Is Google secretly decimating intelligence?

courtesy of Wired Magazine


I know right this is a pretty outrageous claim. But seriously folks, being able to get instant gratification by typing any random topic into an online text box and receiving thousands of hits does not make you smarter. What could, in fact, lead to some sort of intellectual stimulation would be the effort of locating an encyclopedia and browsing for actually relevant answers to your question. Who knows? Maybe another article catches your eye and before you know it you are a master at 19th-century labor unions all the way from the National Labor Union to the Pullman strikes. (I apologize my inner-history nerd alter-ego is emerging).



Nonetheless, in response to this query I found a really interesting article by J.J. Abrams which address the current "age of immediacy". I strongly encourage everyone to read this article. (Not only because it includes a hysterical Mario Party reference).

Mystery, obviously, is everywhere. Is there a God? Mystery. What about life after death? Mystery. Excuse me, what material is the ShamWow made of? Mystery. Stonehenge? Big Foot? Loch Ness? Mystery mystery mystery. McDonald's Special Sauce? I don't care how many bottles of Thousand Island Dressing you show me, it's Special Sauce. Mystery. And yet: For all that mystery, why does it feel like the world has been ripped open, all parts exposed?

The Article:
{http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-05/mf_jjessay?currentPage=all}

A Metamorphasis of Sorts in Sin City

merci NY times


For years now the crowds which descend on Las Vegas have demanded something more than just a sleezy show to entertain them. As more and more families become attracted to the activities and spectacle that is Las Vegas, demands for more wholesome productions has risen. In response to this growing sentiment many Broadway shows have come to Sin City in recent years (ranging from "the Lion King" to "Mamma Mia!"). As Las Vegas flagship hotels make desperate pleas for increased tourism spending in order to weather this recession, the advent of Broadway caliber theatrical productions gracing the famous "strip" may not be far off at all. For instance, the reliable "Lion King" will be opening this month soon to be followed by Cirque de Soleil.

Wanted dead or alive: The Gossip Girl spinoff

Has the yet-unnamed Gossip Girl spinoff, starring Britney Snow as a young Lily van der Woodsen (née Lily Rhodes), been axed before it has even premiered? The show is supposed to be heavily promoted in next week's episode of Gossip Girl, "Valley Girls," but is it even worth it if the show will not be shown? The LA Weekly's Nikki Finke says:

As I reported at 2:45 PM today, put a fork in it. It's done. Next Monday's episode of Gossip Girl is a flashback that was supposed to be a tempting taste for next fall's spinoff following the wild teen years of now mom Lily van der Woodsen (played by Brittany Snow) in Los Angeles in the 1980s. But even though I heard Peter Roth loved its yesteryear vibe, the show went from hot, to lukewarm, to "fading but wouldn't count out", to now dead, according to my insiders. I'm really surprised.

However, don't draw any conclusions too fast- a CW insider told New York Magazine that "reports of the Gossip Girl spinoff death are preposterous. The CW does not even begin their scheduling meetings until next week."

Cobra Starship turns Gossip Girls Bad

Leighton Meester, best known for her role as the bitchy Blair Waldorf on the popular CW hit Gossip Girl, has been dabbling in the music industry. She recently teamed up with Cobra Starship to record the single, "Good Girls Go Bad." I like the sound of it, and it has the potential, if the song is released widespread, to be a great summer song.

Listen to Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester- Good Girls Go Bad
{download}

Audrey Tautou's Chanel No. 5 film

Audrey Tautou, due to star as Coco Chanel in the upcoming film Coco avent Chanel, is featured in the latest advertisment from Chanel. The short film features a fornlorn girl who, after meeting and transfixing a man on a train, is eventually tracked down by him because of her scent; namely Chanel No. 5 (of course). Thoughts?

The Best of the Met Gala

The only things that rivals (and perhaps beats) the Academy Awards in couture activity by celebrities is the annual Metropolitian Museum of Art's Costume Gala. This year's theme was 'The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion.' Many celebrities took the gala as the oppurtunity to wear their most amazing designer gowns. Here are some of my favorite gowns worn at the gala:



{from left: Claudia Schiffer in Versache, Jessica Stam in Rodarte, and Kate Bosworth in Stella McCartney}

Might I add that Jessica and Kate's hair look amazing? Anne Hathaway also had nice hair, rocking an almost Valley of the Dolls vintage look to great effect.

Star Trek: Now Not Just For Nerds!

Sexier than William Shatner? Photo © Paramount

I am not afraid to admit it- I am not a Star Trek fan. Just thinking about Trekkies reminds me how glad I am to be a different kind of nerd- one who idolizes Rosalind Franklin and Frida Kahlo instead of Captain Kirk. But, nonetheless, I will be seeing J.J. Abram's new updating of the successful Star Trek franchise. Why? Because it looks good, despite it being tagged with the same obsessive fans who have idolized Star Trek their whole lives.

The fact is, this new Star Trek is a Star Trek movie for people who don't love Star Trek. J.J. Abrams has said himself, "I am not a fan." He elaborates by talking about the holier-than-thou aspect of past Star Trek movies. “It always presumed you cared about this group of characters,” he says. The movies have never really been open to people who don't love Star Trek. However, J.J. Abrams seeks to change that in his new, sexy update of the franchise. Abrams says, "I didn't really make the movie just for the people who are already inside, because I like Star Trek but I was never a massive fan."

Abrams' Star Trek tells the origin story of James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine), a 23rd-century boy who, upon his father's death, enrolls at the Starfleet Academy and later joins up with other beloved characters, including the half-alien, half-earthling Spock (Heroes' Zachary Quinto).

Hopefully J.J. Abrams' sci-fi blockbuster will find the middle ground of not too much nerdiness, but not straying too far away from the mythology that made Star Trek the success it is today either.