MEDIA MONDAY
What have you been reading, listening to, watching?

"Orpheus Says Howdy"
The NYTimes reviews Nashville's new symphony hall that debuted this weekend with ouru own version of red-carpet glitz. I haven't seen/heard the hall yet, but the level of community excitement over a symphonic venue has been impressive and a little bit exciting. Frankly, I'm more disturbed that so much of the music remains old than that the building's decor evokes the past (though they did premiere a new work for the occasion). But in general I can't endorse the basic criticism here, that there is not enough of an homage to the city itself so much as a desire to look like some other city/time/place. The new hall is literally a stone's throw (not that I recommend that) from the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a short walk honky-tonks and the Ryman Auditorium. I think the downtown area has a certain cultural diversity on its own without the need for each structure to convey a uniquely Nashville experience. I would think that just walking to and from the building does enough of that. Criticism of the acoustics and of the symphonyh itself may be warranted - I haven't been there - but both have been pretty universally praised apart from the Times' take.

Looking for Recommendation
Should I watch V for Vendetta? Anyone here seen it?

Path to 9/11
I watched a few minutes at the end. ABC might as well have pulled the plug, since they lost their advertisers and tons of money in the airing. It's a complete smear of Madeleine Albright and Sandy Berger, not to mention Bill Clinton. So is anyone taking it to be the gospel truth? You bet...

The two-part, five-hour ABC special airing Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. on Channels 5 and 6 is compelling and confounding, gripping and disturbing. And it’s all completely true. The program, which gives TV docudramas a good name, is based on the 9/11 Commission Report, which was published in 2004. All the details are documented. All the characters are real; so are the events, unfortunately.

That's the review of the Providence Journal--no kidding..."it's all true...." sheesh. (via talkingpointsmemo)