Seems the French regard the good ol’ shiny wrapper round a paperback as a bit daring, to judge from a piece in Le Figaro. Can this one really be an example of what worries them? (It’s the 2009 winner, Trois femmes puissantes by Marie Ndiaye.)
Are they “behind” us with other forms of in-yer-face promotion?
Time for another Wordability Competition which we’ll kick off with this unsolicited contribution from Dr M______ P_______ of N__ J_____.
Entries may be sent to competition at wordability.com.au. The judges have so far announced no time limit, no criteria and no details of prizes (if any).
Dr Phillips, (whom God preserve, of New Jersey) sends us their summary of a piece from Scientific American (sub required for full article).
Key Concepts:
* A new type of service industry has emerged to meet the needs of the millions who play online fantasy games such as World of Warcraft.
* Players called gold farmers amass game “currency” to sell to other players for a fee.
* This controversial practice violates the rules of play but has become a means for hundreds of thousands of developing world players to earn a wage comparable to that of factory workers.
What strikes the good doctor is the parallel between this remarkable trade and the practice of religion. Both require a mass of believers and a group of exploiters like the wily mob in mediaeval times (typified by Chaucer’s Pardoner) who sold indulgences and saints’ relics. Myself, I’d go for a relic, that way you at least get a bit of bone, albeit from a pig. Indulgences you take on trust, and what if you went directly to hell, no hanging about, wouldn’t you spit? Continue reading »
Something lighter for the holidays. (Yes, still going here in the sleepy land of Oz.) Number one son is learning the old standard, so I passed on the story of Nicolai Malko’s bet with the young Shostakovitch: 100 roubles if he could orchestrate Tea for Two after listening to a recording just once. Here’s the result – it took Shostakovitch 45 minutes.
Naxos has a buoyant CD of this as part of a program of his early light music. A touch fulsome compared to Chailly’s but as usual, very good value.
