Eight writers, including Dahlia Lithwick, Kate Julian, and Tyler Cowen, offer their predictions on sex, computers, neo-antebellum politics, China, the Internet, and the Supreme Court. — New York Magazine
The Next Big Thing In British Art: Research Architecture?
“Where the Young British Artists were about ego and in-your-face art, with its sharks and suggestive arrangements of kebabs and fried eggs, this is collaborative, research based and politically committed, spanning architecture, journalism, law and science. As with all the most interesting movements, there’s controversy over whether it’s even art.” – The Guardian
Our Obsession With Taking Pictures Is Changing Our Memories
It’s not uncommon to see people spending more attention on picture-taking than focusing on the experience they’re having. But “taking photos of an event, rather than being immersed in it, has been shown to lead to poorer recall of the actual event — we get distracted in the process.” – Global News (Canada)
In Britain, Small Indie Bookshops Are Flourishing
For the second year in a row, statistics show that indies are doing better than fine. That comes after a steady 20-year decline, so the numbers still feel surprising. – The Guardian (UK)
For The First Time, A Woman Will Run CBS News
Susan Zirinsky will become CBS News President in March after years as the executive producer of “48 Hours.” She’s taking the reins after CBS has been rocked – and perhaps changed – by reports of massive sexual harassment at many levels, including the very top. – Los Angeles Times
Netflix Bows To Censors In Saudi Arabia
Take the First Amendment, and then flip it. That’s Saudi Arabia’s media landscape – and Netflix, the huge media company, is supporting the regime’s censorship. – The New York Times
Performers And Stage Managers Want A Share Of Hit Plays And Musicals They Helped Create
Equity is considering a limited strike, barring its members from developmental labs – “generally four-week sessions in which actors and writers test out material for shows in progress” – The New York Times
Sandra Oh Caps An Amazing Mid-Career Rise With Hosting The Golden Globes
She won one, too, for Killing Eve. But back to this article: Oh says, “People can pooh-pooh Hollywood all they want – and there is a lot to pooh-pooh, sure – but we also make culture. How many gazillions of people have seen Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians? That changes things.” – The Observer (UK)
The Year Of The Little Indies That Could
Oh, are movies entirely dominated by Disney and Netflix? These 2018 independent movies beg to differ. – Slate
Should We Be Able To Sue Facebook (And Other Companies) For Violating Our Privacy?
Yes, but they sure are trying hard to make it impossible. “Huge privacy violations have become commonplace. Without a private right of action, consumers have little practical ability to seek relief in cases where their data was mishandled or misused. This eliminates a powerful enforcement stick that can be used to dissuade companies from violating the law.” – The New York Times
America, We Need To Talk About ‘Dixie’
Though the song didn’t have its origins in the actual Confederacy, it became an anthem of that attempt to break away from the United States. But eventually, long after the Civil War ended with the Union winning and slavery coming to a legal end, “Dixie” became a marching band staple … and that got weird. – NPR
Wait, *What* Happened At The Golden Globes?
Whoa. (Here’s the full list, including some rather surprising winners.) – Variety
Everything About The 2019 Golden Globes
Here’s a collection of stories and a future live-blog for the ceremony, which starts at 8 Eastern tonight. – Los Angeles Times
Hastings Pier Won The Prestigious Stirling Prize In 2017, But Now It’s Closed For ‘Improvements’ That Are Sparking A Social Media War
So this is going well: “Hastings residents accuse [owner Sheikh Abid] Gulzar of cheapening the listed Victorian structure with plans for an amusement arcade and the installation of gold-painted fibreglass animals, including an elk, a bison and a baby hippopotamus.” – The Guardian (UK)
Propwatch: the beer in ‘Sweat’
“Propwatch always keeps an eye on the drinks cabinet, because liquor is character.” – David Jays
Vinyl Sales Grew By Leaps And Bounds In 2018 – And So Did Cassettes
Wait, cassette tapes? Yes (driven, as movie fans could guess, by Guardians of the Galaxy compilations). “Vinyl sales grew by just shy of 12 percent from 8.6 to 9.7 million sales, while cassette sales grew by almost 19 percent from 99,400 to 118,200 copies sold in the US.” But CD sales were in freefall, making physical media take another dip. – The Verge
The Architecture Research That Is Changing, And Charging Up, Human Rights
Research architecture is the name for an organized movement of investigative journalists, AI experts, archaeologists, lawyers, and others who are engaged in “the politics of space, especially how it is manipulated by states and corporations against civilians and the environment – from drone strikes in Pakistan to mining in the Amazon.” – The Guardian (UK)