loss – is now being sued by a man who claims the director ripped off his concept to create Kill Bill.“
The Smell Test: Using Aroma To Date Rare Books
“At long last, scientists have developed a ‘sniff test’ to measure the telltale aroma of old books and irreplaceable historical documents. You know the smell – that ‘combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness,’ as the authors put it. Inhale and smell the Industrial Revolution!”
The Mind Of Simon Russell Beale
“[T]here is the holiday where he taught himself ancient Greek; the lessons he is currently taking from an Oxford don in harmony and counterpoint (working out how Brahms, for instance, achieves particular emotional states); and then there is the way he treats each character he plays as a living, breathing puzzle.”
Finding Your ‘Inner Child’ Really Can Aid Creativity
“One study finds exploring contrasts and commonalities between cultures helps unlock creativity – news that would not surprise Picasso, who was strongly influenced by African art. The second suggests seeding the imagination is as simple as allowing yourself to think like a 7-year-old.”
Books Surpass Games As Most Numerous Apps
“It’s a trend that seems to be gathering momentum, with the number of book apps outnumbering games almost two to one over the past month. Next month’s launch of the iPad, Apple’s new tablet reader, alongside a dedicated book store, is set to accelerate the shift to electronic reading still further.”
Artes Mundi Artists Are International, Little-Known
“There was no sight of a light being turned off and on at the preview opening of the fourth Artes Mundi prize exhibition in Cardiff. This was big subject art tackling subjects from post-communist social order to consumerism and globalisation. The prize of £40,000 is one of the most lucrative in the world and the biggest in the UK.”
Comparing West End Notes With The Stranger To His Left
“Both of us lost sensation in the right leg first, and that meant we both stopped feeling the pain of the opera glasses embedding themselves into the right knee. We talked about the show and discussed the prices. She thought they were disgraceful.”