praeceptrix

I am currently listening to a fascinating audiobook: They Thought They Were Free. it is an extremely timely and distressing read. Edited for clarification: the subtitle of the book is "the Germans, 1933-1945". The author recounts interviews and discussions with 10 members of the Nazi Party. The parallels to the present, to the justifications put forth by the magats are upsetting, to say the least.

Composer Sofia Gubaidulina, 93, has died. I had not heard of her, nor sung anything by her. The obituary makes me want to ask our conductor about doing some of her music on a future program.

South African playwright Athol Fugard has died.

Joffrey Ballet star Christian Holder, nephew of Geoffrey Holder, has died. He was 75.

As it happens, Betsy Arakawa was important enough to merit her own obituary in the NY Times.

One of the lawyers for Sean Combs is quitting.

Operatic bass Paul Plishka, 83, has died.

Danish ballerina Kirsten Simone has died. She was 90 years old.

Canadian actor Julien Arnold has died. He was 60. He died during a performance of A Christmas Carol.

Actor Timothy West has died. He was 90.

Please post pictures of your pets. We need beautiful pictures right now. I can't post pictures of my sweet Artemus Squeakifur, gone 3 weeks ago today, because the images are too big.

Hallmark is being hit with a lawsuit after an executive allegedly made ageist comments about female actors and crew.

English soprano Sarah Leonard has died. She was 71.

There's a petition to stop Chris Brown from performing in South Africa, due to his history of violence against women.

On a positive note, Lara Croft is becoming more realistic. I don't actually watch TV (I just read about it here), but I thought this was news worth sharing.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that they will name a sports venue after murdered marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei.

Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei dies after being set on fire by her ex.

Any NY Boulders fans here?

Not TV, but I have my fingers crossed that National Theatre Live might air it one day: Unspeakable Conversations. it looks fascinating and challenging, just from the review.

Sweet Honey in the Rock founder Bernice Johnson Reagon, 81, has left us. This one really hurts. I was lucky enough to see her perform several times. She was immensely talented and inspiring. She will be sorely missed. Just realized that the above link requires a subscription. This is a free link to NPR.

Alec Baldwin's latest attempt to get the charges against him dismissed has been rejected.

Hollywood Makeup Artist Allie Shehorn Allegedly Stabbed By Actor Ex Nick Pasqual She had a restraining order, but it didn't help. I don't know how long it takes severed tendons to heal, or if there will be permanent physical damage, but I hope she will recover fully. And that the bastard who did it gets life without parole.

Barbara O. Jones, whose "arresting roles in movies like “Bush Mama” and “Daughters of the Dust” helped shape a generation of independent filmmakers" has died. She was 82.

The NY Times obituary for Terry Carter has even more details about his long and interesting career. I didn't watch the original BSG. Now, after reading the obituaries, I want to watch his documentaries on Duke Ellington and Katherine Dunham. I wish there were a film record of his first major Broadway show, Mrs. Patterson, with my favorite actress, Eartha Kitt. He graduated from Stuyvesant HS a few years before I did.

BBC Proms conductor Sir Andrew Davis has died.