“She was an amphetamine-addicted author of sub-Dan Brown potboilers, who in her spare time wrote lavish torrents of praise for serial killers and the Bernie Madoff-style embezzlers of her day. … So how did this little Russian bomb of pure immorality in a black wig become an American icon?”
Tag: 11.02.09
Think You’re So Smart Because You Have A High IQ?
“IQ tests are very good at measuring certain mental faculties, … including logic, abstract reasoning, learning ability and working-memory capacity – how much information you can hold in mind. But the tests fall down when it comes to measuring those abilities crucial to making good judgments in real-life situations.”
Matrix Producer Plans Biopic Of Prophet Muhammad
Barrie Osborne is planning a $150 million production, funded by a holding company in Qatar, that “will educate people about the true meaning of Islam.” The scholar “Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi [will] oversee all aspects of the shoot. In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen.”
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Survives Budget Crisis, Sets Box Office Records
Just a year ago, the OSF revealed a $750,000 deficit for 2008 and made $1 million in emergency cuts to its 2009 budget. Now the company has announced that its 2009 season reached new highs in both attendance and revenue.
Yet Another Contagious Condition: Blaming Other People
“Observing someone blame another for their lack of success ‘increased the likelihood that people would make subsequent blame attributions for their own, unrelated failures,’ according to a paper just published … Deflecting responsibility, in other words, is infectious – but there appears to be an effective inoculation.”
Late-Night TV’s Not Just For White Guys Anymore
“Fox on Saturday launches a weekly showcase for African-American comic Wanda Sykes. Next week” on TBS, “George Lopez becomes the first Latino to host a nightly late-night comedy series on a major network…. And last month saw the arrival of ‘The Mo’Nique Show’ on BET. Is this the Obamafication of the late-night wars?”
Classical Theatre of Harlem Founders Are Stepping Down
“Classical Theatre of Harlem founders Alfred Preisser and Christopher McElroen have announced that they will depart the 11-year-old institution later this month.”
Wildly Popular iPhone Book Apps Pose Threat To Kindle
“[B]ook applications for iPhone exceeded the popularity of games apps in the last four months, according [to a new] report. In September, iPhone books (some running on Kindle for iPhone) overtook games for the first time, while one in every five new apps in the App Store in October were books.”
Seattle’s Giant Magnet Lets Longtime Director Go
“Giant Magnet, formerly known as Seattle International Children’s Festival, has let go its executive director of 14 years. … The 23-year-old organization is known mainly for its nearly weeklong festival featuring performers — theater artists, puppeteers, dancers, musicians — from around the world.”
Deforestation Caused Demise Of Ancient Peruvian Culture
“In large part because of the huarango [tree], the Nazca flourished from the time of Christ to about AD 500. They are renowned not just for their geoglyphs — the giant drawings, whose purpose remains a mystery — but for their pottery and textiles.”