Up To Date

In his State of the Union speech, President Obama said "nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy." But how close are we to large-scale use of alternative energy sources? 

If you think that personal ads and dating services are only 50 or 60 years old, think again.

"Love at first byte," some might say.

Last week’s Oscar nominations came as no surprise to Up to Date's art, independent, foreign, and documentary critics. As has been the case in recent years, a number of the top award competitors fit within their sphere of cinema.  So if you’re wondering who to lay your bets on this year, Friday's show is a good time to tune in.

On Wednesday the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art announced results of a design contest for a temporary pavilion to coincide with the museum’s exhibition Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs 1851–1939, opening in mid-April.

Each year the Historic Kansas City Foundation releases a list of the "most endangered" structures in an effort to raise awareness of the city's historic buildings.

President Obama's State of the Union speech was "animated by the president’s faith in government’s ability to restore the American promise of fairness" says Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian  Doris Kearns Goodwin.

National Catholic Reporter editor-at-large Tom Roberts has witnessed a lot over his career: a Catholic Church still reacting to Vatican II, a dramatic demographic shift, and more recently, a sex abuse scandal that has revealed a growing inadequacy of the hierarchical culture. 

Looking for a great art, independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the weekend of January 27-29, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

You can click on the highlighted links for Steve Walker's reviews.

Cynthia Haines: The Iron Lady, Albert Nobbs, Hugo

What was happening on the cinema scene a half century ago? And how have movies changed and in what ways have they remained the same?