“Hemingway was very fond of loafers,” said Patrick Hemingway, the writer’s 82-year-old son. “A lot of celebrity endorsements are phony, but not in this case. Hemingway had a great sense of style. He especially loved leather boots from Madrid.”
Tag: 07.10.10
Judge Reduces $675K File-Sharing Damages To $67.5K
“US District Court Judge Nancy Gertner ruled that the amount a federal jury ordered Joel Tenenbaum to pay last July was ‘unconstitutionally excessive’ in light of what she described as the modest harm caused to the record labels. She cut the award to $67,500, one-tenth the original sum.”
Artificial Music Intelligence (It’s Here)
David Cope had “long held the belief that all music was essentially inspired plagiarism. The great composers absorbed the music that had gone before them and their brains “recombined” melodies and phrases in distinctive, sometimes traceable, ways. We all have an internal database of musical reference; composers were those with the ability to manipulate it in new patterns. With the aid of an early computer, he realised he could put this to the test.”
China Ramps Up Demand For Western Arts
“Those stages now need content, and that has Western producers and promoters looking at the Chinese market, and at ways to build new audiences and expand their activities — and earnings. Yet many arts professionals from the West say China has a long way to go.”
Are Canada’s Niche Specialty TV Channels Crap?
“Will the inevitable expansion of the Canadian specialty TV template enrich us, or will it simply contribute to low-budget, small-idea amusements that have diverted advertising dollars away from the production of quality programs?”
A Massachusetts Theatre Opts For For-Profit
“All this effort includes a fancy new carpet in the lobby, a renovation of the grounds and a new partnership to manage the theater’s restaurant. It’s all a part of Bill Hanney’s efforts to build a successful for-profit business on the skeleton of a nonprofit.”
Anna Halprin Accesses Her Influence On American Dance
“From the New York modern dance point of view, she will probably always be seen as an isolated West Coaster who led the way in using dance for ritual and therapy – and who influenced two generations of dancers, including Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown and Meredith Monk.”
Long Island Holds A Competition To Plan Better Suburbs
“The competition for retrofitting downtowns and parking lots for this century was open to architects, urban designers, planners, students, community activists — really anyone interested in reshaping the Island’s future. Entries came from 30 countries ranging from Argentina to India, including finalists from both Serbia and Iran.”
Brandeis To Lease Its Art
“Debt-plagued Brandeis University has signed a contract with famed auction house Sotheby’s to lease rather than sell off works from its $350 million art collection. The move comes as the school tries to repair damage to its blemished reputation with the hiring of a new president, Frederick M. Lawrence, whose appointment was announced Thursday.”
Study: American Creativity Is Declining
“With intelligence, there is a phenomenon called the Flynn effect–each generation, scores go up about 10 points. Enriched environments are making kids smarter. With creativity, a reverse trend has just been identified and is being reported for the first time here: American creativity scores are falling.”