The US government spends much on ways to treat depression, as reported by Reuters. However, certain antidepressants have been indicted for causing adverse effects such as Zoloft birth defects.

Legal observers says “the increase in spending is believed to be caused mainly by the prolific increase in prescriptions written for antidepressants like Zoloft.”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “mental health spending per patient rose from $2,802 t0 $3,610 during the time period studied, with antidepressant use rising from 81 to 87 percent and antipsychotic drug prescriptions skyrocketing from 26 percent to 42 percent of patients.”

In addition, over the past 15 years, a high escalation of antidepressant use was shown in a study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). It also reflected a 400 percent increase in usage among adults 18-44 years of age, according to the website Psychiatric Times.

References:
• depression.about.com/od/sertraline/a/Zoloft-Side-Effects.htm
• drugs.com/zoloft.html

The City of New York has been known to be a home of the arts and a house to many young professionals and those who live their lives in the fast lane.  New York has been the breaking ground to many new things and those who are categorized to be the unconventional and the unusual.  And now, its courts have been flooded with the issue on whether or not nude dancing should be considered as an art enough to make its business houses exempted from tax accountability.  In a report from Fox News, a question was raised: Is nude dancing an art? New York’s highest court will consider legal arguments by a strip club on whether it is and deserves a state tax exemption as such.

According to Fox News, a club called Nite Moves claims that nude dances are exempt under state tax law as “live dramatic or musical arts performances.”  The exemption also applies to theater or ballet.  The club is relying on testimony from a cultural anthropologist who has studied exotic dance and visited Nite Moves.  USA Today similarly wrote an article about the story saying that the club fought the state Division of Taxation’s assessment, arguing that the dancers provided “dramatic or musical arts performances” that are “choreographic” in nature, which are tax-exempt under state law.  ABC News quotes Nite Moves’s attorney W. Andrew McCullough,  saying that admission fees and lap dances at the club should be freed of state sales taxes under an exemption that applies to “dramatic or musical arts performances.”  He said that lap dancing is an art form and that, in any case, the state is not qualified to make such determinations, and that making such distinctions would be a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

New York is yet to decide regarding the issue, but if it decides in favor of its tax exemption, the City will set another precedent that other cities will be influenced to follow.

If you are an avid watcher of the musical series “Glee”, you have definitely heard of the word “Broadway.” When one hears of Broadway in today’s world, we do not think of a street or anything else but musical shows, theatre production, lime lights and billboards. It is a place to be for aspiring actors and actresses who dream on making it big in show business. Broadway is not just a mere tourist attraction but definitely a symbol of the arts for most New Yorkers and has become an epitome of art for the rest of the world.

The word Broadway is actually a road in New York that stretches through Manhattan. This road has existed in the earliest settlements in New York through native Americans and New Amsterdam. Theatre in the area started in the 1750′s when Thomas Kean and Walter Murray first opened a 280 seater theatre in the area. History followed after the success of various theater settlers have been established nearby. Although, Broadway theatre production have been severely injured and tremendously suffered at the advent of motion pictures and people were mesmerized at the launch of the silver screen, it remained existent albeit struggling and has now regained a permanent stature in the world of performing arts. A performance in today’s Broadway must be housed in either of its 40 professional theatres which at the least can hold 500 people.

Since the launch of the Tony Awards, recognition of Broadway Theatres have been established. In the following months, the New York Times noted the opening of the following musicals in the immediate months: The Anarchist, Annie, and Assasins. The theatre in the run of the centuries, have maintained its legacy, glamour and permanence amidst New York’s fast-paced lifestyle and has remained to be an integral part of New York’s art.

New York has been known as the melting pot of various cultures and perhaps the most popular city in the United States. New York has gained notoriety and personality to be fast-paced, advanced and a dog-eat-dog world. It serves as a house for young professionals, a setting for Hollywood films and a fashion trend-setter. This reputation has since been marked in the launch of the witty series of Sex and the City. Admittedly, its producers and actors have named New York City to be one of its main casts, that without the city, the production would become a failure and the series would make no sense.

Fashion is one of the instruments of communication, expression and art. It is more than just an outward expression of one’s self nor an avenue for skill but an art. It is an art because it deals with aesthetics and possesses and emotional component or passion to those who are called by the profession. Unlike usual forms of art, such as paintings, sculptures, music and drama, fashion commands a different authority to its followers. It requires adherence and appreciation of what is unique. Although it thrives on what is generally acceptable, hence wearable, it focuses on what it conceptualizes as new and unpredictable.

Fashion Design has been instrumental in all this and New York is but a stage for young designers to showcase their talents and skills. New York is a perfect place for fledging designers to make their mark and make their presence known. Their best model is themselves or ordinary New Yorkers who will model their creations in the New York City streets where crowds draw and many spectators serve as witness to many budding designers.

Famous fashion schools are found in New York, some them are the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons The New School for Design and The Art Institute of New York City, Lim College.

Various Hollywood movies inclined to the arts in dancing such as Save the Last Dance and singing such as High School Musical, have made mentioned of getting into New York’s music school, The Juilliard School.  Both movies have featured how difficult it is to get a scholarship from the school and how getting into the school can provide various opportunities for a career in the Arts.  This kind of popularity and prominence have made Juilliard even more appealing to young aspiring artists who struggles to make a name in the music industry and who wants to hone their respective crafts.

The Juilliard School was founded in 1905 by Augustus Juilliard.  The school started with the name Juilliard Graduate School.  Since it merged with the Institute for Musical Art, it evolved into the Juilliard School of Music.  It was not long before it officially became The Juilliard School we now know.  In its website, it boasts of its 309 College Division faculty members, an average of 2,500 undergraduate applicants, 7.4 percent admission out of the latter population every enrollment, and 81.1 percent graduation rate.  The tuition in the school is quite costly amounting to a hefty $35,410 for the school year 2012-2013.  Its prominence and popularity have respectfully been by virtue of more than 105 Grammy Awards, 62 Tony Awards, 47 Emmy Awards, 26 Bessie Awards, 24 Academy Awards, 16 Pulitzer Prizes, and 12 National Medals for the Arts garnered by its alumni.

Famous Juilliard alumni include Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey, Kelsey Grammer, Val Kilmer, Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald.  With a list of a powerhouse alumni, infamous auditions and acceptance requirements, Juilliard has indeed been a dream to many young artists not just in New York but all over the world. It offers degrees and programs in dance, drama and music.