“Exergames turn out to be much digital ado about nothing, at least as far as measurable health benefits for children. ‘Active’ video games distributed to homes with children do not produce the increase in physical activity that naïve parents (like me) expected.”
Tag: 06.24.12
What Does Art Have To Do With Democracy? Hard To Tell In The Oregonian
When Oregon’s biggest newspaper inveighs against a tax for arts education, its former arts editor hits back. “The arts inevitably turn around and touch (and are touched by) other areas of life. That’s why they are so central to our lives together: They are connectors.”
Gerhard Kallmann, 97, New Brutalist Architect Of Boston City Hall
“In February, on the 50th anniversary of the building’s competition, Mr. Kallmann responded to its many critics. ‘It had to be awesome, not just pleasant and slick,’ he told The Boston Globe. Great buildings, he said, should ‘remind you of ancient memories, history.’
“‘It’s not a department store. It’s not an office building. Come on.'”
10 Ways Of Knowing You’re Watching An Aaron Sorkin Creation
#3: “The shows do tend to feature one major antagonistic presence: The Evil Company Man, who always has an eye on the bottom line and all too often has the gall to censor the protagonists’ brilliance.”
Why Is ’50 Shades of Grey’ So Popular? Because Kindles Don’t Kiss And Tell
“It is the biggest e-reader success story yet, and its record-breaking sales have been attributed, in part, to the fact that it is possible to consume erotic fiction on a Kindle without anyone knowing your naughty secret. It’s the 21st-century equivalent of hiding a dirty book inside a respectable newspaper, and what’s more, it can be purchased instantly and anonymously at home.”
No, A Robot Orchestra Is Not Going To Work (And Here’s Why)
“In truth, with DarwinTunes, or the performing robots, there is no danger of any contemporary composer losing their job. These attempts to replicate the process of creation fail to see that composition requires human beings – exceptional individuals – and society.”
Putting The Exorcist Onstage – Without The Money Shots
“A desecrated statue of the Virgin Mary. A forebodingly steep outdoor staircase. A girl whose head twists all the way around her body and emits something thick, green and unpleasant from her mouth.” These are among the famous images we will not be seeing in playwright John Pielmeier’s stage adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s novel (and not William Friedkin’s film version).
Margaret – Kenneth Lonergan’s Thwarted Movie Masterpiece?
“After You Can Count on Me, Lonergan made what may be the best film of the decade.” (So legend has it.) “So why did you never get to see it?” (Just about nobody did.)