Alvin Plantinga “has led a movement of unapologetically Christian philosophers who, if they haven’t succeeded in persuading their still overwhelmingly unbelieving colleagues, have at least made theism philosophically respectable.”
Tag: 12.14.11
Manager Of Pennsylvania Orchestra Charged With Embezzling $200K
“A woman told police she stole more than $200,000 from the York Symphony Orchestra to support her gambling addiction while she was the orchestra’s office manager, according to charging documents.”
What Ever Happened To Theater Of The Absurd? (It Became Absurd)
Michael Billington: “I would argue that, while absurdism was a fascinating historical phenomenon,” but for about half a dozen masterpieces by Beckett and Ionesco, “it now looks increasingly irrelevant. … [P]erhaps we now demand more from drama than a cry of anguish at the absurdity of the human condition.”
New York Art Collective Forced To Repatriate Saddam Hussein’s Dinner Plates
The group Creative Time had bought the plates on eBay for a “culinary-political performance piece” by a New York artist with Iraqi-Jewish roots. The china was looted from one of the dictator’s palaces, and the Iraqi government, saying that the dishes belonged to the people, demanded their return.
Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations
Nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards were unveiled this morning, with “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “Bridesmaids” and “Midnight in Paris” all getting nods for outstanding cast performance.
Sobering Stats: Male Pop Stars Get Way More Play Than Females
In terms of sales, “male artists had 238 hit songs (54.1 percent) and female artists had 182 (41.4 percent),” they report. But in terms of airplay, “male artists had 271 hit songs (61.6 percent) and female artists had only 151 (34.3 percent).”
New UK Treasury Rules Stop Museums From Spending Donor Money
Treasury regulations “hinder museums from spending the donations they have received in previous years and may stop philanthropists from making future donations”.
Getty Museum’s Interim Director Resigns
“It is not entirely clear why Bomford is leaving in February instead of waiting for Cuno to name a museum director, but his departure is a sign that Bomford, Cuno or both realized that he was not the best fit for the open job. Bomford was not available to speak today, according to a Getty spokesperson.”
New Computer Can Tell When You’re paying Attention (And When You’re Not)
“Connected to a computer, BodyWave can tell when someone is paying attention and sound an alarm when they aren’t. Something like this can also be used in cars — for instance, sounding an alarm if a driver’s attention drifts.”
The Real Economic Miracle Of The “Nutcracker”
“The children’s piece of this economic puzzle didn’t sink in for me until I went to the show last week and listened to all the families around me, ooing and ahhing as they watched their kids prance around the stage in snowflake and soldier costumes. There are 440 children who are members of the cast. About 30 to 50 kids are in the show each night. So let’s figure it out. Each child’s family, in addition to the proud parents, might have grannies, grandpas, aunts, uncles, friends, brothers and sisters. And they all go to the Nutcracker, some several times.”