Is "Anti-Religious" Speech On The Rise?"First there was the controversy provoked by Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ in 2004, and now there is this censorious dismissal of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Both are testaments to a potent mood of intolerance towards expressions of religious faith in popular culture today. The artistic representation of religious conviction is frequently stigmatised with terms such as 'fundamentalist', 'intolerant', 'dogmatic', 'exclusive', 'irrational' or 'right-wing'. As a secular humanist who is instinctively uncomfortable with zealot-like moralism, I am suspicious of the motives behind these doctrinaire denunciations of films with a religious message."spikes-online01/24/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:17 pm
Can Meditation Change Our Brain Structure?"In the traditional view, the brain becomes frozen with the onset of adulthood, after which few new connections form. In the past 20 years, though, scientists have discovered that intensive training can make a difference. For instance, the portion of the brain that corresponds to a string musician's fingering hand grows larger than the part that governs the bow hand - even in musicians who start playing as adults."Wired01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:37 pm
Getty Villa Reopens"The concept of a sizable museum devoted solely to the art of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria (the region of modern Tuscany and Umbria) is inspired. For one thing, the modern notion of an art museum as a place of public enlightenment grew, like America itself, from the 18th century European revival of classical ideals. Ours is likewise an era when nothing succeeds like ostentatious displays of power. Expect the remarkable Getty Villa to be an enormous popular hit."Los Angeles Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 7:35 am
Discovered: Two CaravaggiosTwo paintings in a French church have been declared Caravaggios. "It is thought the paintings were probably bought by a French ambassador to Rome, and friend of Caravaggio. The works were kept under the organ loft in the church of Saint Anthony in Loches, until in 1999 a curator expressed an interest in a coat of arms on the works. It turned out to belong to Philippe de Bethune, a minister of France's King Henry IV, an enthusiastic art collector who befriended Caravaggio in Rome."BBC01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 6:31 am
Painting Goes Missing At Sotheby'sA painting worth an estimated £500,000 has disappeared from Sotheby's auction rooms in New Bond Street, London. The company won't say what the work is or who it belongs to.Ideas
Is "Anti-Religious" Speech On The Rise?"First there was the controversy provoked by Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ in 2004, and now there is this censorious dismissal of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Both are testaments to a potent mood of intolerance towards expressions of religious faith in popular culture today. The artistic representation of religious conviction is frequently stigmatised with terms such as 'fundamentalist', 'intolerant', 'dogmatic', 'exclusive', 'irrational' or 'right-wing'. As a secular humanist who is instinctively uncomfortable with zealot-like moralism, I am suspicious of the motives behind these doctrinaire denunciations of films with a religious message."spikes-online01/24/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:17 pm
Can Meditation Change Our Brain Structure?"In the traditional view, the brain becomes frozen with the onset of adulthood, after which few new connections form. In the past 20 years, though, scientists have discovered that intensive training can make a difference. For instance, the portion of the brain that corresponds to a string musician's fingering hand grows larger than the part that governs the bow hand - even in musicians who start playing as adults."Wired01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:37 pm
Getty Villa Reopens"The concept of a sizable museum devoted solely to the art of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria (the region of modern Tuscany and Umbria) is inspired. For one thing, the modern notion of an art museum as a place of public enlightenment grew, like America itself, from the 18th century European revival of classical ideals. Ours is likewise an era when nothing succeeds like ostentatious displays of power. Expect the remarkable Getty Villa to be an enormous popular hit."Los Angeles Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 7:35 am
Discovered: Two CaravaggiosTwo paintings in a French church have been declared Caravaggios. "It is thought the paintings were probably bought by a French ambassador to Rome, and friend of Caravaggio. The works were kept under the organ loft in the church of Saint Anthony in Loches, until in 1999 a curator expressed an interest in a coat of arms on the works. It turned out to belong to Philippe de Bethune, a minister of France's King Henry IV, an enthusiastic art collector who befriended Caravaggio in Rome."BBC01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 6:31 am
Painting Goes Missing At Sotheby'sA painting worth an estimated £500,000 has disappeared from Sotheby's auction rooms in New Bond Street, London. The company won't say what the work is or who it belongs to.The Guardian (UK)01/26/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:29 pm
Art Thief - Snared By CellphoneHow did Robert Mang get caught for stealing Cellini's priceless saltcellar? "After holding the Cellini masterpiece, valued at roughly $60 million, for nearly three years and making two attempts to collect about $12 million in ransom, Mr. Mang was identified as the culprit late last week. On Friday, the police had circulated security camera images of him buying a cellphone that he used to send a text message."The New York Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:02 pm
