Box office grosses are down by one quarter just from the previous week by nearly one half from Christmas week in 2019, the last one before the pandemic. - The New York Times
The Baltimore Museum of Art won't reopen until Wednesday, Dec. 29 (although its gift shop and restaurant will keep running), and the Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture is closed until Jan. 5. - The Baltimore Sun
"U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has … an additional £30 million in funding will be made available through the existing Culture Recovery Fund to support organizations such as theaters, orchestras and museums through the winter to March 2022." - Variety
My elevator pitch goes something like this: “I know you think cyborgs are always imminent. But not here yet. However, I am a cyborg. And cyborgs are first and foremost disabled people. We’re the ones who have a fundamental interface with tech. - Wired
Among Newton’s contributions were the development of distinctive festival seasons, the establishment of a permanent acting ensemble and the creation of an artistic training program now known as the Slaight Family Academy. - Toronto Star
What makes for a good word, in the eyes of a crossword-puzzle constructor? The language of aesthetic judgment is gustatory—one has good taste or feels something in one’s gut—but crosswords are meant to transcend physical sensations. - The New Yorker
There is a contradiction here of both scorning a system that’s shallow and rigged, and also feeling bitter about not being able to succeed within such a system in order to get our remuneration. - The Point
Hamza Walker conceived a fiendish idea: Why not stage an exhibition in which, removed from their places of pride, these statues could be evaluated not only as propaganda for genocide but also as art objects? And why not invite contemporary artists to create works in response to them? - Artnet
Jay Nordlinger: "What is the glory of Western civilization? Our political freedom, probably — the rights of individual man. But I would not put music far behind, with Bach leading the way." - National Review
In particular, symphony orchestras, such as those in San Antonio and in Springfield, Mass., which have the twin problems of long-term financial distress and intractable disputes with musicians' unions demanding livable wages are facing serious danger. - The New York Times
Biden is blazing a path that will make it harder for large internet service providers to exert their market control. The point of net neutrality is to force ISPs like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast to treat internet traffic equally. - CNBC
Henry James's The Turn of the Screw (1898) has inspired many a movie and television adaptation as well as a major opera. Adam Scovell looks at the novella's enduring appeal for adapters. - Literary Hub
Shasta can record a conversation, automatically transcribe its contents in the cloud, and then make that audio every bit as easy to edit as a document. That means Shasta is a quietly revolutionary piece of software in the world of editing. - Engadget
He was known to a small group of Jesuits and reporters, but he spent his life afraid that more people would learn about his ordeal. Ronald Hunkeler, who grew up to have a 40-year career as a NASA engineer, died last year at 85. - New York Post
