Author: Douglas McLennan

An Atlantic Reporter Enters The Trump News Universe… And Finds Himself Questioning Reality

“I was surprised by the effect it had on me. I’d assumed that my skepticism and media literacy would inoculate me against such distortions. But I soon found myself reflexively questioning every headline. It wasn’t that I believed Trump and his boosters were telling the truth. It was that, in this state of heightened suspicion, truth itself—about Ukraine, impeachment, or anything else—felt more and more difficult to locate. With each swipe, the notion of observable reality drifted further out of reach.” – The Atlantic

Can Social Mapping Explain Relationships Between Cultures?

If you look at the U.S., Canada is culturally similar, as is Australia. If you look at China, Vietnam and South Korea are quite culturally similar. The point, though, is that the world, culturally, doesn’t go linearly from the U.S. to whatever the endpoint is—Egypt, in this case. Those countries in between the U.S. and Egypt are not similar to each other because they fall in between them. – Nautilus

American Institute Of Architects Attacks Proposed Trump Rules On New Federal Architecture

“The AIA strongly opposes uniform style mandates for federal #architecture. Architecture should be designed for the specific communities that it serves, reflecting our rich nation’s diverse places, thought, culture, and climates. Architects are committed to honoring our past as well as reflecting our future progress, protecting the freedom of thought and expression that are essential to democracy.”  – The Architect’s Newspaper

Trump Attacks Modern Architecture, Declares “Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again”

In a seven-page draft executive order obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Trump declares that the federal government since the 1950s has “largely stopped building beautiful buildings that the American people want to look at or work in.” Future federal government buildings, he decrees, should look like those of ancient Rome, Greece and Europe. “Classical architectural style shall be the preferred and default style,” he states. Trump’s draft order is titled — get ready for it — “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.” – Chicago Sun-Times

Longtime Chicago Tribune Pop Critic Greg Kot Takes A Buyout As The Company That Owns The Trib Dismantles It

A native of Syracuse, New York, and graduate of Marquette University, Kot worked for the Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa, before joining the Tribune as a copy editor in 1980. Ten years later he was promoted to music critic and quickly established his reputation as a trusted and insightful writer on popular music across many genres. – Robert Feder

Christie’s Holds An Auction Of Low-Priced Art And It’s A Hit

The sale, dubbed Christie’s 100, featured 92 lots by many well-known contemporary artists, with bids starting at as low as $100. Certain works even sold for considerably less than the average New Yorker’s monthly rent, including a Louise Lawler print for $1,000, and a John Bock work on paper for $750. In all, 96 percent of the works found buyers and the sale pulled in $347,375. – Artnet

New Zealand To Lose Its Only Classical Music Radio Station

In proposed changes, the classical station will lose its FM frequency, all its presenters, interviews and live programmes. Playout of recordings will only continue as a fully automated playlist on a digital stream and AM frequencies. Under the plans, New Zealand will have no longer have a live-presented radio station dedicated to classical music. – ClassicFM

Are This Year’s Oscar Best Picture Nominations A Tipping Point?

Wesley Morris: “Assembled, these distinct movies become a representative entity, and a person like me notices a theme that could poke out an eye. And whiteness is part of that story. It’s always been, of course. But this year feels different. A homogeneity has set in. The nominated movies start to look like picture day at certain magnet schools.” – The New York Times