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
Blog
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
When Comedians Cross The Line (As With One Unfortunate Tweet About Kobe Bryant)
We won’t share here what comic Ari Shaffir put on Twitter about the late basketball star (it’s in the article), but it got him dropped by his agent, criticized by his colleagues, and threatened by angry Kobe fans. “Shaffir’s fans do expect this kind of thing from him. But the shocking death of Bryant hit a bigger cultural nerve, revealing how dark humor has expanded and evolved in the era of social media.” Jason Zinoman considers that evolution. – The New York Times
Closing time
I never sit around pining for what might have been. What was and is, after all, have both proved to be wholly satisfying. But when you get to be my age — I turned sixty-four today — you can’t help but think about the roads you didn’t take, the unknown and unknowable possibilities. – Terry Teachout
Tenor Masters Griffin And Davis Live At The Penthouse
Johnny Griffin and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis were tenor saxophone masters whose collaborations made them among the instrument’s most celebrated players. Their “new” album is titled OW! after one of its tracks, a celebrated Dizzy Gillespie composition from the early years of bebop. – Doug Ramsey
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