In 1912, “American culture was set up to be a more individualist culture and the British culture was more about the gentlemanly behaviour,” says Queensland University of Technology’s David Savage, interviewed by the BBC about his study of lifeboat queues during the sinking of the Titanic. The Australian behavioral economist argues that, with the majority of women and children safely placed in the boats, American men generally started pushing their way into the remaining spots while their male British counterparts politely stood by. And died.
Of course, Titanic captain Edward John Smith is famously reported to have said, “Be British, boys, be British,” as he went down with his ship.
Read More
That most people would be pretty slow to name an Alan Arkin movie is a testament to his acting skills. He’s not a showy actor like his contemporaries, De Niro and Pacino, he’s simply a very good one. Maybe by now you can think of the profane grandfather from Little Miss Sunshine, or one of the sadsack salesmen from Glengarry Glen Ross, or if you’re really on your game, you’ll recall Captain John Yossarian from 1970’s Catch-22.
What you probably didn’t know is that he’s also a composer, a pretty darn good singer—and quite the swingin’ cat, too, as evidenced by this clip from a little show from long ago. Arkin sings one of his own compositions, fronting a band called The Electric Mayhem.
January 27-31, Halifax, NS—This annual Haligonian festival of acoustic music provides a great reason to leave your cozy den and brave the harsh Atlantic winter. This year, the festival’s fourth, will feature performances in various venues by artists including Buck 65, Gypsophilia (pictured), The Saddle River String Band, plus dozens more. Check out InTheDeadOfWinter.com for the full schedule and location details. For those who can’t make it to the citadel city by the sea, there will be a smaller satellite festival at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, PQ, February 6-8.
