“The public nature of the river baptism is what sets it apart from so many other religious rituals (especially in America, a country of believers with, paradoxically, few shared rituals). A river baptism doesn’t have to be in a river; it can be in a creek, the sea, an old bathtub in the yard.”
Tag: 04.05.11
Our Brains – Who’s In Charge Here?
“The first lesson we learn from studying our own circuitry is shocking: most of what we do and think and feel is not under our conscious control. The vast jungles of neurons operate their own programs. The conscious you – the I that flickers to life when you wake up in the morning – is the smallest bit of what’s transpiring in your brain.”
Iran Cuts Off The Louvre
“Iran has cut ties with The Louvre, a top official said on Monday, accusing the renowned Paris museum of violating a commitment … to set up an exhibition of Persian artefacts in Iran.”
Washington, D.C. Mayor Proposes To Tax Performing Arts and Museum Tickets
“The change, as reflected in budget legislation submitted by the Gray administration, would end a sales tax exemption long extended to ‘live performances of ballet, dance, or choral performances, concerts (instrumental and vocal), plays (with and without music), operas and readings and exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, photography, graphic and craft arts’.”
Feds Get Involved In Maine Governor’s Controversy Over Mural
“If Maine Gov. Paul LePage doesn’t wish to display a mural depicting the state’s labor history, then the U.S. Department of Labor wants back the federal money used to create it. The department said Monday that LePage violated the terms of a federal grant that paid for most of the mural’s $60,000 cost when he removed the art work from state offices last month.”
The World’s First ‘Transmedia’ Stand-Up Comedy Show
Justin Hamilton “launched his own app that ties into the material in his show. Audience members can download the app, which will serve as something of an instant search engine with ready-made links, offering information on topics Hamilton touches on.”
Performers’ Unions Decry Illegal Downloading
The unions released a statement decrying “Illegal downloading and streaming of the content made by our members” and stating that those practices “pose a devastating threat to the future of the hundreds of thousands of working men and women who make up the American entertainment industry.”
Too Animated – Animators Find Too-Realistic Animation “Creeps Out” Audiences
A theory called the “uncanny valley” says we tend to feel attracted to inanimate objects with human traits, the way a teddy bear or a rag doll seems cute. Our affection grows as an object looks more human. But if it looks too human, we suddenly become repulsed.
What Symphony Orchestras Should Learn From The YouTube Symphony
“True, when considering professional orchestras and the YouTube version, we’re not comparing apples with apples. Nonetheless, struggling orchestras can–and should–learn valuable lessons from YouTube about what it may require to remain viable and relevant in the 21st Century.”
Wim Wenders Will Not Be Directing Bayreuth Ring
“German newspapers are reporting that Wim Wenders now won’t be directing the 2013 Bayreuth Ring … The two parties had earlier seemed close to agreement, with set designs already in progress. But the main sticking point was a proposed 3-D film of the production.”