Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
12 Years a Slave and Those Who Should Endure It
Ari Armstrong May 15, 2014
In its artistry, the film is hauntingly beautiful, with its lush landscapes, intricate costuming, heart wrenching performances, and ponderous direction. In its subject matter—it details the years that free-born Solomon Northup spent in slavery after he was kidnapped and sold into bondage—the film is horrific.
Arts & Culture
Frank Lloyd Wright Masterpiece Opens to Public for the First Time
Earl Parson May 10, 2014
The Johnson Wax buildings, as they are commonly called, offer a great example of how a company’s architecture can be integral to its identity. The S. C. Johnson company has always been extremely proud of its Wright-designed buildings, and the buildings’ design has helped shape the identity and culture of the company over the years.
Arts & Culture
Jeopardy! Battle of the Decades
Jason Letman May 9, 2014
Quiz shows such as Jeopardy! highlight the amazing capabilities of contestants to remember varied, esoteric facts and to recall them under enormous pressures of time limits and high-dollar competition. Viewers witness the power of the human mind to function at extremely high levels in a competitive setting, and many who watch draw inspiration to improve their own minds.
Arts & Culture
Heavy Metal-Classical Fusion for the Soul
Jason Letman April 25, 2014
What do you get when one of the world’s great classical guitarists, Thomas Valeur, teams up with the “Queen of Shred” heavy-metal guitarist, The Commander in Chief? Last year, the two collaborated on a reorchestration of Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeuenerweisen. The result is an excellent performance by two talented musicians.
Arts & Culture
Olympic Skater Katarina Witt: “The Most Beautiful Face” of a Grotesque System
Joseph Kellard February 12, 2014
The Diplomat, an ESPN documentary about two-time Olympic champion figure skater Katarina Witt of East Germany (the former German Democratic Republic, or GDR), is released to video February 18. The film serves as a reminder—or a revelation—of the crushing grip communist dictatorships held on the people who “lived” under them.
Arts & Culture
Super Bowl Celebrates America
Ari Armstrong February 3, 2014
The Super Bowl game was a glorious victory for the Seattle Seahawks and a stunning loss for the Denver Broncos. But the game, while focused on athletic competition, involved more than that: It involved a celebration of American liberty and of American commerce, an economic consequence of that liberty.
Arts & Culture
Celebrating Mozart’s Music on His Birthday
Robert Begley January 27, 2014
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born January 27, 1756, was not only a musical genius and prolific composer; he also founded or revolutionized several genres. Here are some of his accomplishments.
Arts & Culture
Duck Quacks Don’t Echo: A Fun New Show About Scientific Facts
Craig Biddle January 22, 2014
“The show that proves unusual scientific facts in the most hilarious ways.” That’s the billing for the delightful new television show Duck Quacks Don’t Echo, co-hosted by Tom Papa, Michael Ian Black, and Seth Herzog. Duck Quacks premiered January 13 on National Geographic Channel, where two half-hour episodes air back…
Arts & Culture
Peyton Manning and What Matters
Ari Armstrong January 19, 2014
For members and fans of the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, today’s AFC championship football game is nearly as important as the Super Bowl. Two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time—Peyton Manning and Tom Brady—will lead spectacularly successful teams in one of the greatest athletic competitions of…
Arts & Culture, Science & Technology
Jobs Celebrates Man Who Put a Dent in the Universe
Ari Armstrong January 4, 2014
Fittingly, Jobs opens with Steve Jobs receiving well-earned applause from Apple employees for the release of the iPod, a device that would, as Jobs predicted, revolutionize the music industry. Music is just one of several industries Jobs would revolutionize over the course of his career. Although it strays from essentials…