Rem Koolhaas is proposing to redesign an entire continent – ours, Europe – along energy-saving lines. In fact, they would like to include North Africa as well. As Reinier de Graaf, the partner in charge of the proposal, says: “Megalomania is a standard part of our repertoire.”
Tag: 05.09.10
Belgium – A Flawed Concept That Really Isn’t A Country
“Language is the fundamental flaw at the core of Belgium’s existential crisis, taking on the role that race, religion, or ethnicity play in other conflict-riven societies. The country operates on the basis of linguistic apartheid, which infects everything from public libraries to local and regional government, the education system, the political parties, national television, the newspapers, even football teams.”
Has Cannes Lost Its Way?
“In Cannes this year, the chasm between mainstream cinema and art-house festival fare is more gaping than ever. The outside world enjoys the diversion of Cannes. Whatever Europe’s economic or political woes, Cannes is a fixed point in the calendar.”
How English Has Become The Global Language
At the dawn of a new millennium the phenomenon of English seems more vivid and universal than ever before. Like a Jackson Pollock of language, countless new variants are adding to the amazing Technicolor texture of the overall picture: urban patois like “Jafaikan”; or local Asian hybrids like Konglish (English in South Korea) and Manglish (Malay and English); or contemporary slang like “cheddar”, “phat” and “noob”, for “money”, “wonderful/great” and ‘somebody new/ignorant”.
Worldwide, Cheap For-Profit Schools Are Making A Difference
Principals like Mohammed Saleem of the nearby Adams High School say that fierce competition between schools forces institutes to strive toward providing the best education they can.
A Revolution In The Way We Get Movies
“Sales of DVDs dropped 13% from 2008 to 2009 while digital alternatives, such as video streaming and on-demand movie sites, grew significantly. In a bid to arrest the decline, the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), has been set by a US consortium of entertainment firms, wants to transform how consumers buy, access and play digital content.”
How Deborah Rutter Talked Riccardo Muti Into Coming To Chicago
“Deborah kept coming and visiting me here and there, so I realized that when she (said she) wanted me there, she really meant that she wanted me.”
Did The Wrong Chicago Play Find Tony Success?
“I would never have picked “Million Dollar Quartet.” Heck, I thought producer Gigi Pritzker would have been better off taking “Million Dollar Quartet” to London, lest it not fill out those planned Broadway shoes.”
Alvin Ailey Company’s New Director Talks Dance
“Some of what I’m really interested in is, how do we nurture young artists in the 21st century? How can we address the idea that having a company, even a small one, is so difficult now? I think that we need to start thinking of new ways to support young artists.”
New York’s Opera Companies Navigate Difficult Seasons
“Although the Met’s current annual operating budget of roughly $300 million is about 10 times that of the City Opera, Mr. Steel and Mr. Gelb face similar concerns. They are also, understandably, facing critical scrutiny. Whatever may be going on in their board rooms and budget meetings, what matters to opera buffs is what happens on their stages.”