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Wednesday, July 19




Ideas

Why Computers Beat Humans Here's "something researchers have known for decades: that mathematical models generally make more accurate predictions than humans do. Studies have shown that models can better predict, for example, the success or failure of a business start-up, the likelihood of recidivism and parole violation, and future performance in graduate school. They also trump humans at making various medical diagnoses, picking the winning dogs at the racetrack and competing in online auctions. Computer-based decision-making has also grown increasingly popular in credit scoring, the insurance industry and some corners of Wall Street." The New York Times 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 4:45 pm

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Visual Arts

Canadian Portrait Gallery Stalls Work on the Portrait Gallery of Canada has been suspended and the government is reviewing the project. Said review will take until November. "Sources say the gallery is in limbo partly because of competing priorities within Library and Archives Canada (created in 2004 out of the former National Library of Canada and National Archives of Canada, it's the institution responsible for the Portrait Gallery), and partly because the Stephen Harper government wants to fulfill its promise to increase accountability." The Gloibe & Mail (Canada) 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:40 am

Neue Gallerie Drops $50 Charge To See Klimts New York's Neue Galerie has scrapped plans to charge $50 to view its newly purchased Klimt portrait on a day its doors are normally shut. The Gallerie says the offer was "misread by the public." The New York Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 9:59 pm

Ruling: Tate Broke Law In Buying Ofili Work Britain's Charity Commission has ruled that the Tate Museum broke the law when it cought a £600,000 work by Chris Ofili. "Most major art institutions are set up as charities. By law, trustees cannot receive monetary benefit from their charity without express permission, usually from the commission. The Tate failed to seek permission, not only in the case of the Ofili work, The Upper Room, but in 17 previous purchases of work by artist-trustees going back 50 years." The Guardian (UK) 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:49 pm

Sotheby's Sales Gaining On No. 1 Christie's "Sotheby's first-half art sales totaled $1.96 billion, according to the company's Web site. They were helped by Pablo Picasso's 'Dora Maar au Chat,' which took $95.2 million at a New York auction in May. Christie's estimated total was 'in excess of' $2.09 billion." Bloomberg 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:44 pm

Pondering The Value Of A Really Expensive Klimt “Adele Bloch-Bauer I” (1907), by Gustav Klimt, sold last month for a record $135 million. "Is she worth the money? Not yet. Paintings this special may not come along for sale often, and the hundred and four million dollars spent for a so-so Picasso, “Boy with a Pipe,” two years ago indicated that irrational exuberance could be the booming art market’s new motto. But Lauder’s outlay predicts a level of cost that must either soon become common or be relegated in history as a bid too far. And the identity of the artist gives pause." The New Yorker 07/17/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:29 pm

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Music

Wanted: A Billionaire Who Loves Orchestras Peter Dobrin wants to know: "So where is the billionaire so in love with orchestral music that he or she wants to make all the difference in the life of an orchestra? Where is that hybrid philanthropist-music lover who wants to add $100 million or $200 million to the endowment of the Philadelphia Orchestra so it can stop fearing deficits; activate a range of education programs that can really inculcate children with classical music; and take a chance once in a while on edgy repertoire or the cultivation of a young unknown guest artist without fear of box-office repercussions?" Philadelphia Inquirer 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:57 am

NJ Symphony Struggles To Pay For Instruments, Taps Endowment The New Jersey Symphony is dipping significantly into its endowment to pay off a deficit. "Paying off the debt for the instruments, which stands at about $12 million, has prevented the orchestra from dealing with an accumulated operating deficit of $4.2 million. The endowment draw and some intricate financial restructuring will reduce the debt payments to $1.1 million a year, from $1.8 million, the orchestra said." The New York Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 10:09 pm

The Art Of Sound (Or Is It The Sound Of Art?) "Much of today’s sound art wasn’t possible until recently, for lack of appropriate technology. 'Sound art is one of the simplest and most complex things. By moving air, you can make people get very emotional'." The Times (UK) 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 6:11 pm

Mozart Reconsidered (Again) "Present-day scholars are picking away at the myths and fantasies that have encrusted the world’s most famous composer. They describe him not as a naïve prodigy or a suffering outcast but as a hardworking, ambitious, successful musician — 'Mozart as a Working Stiff,' to borrow the title of a 1994 essay by Neal Zaslaw." The New Yorker 07/17/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:27 pm

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Arts Issues

Alternative Reading - A City Makes itself Over As Arts Hub Reading, Pennsylvania is getting a makeover. "This once-gritty city is morphing into an arts hub, where a Keith Haring exhibit is drawing thousands at the local museum, blues and jazz acts tour through and a downtown coffeehouse features poetry readings and acoustic music. Not bad for a city better known for factories than high art." Washington Post 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 8:08 am

