“One of the recurring themes of Amis’s pronouncements over the past few years has been a palpable disenchantment with England and English life: the ‘skanky town’ malice of London’s literary world; his bald declaration to a French newspaper that he would ‘prefer not to be English’; the sense that his homeland is a busted flush; the fact that his new book, Lionel Asbo, is a satire on the shallowness and vulgarity of celebrity-obsessed Britain. All of this may or may not be true, but it is not the reason he has decamped to America.”
Tag: 05.27.12
Broadcasters Sue Satellite TV Provider Over Service That Skips Commercials
If the courts don’t block the service, it “will ultimately destroy the advertising-supported ecosystem that provides consumers with the choice to enjoy free over-the-air, varied, high-quality primetime broadcast programming,” the broadcasters told the court.
American Composers Orchestra: More Than Just The Concerts
“For us the concerts are the public face of what we do. But there really has to be some strategic, intellectual and artistic rigor in how we present that public face. I don’t think anybody, from the start of the A.C.O., ever thought that presenting a good concert was the ultimate end.”
Would Anyone Pay Attention To Stolen Art If Its Cash Value Wasn’t High?
Mark Stryker ponders the question after last week’s art heist in Detroit. “The FBI didn’t release details of all 19 pieces, and it’s possible they’re keeping mum about more expensive works as a gumshoe tactic. But it’s also true that if they didn’t float a value of at least $1 million, it’s doubtful anyone would have paid attention.”
What Are The Goals Of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Great Tour Of China?
The orchestra itself has its eye on annual residencies in a growing country with a huge market for Western classical music. As for the Chinese (and the US State Dept.)? “Call it a pilot project, trial balloon, or infomercial, the residency falls under the larger heading of ‘soft power’ that includes importing and exporting films, artists, and music between the two countries.”
Michael Haneke Wins Palme d’Or At Cannes For Amour
“Michael Haneke’s latest movie, Amour, won the Austrian director his second top prize from Cannes in three years, following his triumph in 2009 with The White Ribbon. The film is the tenderest in a career defined by unflinching brutality, as well as arguably the least cinematic: a two-hander set in a Paris flat.”
The Last Day At Cannes
“By this point, the festival has largely cleared out, save for journalist laggers and, of course, those winners who have stayed in town hoping for a callback to the evening awards ceremony. The market … closed Friday, and many journalists are already back home, where doubtless some will decide (as usual!) that this year really wasn’t as bad as it sometimes seemed.”
At The Delacorte: Fifty Years Of Free Theater In Central Park
“During that time, more than four million patient theatergoers have waited in line to see a potent mix of raw talent, seasoned stage veterans and Hollywood imports do battle against the Central Park fauna, the occasional helicopter and the more than occasional thunderstorm to perform the classics free.” Delacorte vets – from Jerry Stiller to Meryl Streep to Liev Schreiber to longtime stage manager Buzz Cohen – look back.
Why Almost All Of Us Lie And Cheat A Little Bit – And Why Most Of Us Stop There
“Except for a few outliers at the top and bottom, the behavior of almost everyone is driven by two opposing motivations. On the one hand, we want to benefit from cheating and get as much money and glory as possible; on the other hand, we want to view ourselves as honest, honorable people.”
The Killer App: Designing The First Fly Swatter
In 1900, Robert R. Montgomery of Illinois “was issued Patent No. 640,790 for the Fly-Killer, a ‘cheap device of unusual elasticity and durability’ made of wire netting, ‘preferably oblong,’ attached to a handle. The material of the handle remained unspecified, but the netting was crucial: it reduced wind drag, giving the swatter a ‘whiplike swing’.”