The New York Times has a piece on a new invention in the UK designed to annoy and chase off a younger crowd. Says the article: The device, called the Mosquito (”It’s small and annoying,” Mr. Stapleton said), emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that, he says, can be heard by most people younger than 20 […]
Archives for 2005
Can culture save downtown?
Adrian Ellis has a good overview of the role of arts facilities in ”saving” cities. Chief among the challenges, he says, is the disconnect between iconic arts facility development and the arts organizations that surround them. Says he: …the discussions about arts organizations and those about arts buildings are curiously and uncomfortably divorced. The role […]
Of characters and authenticity
As corporate America explores the informal, conversational world of blogging, a new form of the format is coming into controversy: the character blog. These are weblogs written from the perspective and with the narrative style of fictional characters. Some, like the Captain Morgan Blog, are built on characters we all know are fake. Others, like […]
What about Sim conservatories?
I’ve written about the Sims before, but this announcement of an upcoming University add-on pack for the software game was just too much to let pass: This addition to the popular ”people simulator” includes the young adult age group, which enables Sims to head off to college. Collegiate Sims can vie to become the Big […]
If you don’t know your own community, don’t blame the government
Friend, colleague, and research wonk Neill Archer Roan reminded me of the wonderful riches available on-line from the U.S. Census Bureau. Their American FactFinder is a treasure trove of market research and demographic information on your community. Just run a quick ”fact sheet” search of your city and you’ll see what I mean: median household […]
The thrift belt
New Englanders aren’t taking kindly to a new national index on generosity (covered in an AP story posted here and elsewhere). It turns out that New Hampshire and Massachusetts ranked at the very bottom of the index for generosity. That’s fairly embarrassing on its own, but becomes insufferably so when the top three states are […]
Mathematics for Musicians
It’s a chilly Friday in Madison, Wisconsin, that demands a little light humor rather than a pensive tome today. So here are a few selections from the hilarious Mathematics for Musicians recently forwarded to me by a colleague (thanks Bob): Wilma is tired of paying for clarinet reeds. If she adopts a policy of playing […]
The on-line communications toolkit
If you’re looking for a crash course or a quick refresher about how to plan, implement, and evaluate your organization’s communications efforts — marketing, PR, etc. — the folks at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation have anticipated your need. Their marketing and communications kit offers a short and snappy overview of the strategies and action steps […]
The demise of civil society
From the British comma commissioner, Lynne Truss (author of the hit grammar book Eats, Shoots & Leaves), comes a new diatribe, this time exloring the collapse of civil society. Her new book, Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door […]
Welcome to the future…get used to it
At a recent gala orchestra opening in Madison, guest soloist Kathleen Battle paused mid-performance to wag her finger at someone in the balcony. It seems they had a recording device of some kind. Once she left the stage, an announcement reminded the audience that such things weren’t allowed. It’s a common problem at popular music […]