Out Of The Mediocre Mass "It may feel as you walk past the multiplex and into the chain bookshop where Katie Price's bestseller is stacked up, and then home to pick up the television schedules dominated by reality shows, that we live in an age when there is little room for anything but the blockbuster, the bestseller, the audience-chaser, the top celebrity. But if you listen to some of the voices out there, it turns out that this isn't what is going on at all..." The Guardian (UK) 07/17/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:07 pm

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People

Kabul Bookseller's Wife Applies For Asylum Suraya Rais, the wife of an Afghan bookseller depicted in the international bestseller The Bookseller of Kabul is applying for asylum in Europe because she claims the book has endangered her life. The Guardian (UK) 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 6:06 pm

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Theatre

Investing In Broadway As Advertising Opportunity The Broadway show "Hot Feet" is closing and its investors will lose their entire $8 million. The show's backer, Transamerica didn't get into the show to make money. "Transamerica’s motives were more along the lines of corporate sponsors like Visa, Fidelity Investments and Mercedes-Benz, which make deals with shows so their names can be seen." The New York Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 9:48 pm

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Publishing

Will New Borders Chief Reinvent Bookseller's Brand? George L. Jones has been appointed new head of Borders. Jones helped turn Target develop its "bargain upscale aesthetic" and revived the Scooby-Doo character for Warner Brothers. And for Borders? Jones isn't saying yet, except to say he wants to better distinguish the chain from cmpetitor Barnes & Noble... The New York Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:46 am

NYer "Talk" Rejects Find A Home It's really difficult to get a piece published in the New Yorker's "Talk of the Town." "The section receives upwards of 100 pitches and submissions weekly, while only greenlighting about 10 unsolicited contributions per year." So one frustrated contributor-wannabe decided to build a website to publish rejected "Talk" pieces, in something he calls a tribute to the real thing... Village Voice 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:39 pm

Book Sales Up In May "After falling for three consecutive months, bookstore sales rose 1.2% in May, to $1.11 billion." Publishers Weekly 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 5:12 pm

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Media

Disney Makes Big Cuts Disney is cutting 650 jobs, reducing the jumber of movies it makes, and putting a new production team in place. "The restructuring will cut Disney's output from about 18 films a year to about a dozen. Of those, about 10 will be released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner, a proven family-friendly brand that includes the successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise." Yahoo! (AP) 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:37 am

Hollywood Studios To Offer Downloadable Burnable Movies Hollywood movie studios have made a deal to allow downloading and burning of DVDs of their movies. "Four major studios struck a deal with online movie service CinemaNow Inc. to offer more than 100 mainstream titles that can be copied to a disc and played on almost any DVD player or television set. Prices will start at about $9 a movie." Los Angeles Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:29 am

The New TV Scrutiny "TV is being filtered, analyzed and debated on the Internet like never before, resulting in savvier viewers who feel fully invested in even the smallest of programming decisions. In an attempt to keep up, networks and studios are developing new levels of fan interaction using a variety of digital platforms." Los Angeles Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:26 am

The New Multi-Platform BBC The BBC is reorganizing. "The way the BBC makes programmes will be streamlined, with a show's output across TV, radio, internet and mobiles all considered at the same stage. The changes are part of BBC plans to ensure it survives in the digital age." BBC 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 7:00 am

Emmy Staff Defends New Nomination System This year's Emmy nominations process changed, and many critics were perplexed by some of the nominations. But Emmy spokemen say the experiment was a success. "Historically, the biggest criticism of Emmy nominations has been that they're a popularity contest because they're chosen by a popular ballot. Lower-rated networks like FX and the WB weren't getting a fair shake, so we gave them their day in court." Los Angeles Times 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 6:19 pm

Study: Canadian Film Industry Shrinks "In 2004, 688 films were made in Canada, down from 728 in 2001 and production revenue over the three years fell 10.6 per cent to $1.49 billion, the agency reported on Tuesday. However, total revenue for film and video production rose 10.9 per cent to $2.9 billion because of growth in non-production activities such as broadcasting and film distribution." CBC 07/18/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 4:52 pm

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Dance

SF Star Steps Into Choreographer's Role Yuri Possokhov was a star dancer with San Francisco Ballet. But as he retires from dancing, he's named the company's resident choreographer. A brilliant second career awaits... San Francisco Chronicle 07/19/06
Posted: 07/19/2006 8:19 am

A Venerable Dance Festival Of The World The American Dance Festival is 73 years old. It's had the same director for 38 years. "It remains one of the two premier summer dance festivals in the United States, the other being Jacob’s Pillow in the Berkshires. And it has long since broadened its scope to embrace modern — or contemporary, or nonballetic — dance from around the world." The New York Times 07/19/06
Posted: 07/18/2006 10:19 pm

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