Tag: 08.26.05

IQ And The Sexes

“A major new study reports that, up to the age of 14, there was no difference between the IQs of boys and girls. But beyond that age and into adulthood there is a difference of five points, which is small but it can have important implications. As intelligence scores among the study group rose, the academics say they found a widening gap between the sexes. There were twice as many men with IQ scores of 125, for example, a level said to correspond with people getting first-class degrees. At scores of 155, associated with genius, there were 5.5 men for every woman.”

Lennon Struggles To Hang On

Now that “Lennon” has been critically thrashed after its Broadway opening, what’s next? “The producers of the critically battered jukebox musical — which, around Shubert Alley, is known as “Yoko’s Folly” — are desperately trying to keep the doors open for at least another two months. At that point, according to production sources, they will acquire the international rights to the show, which may be the only hope they have of getting back some of the $10 million they’ve sunk into the production.”

FBI Demands Library Records

The FBI has demanded records from a library in Connecticut under authority of the Patriot Act as part of an investigation. “Because of federal secrecy requirements, the ACLU said it was barred from disclosing the identity of the institution or other details of the FBI’s demand, but court papers indicate the target is a library in the Bridgeport, Conn., area.”

The Sleeper Hit Of 2005?

That would be “March of the Penguins”. “Two months after its quiet launch amidst the big guns of summer, the penguins still roost firmly in the North American Top 10. Playing in more than 2,100 theatres in the U.S. and Canada, a reach usually achieved only by a Michael Moore documentary, the film is closing in on $50 million (U.S.) in domestic tickets sales, ranking it second to Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 as the most successful documentary in history.”

In Search Of Hitler’s Art

“It remains at the center of one of World War II’s most enduring mysteries: Hitler’s intended National Socialist museum of art in the Austrian city of Linz was a dream that was never fully realized by the Führer although many thousands of art works were obtained for the project. Speculation has always surrounded the origins of the dictator’s collection but since the war ended, this has only intensified as experts attempt to discover where many of the works disappeared to.”

Some Blockbuster Stores Resume Late Fees

Some Blockbuster Video stores are getting out of the chain’s “no late fees” policy and charging again for overdue rentals. “The promise of that new freedom — basically the ability to keep rentals several more days without extra fees — meant copies of new releases were not available when the next customer wandered in. ‘What we’re trying to do is get the product back on the shelves’.”

August Wilson Dying

The playwright is 60, and has liver cancer. “Doctors at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle discovered his condition in June and recommended immediate chemoembolization — cancer-fighting drugs injected directly into the tumor — followed by a liver transplant. But the disease proved too far advanced for treatment. Wilson said his physicians told him then that he had a life expectancy of three to five months.”

CBC Labor Woes Showcase Alternatives

“The ‘labour disruption’ at the CBC has spilled onto the Web, and it’s leaving a mess. It would be nice if the story was about how the new media empowered locked-out journalists to keep practising their trade. But expatriate CBC shows have been appearing on community radio stations across the country, all before any picketer-run news website arrives on the scene. (One is reported to be preparing for a launch next week.) Instead of saving us with science, the Internet has just given us an intimate view of our public broadcaster disemboweling itself.”

Brecker Waits For Transplant

Jazz saxophone great Michael Brecker waits to find a donor for a bone marrow transplant to fight his cancer. “Brecker’s illness forced him to cancel a much-anticipated appearance at this month’s Newport Jazz Festival, where he would have showcased the stylistic versatility that won him 11 Grammys, including two last year for his large ensemble album “Wide Angles.” Brecker had been scheduled to perform with Saxophone Summit — whose adventurous and spiritual music reflects the influence of tenor saxophone legend John Coltrane — and Steps Ahead 2005, the latest edition of the all-star jazz-rock fusion band formed by Brecker and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri in the late ’70s.”