Tag: 02.10.05

Sahara’s Lush Pre-Desert Life Recorded In Rock Art – Now It’s Endangered

“Before the last Ice Age, the Sahara was even larger and more inhospitable than it is today. Then, some 10,000 years ago, a shift in climate brought rainfall. In the ensuing years of plenty, a pastoral way of life thrived. The desert came back with a vengeance about 3,000 years ago and, as the remaining surface water supplies dwindled, the inhabitants were forced to dig for it below the ground.” The changes were recorded in rock art, but that art is in dancer of being destroyed by oil exploration in Libya…

Regulators Reject Broadcasters Digital Request

US regulators Thursday “rejected a request by broadcasters to require cable and satellite operators to carry multiple digital channel offerings from local television stations. Cable operators have voluntarily agreed to carry multiple digital channels in some cities, but broadcasters say making it a requirement would benefit the public by giving them more programming choices. They contend that cable companies are afraid of the competition that more free, local “over-the-air” channels would give popular cable-only movie and sports networks.”

Entertainment Unions Protest Illegal Downloads

“Five labor organizations representing America’s actors, writers, directors, and musicians have complained of the injury caused by illegal Internet downloads in a 21-page “friend of the court” brief filed in support of film and music companies led by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.” The companies are suing download services for copyright infringement…

US Congress Considers Huge Indecency Fine Increase

“Indecency” fines for US broadcasters could go up 15-fold under a bill wending its way through Congress. “A select committee in the House of Representatives has voted in favour of a bill to increase individual fines to a maximum of $500,000. Stations could also face losing their licence if they violate indecency laws more than three times. Under the bill, individual performers could also face a fine.”

Lebrecht: Frank Talk About The State Of Classical Music

There is much to be gloomy about for the state of classical music, writes Norman Lebrecht. “Why the world has gone off classical concerts is a conundrum in which almost every reasonable assertion is disputable. Take the attention-span thesis. Many in the concert world believe that its decline stems from the public’s flickering tolerance for prolonged concentration. If politicians speak in soundbites, how can we expect voters to sit through a Bruckner symphony? It is a persuasive argument but one that I have come to find both fatuous and patronising.”

The Gates Of Central Park: A Dream Fulfilled

One New York City Parks Commissioner describes the artist Christo and his wife/collaborater Jeanne-Claude as “relentless, in the best New York City way,” and the massive draping of Central Park is the proof. The project, which will come to fruition this weekend, is the culmination of a quarter-century of begging, cajoling, and convincing by the artists, who use the proceeds from small, collector-friendly works to fund their huge flights of artistic fancy.

Well, You Know Vancouver Would Be Pissed

Toronto has been designated one of Canada’s “Cultural Capitals.” So what, says Martin Knelman? “Can we be frank? This is hardly a reason for Toronto to throw its collective hat in the air and honk its horn on Yonge St. as if the Leafs had won the Stanley Cup. The Culture Capital designation is part of the recently renewed Tomorrow Starts Today program, designed to shower money on the arts… But what if Ottawa were to embrace the notion that Canada desperately needs a cultural capital able to compete with European and U.S. cultural centres, and came to the conclusion there is only one city in Canada that can realistically aspire to achieve that goal — Toronto?”

Less Than Cutting-Edge, By Design

San Francisco is a cutting-edge city in so many ways, so why does it lag behind other big metropolises when it comes to innovative architecture? Perhaps it’s not entirely a bad thing, especially if the city’s reluctance to embrace New York-style modernism is rooted in a devotion to its own unique look. “[G]ood buildings here have deep roots. They’re tied to their setting, whether it’s a rural hillside or a city street, and they draw on what’s around them… Second, there’s a conscious attempt to build on the past in fresh ways, [and] finally, the good local architects appreciate how our urban world is shaped by nature. The Bay Area is not some blank slate waiting for buildings to shape the landscape. What makes this region special is the environment.”

SLSO Strike Mediation Delayed

Musicians and managers have finally agreed to mediation in the St. Louis Symphony strike, but bizarrely, the first session isn’t scheduled until the middle of next week. Meanwhile “more of the orchestra’s younger musicians than usual have been auditioning for other ensembles around the country. Though the SLSO is generally considered to be among the top 10 orchestras in the United States, St. Louis ranks 19th in base pay for its musicians.” In other words, time is of the essence in this dispute, and the lack of urgency on both sides is beginning to grate.