A Contest To Liven Up Washington’s National Mall

“Few people realize that the National Mall has never quite turned out quite as its (several) designers intended” – as “a vibrant center of civic and cultural life in the capital.” Instead, it’s a giant lawn with some monuments, surrounded by museums and deserted at night.
“A group of architects, historians, and preservationists has devised a contest intended to remedy that problem: the National Ideas Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds.”

Are These Theme Parks Or Conceptual Art Installations?

A Lithuanian attraction that’s all about Soviet prison camps. A Chinese park that’s both a tribute to Disney World and a middle finger to trademark law. A place near Mexico City where visitors pretend they’re illegal immigrants being chased by the US Border Patrol. An all-too-apropos amusement destination, unfinished and on indefinite hold, called Dubailand.

Cautiously, Scholastic Translates Kids’ Books Into Arabic

“The education ministers, who came from Bahrain, Lebanon and Jordan, drew up a list of 27 ‘no-nos,'” a Scholastic VP explained. “‘No dogs, no pigs, no boys and girls touching, no magic,’ she said, naming a few. They liked values and talk of honesty and cooperation among children,” but not “overly independent children or religion.”

What Makes A Patriotic Song?

“Such songs speak to us as only music can, evoking feelings of national fervor despite — or perhaps because of — their sometimes commonplace-to-cornball lyrics. It’s no coincidence that patriotic music has accompanied virtually every war the U.S. has been involved in, save perhaps for the Afghan conflict.”