Why does art matter?

I know it does, but why does it matter? I like this:
“By dealing with art we are forced to plounge profoundly into depth. All art of importance is born here, in the depths of slow, careful and conscious thinking, where we again and again attempt to approach the essence of our existence. In these realms bullshit and fakery is left behind. Art matters.
Art versus entertainment, is gaining insight, versus seeking experiences. The one does not necessarily exclude the other, and sometimes they even mingle.

A society which does not accept nor enable its artists and thinkers to be a counterpoint to all its bullshit and bullshiting is, I would say, a poor, unhealthy and vulnerable society. It is an uninterested and, thus, uninteresting society because it is self-satisfied and self-contained. When a society starts to ignore its own intellectuals it is a serious sign of possible decay.

Therefore, art is opposition and art is criticism, art serves as our mental digestive system.”

This is supercool (well, superhot really, I guess)
Power station harnesses Sun’s rays
“A concrete tower – 40 storeys high – stood bathed in intense white light, a totally bizarre image in the depths of the Andalusian countryside.

It is Europe’s first commercially operating power station using the Sun’s energy this way and at the moment its operator, Solucar, proudly claims that it generates 11 Megawatts (MW) of electricity without emitting a single puff of greenhouse gas.
It works by focusing the reflected rays on one location, turning water into steam and then blasting it into turbines to generate power.”

Does your e-mail make you sad?
“An e-mail has a way of making us impetuous. As S&S say, “It actually eggs us on. On e-mail, people aren’t quite themselves: they are angrier, less sympathetic, less aware. … E-mail has a tendency to encourage the lesser angels of our nature.”

Men and women seem to express themselves differently in email. According to Deborah Tannen, the Georgetown University linguist, women look for a personal element in any communication and expect a pleasantry or two before getting to the matter at hand. Men may use aggressive language because they find it funny. Women, not amused, can be offended. Men think teasing is funny. Women don’t. Men can get in trouble when using the style that comes naturally to them.”
I’m always interested in how online communications can be affected by seemingy unrelated things. I’m pretty sure I’ve startled, possibly even offended, people who expect me to use all the ‘womanly’ softeners and general fluffiness that can precede a request or statement, but if I’m in the middle of a long or on-going email conversation I’d rather skip all that.

I really liked this description of the difference between gay and homosexual from gay.com:
“However, there is a difference between being homosexual and gay. As you say yourself, you’re “not straight”…but you’re not gay. Yet.
‘Homosexual’ is a hard-wired hormonal tendency to be turned on by your own sex and not the opposite sex.
‘Gay’, however is not (just) about sexuality, it’s about identity. It’s an achievement, not a predisposition. It’s a label homosexual men initially chose for themselves and it’s still an identity you have to choose – or refuse – to embrace. That’s the stage you’re stuck at right now.
Because gay is a social identity, people piece it together out of a string of stereotypes. That can feel oppressive. Will I have to be camp? Will I have to like Eurovision/give a flying f*** about Big Brother/get a tattoo/take ecstasy/take it up the bum?
The answer to all those is NO, not unless you want to.
More importantly, there are questions about giving up things too. Will I lose my family’s love? My circle of friends? Being a dad? Getting married?
The answer here is also NO, not necessarily – but that yes, being gay may make some of these things harder to achieve.”
And also, Moldovan gays defy pride ban
“It also contravenes a recent decision by the Moldovan Supreme Court, which robustly defends the right of all Moldovan citizens, including LGBT people, to freedom of expression, assembly and peaceful protest.

The mayor’s [Ken Livingstone] statement was in response to the municipal authorities of Chisinau banning an event planned by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisation GenderDoc-M for 27 April as part of the 6th Moldovan LGBT Pride festival.”
I wish I’d known closer to the time, I would have sent an email in support.

South Pacific to stop bottom trawling

“A quarter of the world’s oceans will be protected from fishing boats which drag heavy nets across the sea floor, South Pacific nations have agreed.
The landmark deal will restrict bottom trawling, which experts say destroys coral reefs and stirs up clouds of sediment that suffocate marine life.” BBC
I’ve been following this issue for years, from back in the days when I still ate seafood. Good news on a lazy Sunday.

“An Australian senator has caused a storm of protest for describing a female politician as “deliberately barren” and therefore unfit to govern.
Bill Heffernan said Labor Party deputy leader Julia Gillard did not understand the public because she had no children.” BBC
If I didn’t need it I’m so tempted to hand back my Australian passport at times like this.

From the OddSpot: “A woman’s email to Telecom New Zealand’s help desk was rejected because the company’s filter system found her name, Gay, “inappropriate for business-like communication”. The woman, Gay Hamilton, is herself gay.”