Constantinople's Ancient Port DiscoveredWorking on an ambitious train tunnel to connect Asia and Europe, workers stumble on "the original port of Constantinople, a maze of dams, jetties and platforms that once was Byzantium's hub for trade with the near east."The Guardian (UK)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 9:47 pm
Peru Wants Machu Picchu Artifacts For Tourism"The Peruvian government is threatening to sue Yale University for the return of all the artifacts found at Machu Picchu. There's no dispute that Peru gave Bingham permission to take the artifacts to Yale for further study. But Peruvian authorities say they have documents specifying that the material had to be returned within 18 months. It has now been more than 90 years. Yale says that Peruvian law in the 1900s "gave Yale title to the artifacts at the time of their excavation and ever since."Yahoo! (Businessweek)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 9:41 pm
Lottery Turns Down Liverpool Museum FundingThe UK's Heritage Lottery Fund has turned down funding for a futuristic museum on Liverpool's waterfront. The Fund "said it would not be giving the project the £11.4m it asked for, saying the plans were not detailed enough." Planned exhibits in the building wwould "cover social history and popular culture, and will look at Britain and the world through the eyes of Liverpool."BBC01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 9:22 pm
Music's Great Growth Industry - RingtonesRingtones are turning into a big money-maker for the recording industry. "In 2005, tones pulled in $600 million, 20% ahead of estimates and more than double the 2004 take. The year's leader, 50 Cent's Candy Shop, sold 1.9 million downloads, more than the top-selling digital song: Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl, with 1.2 million. As options build and the cellphone is positioned as a digital command post, growth seems inevitable."USAToday01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:19 am
Mozart As You Want To See Him"Accepting Mozart, and putting him and his aesthetic at the centre of the classical canon, also seems to require some distortion of what and who he was. People have been poring over his scores and letters ever since he died, and what they've written about the character revelations they find there often tells more about the authors than about Mozart. Like early-modern Europeans in the New World, they tend to see what they expect to see."The Globe & Mail (Canada)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 7:33 am
The Renee Fleming Mozart MysteryWhy was Renee Fleming suddenly replaced for Mozart celebrations in Austria this week? The circumstances raise questions. "Why was the Mozarteum so inflexible, refusing either to substitute another aria for the one scheduled or to hire someone else for the aria but let Ms. Fleming perform the rest of the program?"The New York Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:09 pm
The Mozart Industry"The multinational music industry is gushing forth Mozart, calculating that one in four classical CDs has his name on it and the guy has brand recognition. Classic FM has produced a Mozart disc for babies. What we are witnessing is the rebirth of Mozart as McDonalds: everywhere you look, and always the same the world over. This coming weekend will serve up triple Mozart-deckers and Mozart-lite for weight watchers. I’m loving it...."La Scena Musicale01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:53 pm
Wal-Mart Goes Online For MusicWal-Mart has launched its own online music service. Dubbed "Wal-Mart Soundcheck", the service features studio performances and interviews with new and established bands and musicians.Yahoo! (AP)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:14 pm
The Guardian (UK)01/26/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:29 pm
Art Thief - Snared By CellphoneHow did Robert Mang get caught for stealing Cellini's priceless saltcellar? "After holding the Cellini masterpiece, valued at roughly $60 million, for nearly three years and making two attempts to collect about $12 million in ransom, Mr. Mang was identified as the culprit late last week. On Friday, the police had circulated security camera images of him buying a cellphone that he used to send a text message."The New York Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:02 pm
Constantinople's Ancient Port DiscoveredWorking on an ambitious train tunnel to connect Asia and Europe, workers stumble on "the original port of Constantinople, a maze of dams, jetties and platforms that once was Byzantium's hub for trade with the near east."The Guardian (UK)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 9:47 pm
Peru Wants Machu Picchu Artifacts For Tourism"The Peruvian government is threatening to sue Yale University for the return of all the artifacts found at Machu Picchu. There's no dispute that Peru gave Bingham permission to take the artifacts to Yale for further study. But Peruvian authorities say they have documents specifying that the material had to be returned within 18 months. It has now been more than 90 years. Yale says that Peruvian law in the 1900s "gave Yale title to the artifacts at the time of their excavation and ever since."Yahoo! (Businessweek)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 9:41 pm
Lottery Turns Down Liverpool Museum FundingThe UK's Heritage Lottery Fund has turned down funding for a futuristic museum on Liverpool's waterfront. The Fund "said it would not be giving the project the £11.4m it asked for, saying the plans were not detailed enough." Planned exhibits in the building wwould "cover social history and popular culture, and will look at Britain and the world through the eyes of Liverpool."BBC01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 9:22 pm
