on ballet

I believe in the importance of learning about the world around me. As a kid I didn't get why my parents were interested in the news every night, but as an adult I see how a man dying in Iraq can affect my country and my life.

I even believe in the importance of "soft" news--why it's good to hear stories about novels or art for the sake of edification. But sitting in traffic the other day and listening to a three-minute segment about the inner squabbles in the Bolshoi Ballet, I felt my mind wander. Maybe it would be an ok story at 9:10 p.m., but not at 4:48.

However, when the story of two men reconstructing the Bellagio fountains with Diet Coke and Mentos came on, I didn't bother questioning its newsworthiness (clearly there is none). Melissa Block interviewed the choreographers in white lab coats and goggles, and I just enjoyed making the leap over the fine line between news and entertainment.