Music's Great Growth Industry - RingtonesRingtones are turning into a big money-maker for the recording industry. "In 2005, tones pulled in $600 million, 20% ahead of estimates and more than double the 2004 take. The year's leader, 50 Cent's Candy Shop, sold 1.9 million downloads, more than the top-selling digital song: Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl, with 1.2 million. As options build and the cellphone is positioned as a digital command post, growth seems inevitable."USAToday01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:19 am
Mozart As You Want To See Him"Accepting Mozart, and putting him and his aesthetic at the centre of the classical canon, also seems to require some distortion of what and who he was. People have been poring over his scores and letters ever since he died, and what they've written about the character revelations they find there often tells more about the authors than about Mozart. Like early-modern Europeans in the New World, they tend to see what they expect to see."The Globe & Mail (Canada)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 7:33 am
The Renee Fleming Mozart MysteryWhy was Renee Fleming suddenly replaced for Mozart celebrations in Austria this week? The circumstances raise questions. "Why was the Mozarteum so inflexible, refusing either to substitute another aria for the one scheduled or to hire someone else for the aria but let Ms. Fleming perform the rest of the program?"The New York Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:09 pm
The Mozart Industry"The multinational music industry is gushing forth Mozart, calculating that one in four classical CDs has his name on it and the guy has brand recognition. Classic FM has produced a Mozart disc for babies. What we are witnessing is the rebirth of Mozart as McDonalds: everywhere you look, and always the same the world over. This coming weekend will serve up triple Mozart-deckers and Mozart-lite for weight watchers. I’m loving it...."La Scena Musicale01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:53 pm
Wal-Mart Goes Online For MusicWal-Mart has launched its own online music service. Dubbed "Wal-Mart Soundcheck", the service features studio performances and interviews with new and established bands and musicians.Yahoo! (AP)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:14 pm
More Women On Chicago Non-Profit BoardsIn contrast to the for-profit world, non-profits in the Chicago are including more women on their boards of directors. A new survey "found that 94 percent of them had at least one woman director and 89 percent had at least one woman executive. Women accounted for 36 percent of all executive officers and 26 percent of all top earners at the 35 non-profits."Chicago Tribune01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:50 am
Opposition Mounts Against Scottish Culture PlanIs a backlash growing against the Scottish Executive's plan for cultural reform in Scotland? "Any government, no matter its hue, should show a caring and supportive attitude towards cultural activity and be prepared to put its money where its mouth is. The fact that our present one is not, but instead still believes it can fool the people with false figures, hyped claims and meaningless gobbledegook is very regrettable."Glasgow Herald01/23/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 7:24 am
Getty Trustee Resigns"Barbara Fleischman, the New York art collector who with her husband donated and sold more than 300 prized antiquities to the Getty Museum in 1996 and then quietly made a personal loan to the curator who arranged the deal, resigned from the Getty board Wednesday." Los Angeles Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 6:55 am
Garcia-Marquez: I'm DoneNobel-winner Gabriel García Márquez has retired from writing. "I've stopped writing. 2005 was the first year in my life that I didn't write a line. With all the practice I've got, I'd have no problems writing a new novel. "But people do notice if you haven't put your heart into it."The Guardian (UK)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 9:13 am
Model Sues Spamalot For AdA model is suing the producers of the hit Broadway musical Spamalot for using her image in a promotional poster without permission.BBC01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 6:36 am
Theatre That Never Gets DoneIs Shunt the most innovative theatre in Britain?The Guardian (UK)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:27 pm
More Women On Chicago Non-Profit BoardsIn contrast to the for-profit world, non-profits in the Chicago are including more women on their boards of directors. A new survey "found that 94 percent of them had at least one woman director and 89 percent had at least one woman executive. Women accounted for 36 percent of all executive officers and 26 percent of all top earners at the 35 non-profits."Chicago Tribune01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:50 am
Opposition Mounts Against Scottish Culture PlanIs a backlash growing against the Scottish Executive's plan for cultural reform in Scotland? "Any government, no matter its hue, should show a caring and supportive attitude towards cultural activity and be prepared to put its money where its mouth is. The fact that our present one is not, but instead still believes it can fool the people with false figures, hyped claims and meaningless gobbledegook is very regrettable."Glasgow Herald01/23/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 7:24 am
Getty Trustee Resigns"Barbara Fleischman, the New York art collector who with her husband donated and sold more than 300 prized antiquities to the Getty Museum in 1996 and then quietly made a personal loan to the curator who arranged the deal, resigned from the Getty board Wednesday." Los Angeles Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 6:55 am
Garcia-Marquez: I'm DoneNobel-winner Gabriel García Márquez has retired from writing. "I've stopped writing. 2005 was the first year in my life that I didn't write a line. With all the practice I've got, I'd have no problems writing a new novel. "But people do notice if you haven't put your heart into it."The Guardian (UK)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 9:13 am
Model Sues Spamalot For AdA model is suing the producers of the hit Broadway musical Spamalot for using her image in a promotional poster without permission.BBC01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 6:36 am
Theatre That Never Gets DoneIs Shunt the most innovative theatre in Britain?The Guardian (UK)01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 11:27 pm
A Matisse Bio Where Once There Was NoneHow did Hilary Spurling come to write her Whitbread-winning biography of Matisse? "My publisher was probably the only person in the world to realise that nobody had written a biography of Matisse and he suggested that I do it. I felt my heart leap - I assumed it had been done, and was thrilled it hadn't. I was all wrong for it: I wasn't an art historian, I wasn't French and I am a woman. I thought these things would be a problem, but they helped." The Guardian (UK)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 9:16 am
The New CW - A Shrewd Play?What does the merger of the WB and UPN channels into CW mean to the TV landscape? "This move makes a lot of business sense, and television was built on selling soap, so you couldn't call it unexpected. The merger of two small networks into one small network (with a new name: the CW), may turn out to be that rarest of true cliches: a win-win. Not only for the bean counters, but for the viewers. Neither UPN or the WB is profitable."San Francisco Chronicle01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:26 am
The Weinsteins Apres-DisneyWhat's next for the post-Miramax Weinsteins? Their first films after leaving Disney don't suggest any great feats of derring do. "The Weinstein brothers' success has been as much about branding as about discovering good films. The Weinsteins may have seen the artistry behind "Pulp Fiction" and "The Piano," but the company's reputation for daring and for aggressive Oscar campaigns with budgets bigger than some movies' are about savvy marketing and public relations."The New York Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:05 am
Will Jobs Be Disney's Stealth CEO?"Let's say Disney continues to muddle along under [Disney CEO Robert] Iger as it did in the late Eisner years. Shareholders and observers will begin to note that having Iger run the company while Steve Jobs sits on the board is like having Michael Jordan (the basketball player) on the bench while Will Perdue is tossing up bricks. One of the biggest issues Disney faces is how to cope with the digitalization of the media. No one has done a better job than Jobs in helping established companies and industries cash in digitalization. So, there is little doubt Jobs will be a goad to Iger."Slate01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:44 pm
W. Virginia Fights Fat With DanceWest Virginia is trying to fight an obesity problem with a popular video game "that uses 'Dance Dance Revolution' to boost students' physical activity. All of the state's 157 middle schools are expecting to get the video game, and officials hope to put it in all 753 public schools within three years. A pilot project began in 20 schools last spring."Indianapolis Star (AP)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 9:22 am
A Matisse Bio Where Once There Was NoneHow did Hilary Spurling come to write her Whitbread-winning biography of Matisse? "My publisher was probably the only person in the world to realise that nobody had written a biography of Matisse and he suggested that I do it. I felt my heart leap - I assumed it had been done, and was thrilled it hadn't. I was all wrong for it: I wasn't an art historian, I wasn't French and I am a woman. I thought these things would be a problem, but they helped." The Guardian (UK)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 9:16 am
The New CW - A Shrewd Play?What does the merger of the WB and UPN channels into CW mean to the TV landscape? "This move makes a lot of business sense, and television was built on selling soap, so you couldn't call it unexpected. The merger of two small networks into one small network (with a new name: the CW), may turn out to be that rarest of true cliches: a win-win. Not only for the bean counters, but for the viewers. Neither UPN or the WB is profitable."San Francisco Chronicle01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:26 am
The Weinsteins Apres-DisneyWhat's next for the post-Miramax Weinsteins? Their first films after leaving Disney don't suggest any great feats of derring do. "The Weinstein brothers' success has been as much about branding as about discovering good films. The Weinsteins may have seen the artistry behind "Pulp Fiction" and "The Piano," but the company's reputation for daring and for aggressive Oscar campaigns with budgets bigger than some movies' are about savvy marketing and public relations."The New York Times01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 8:05 am
Will Jobs Be Disney's Stealth CEO?"Let's say Disney continues to muddle along under [Disney CEO Robert] Iger as it did in the late Eisner years. Shareholders and observers will begin to note that having Iger run the company while Steve Jobs sits on the board is like having Michael Jordan (the basketball player) on the bench while Will Perdue is tossing up bricks. One of the biggest issues Disney faces is how to cope with the digitalization of the media. No one has done a better job than Jobs in helping established companies and industries cash in digitalization. So, there is little doubt Jobs will be a goad to Iger."Slate01/25/06 Posted: 01/25/2006 10:44 pm
W. Virginia Fights Fat With DanceWest Virginia is trying to fight an obesity problem with a popular video game "that uses 'Dance Dance Revolution' to boost students' physical activity. All of the state's 157 middle schools are expecting to get the video game, and officials hope to put it in all 753 public schools within three years. A pilot project began in 20 schools last spring."Indianapolis Star (AP)01/26/06 Posted: 01/26/2006 9:22 am
