Yikes, and yuck. “The rapid return of Mr. Gatti and Mr. Dutoit has led some to ask whether the cult of personality that surrounds maestros in a tradition-bound field has won out, particularly in countries like Italy and Russia where the reaction to #MeToo has been relatively muted.” The New York Times
Tag: 12.28.18
The Books (And Movies, And Music) That 44th President Barack Obama Enjoyed In 2019
No surprise, his favorite book was Becoming, by Michelle Obama. But of course, many of us who enjoy streaming platforms live for his playlists, and this year’s no different. – The New York Times
Survey: Who’s Swayed By Social Media Influencers?
The survey of more than 1,000 shoppers was carried out for Radio 4’s You and Yours by consumer analysts Savvy Marketing. It found that 54% of 18-to-34-year-old beauty buyers were influenced by their suggestions. – BBC
Fake Images Created By AI Are Getting So Good They’re Hard To Spot
The end result is similar to a trick often used in Hollywood. Superheroes, aliens, and the simians in Planet of the Apesmovies are animated by placing markers on actors’ faces and bodies so they can be tracked in 3-D by special cameras. – Wired
IRS: Aretha Franklin Owed $6+ Million In Back Taxes
The IRS “proof of claim” filings entered Dec. 12 and 19 say the amount owed is cumulative, beginning with an unpaid assessed balance of $1,305,403 in December 2012 and including $552,718 due by the end of this year. – The Daily Beast
Really? Color Of The Year?
Pantone’s color of the year for 2019 is “living coral”. And in case 2018’s color slipped by your notice, it was ultra violet. – The Guardian
The Ten Biggest Upheavals Of Lincoln Center’s Tumultuous Year (And Yes, There Were Even More)
“Scandals rocked some of its biggest institutions; around the fountain there was a twilight-of-the-gods feeling. … And it was not just Lincoln Center’s independent constituent organizations that faced turmoil: Governance woes continued to plague the center itself, which manages the campus.” — The New York Times
Britain’s Film Industry Is Thriving Just Now, But They’re All Afraid Brexit Will Wreck It
“If there are members of the UK cinema community who think Brexit is a good thing, they are all but impossible to find. Actors and film-makers were virtually unanimous in their advocacy of the remain campaign before the 2016 referendum. They still are, but now they are, at least, resigned to the reality of Brexit, as much as any industry can be.” — The Guardian
Amos Oz, Giant Of Israeli Literature, Dead At 79
“The author of 18 books in Hebrew and a longtime candidate for the Nobel Prize for literature, Oz was best known for novels including Black Box, In the Land of Israel and A Tale of Love and Darkness, his bestselling autobiographical novel. Much of his work, both fiction and non-fiction, explored kibbutz life and picked apart his characters’ often complex relationships with Israel and modern politics – reflective of his own. — The Guardian
‘Beast Jesus’ May Have Been An Art Conservation Disaster, But It Has Transformed The Town That Hosts It
The Lord really does move in mysterious ways, it seems. Not only has tourism to the Spanish town of Borja more than quadrupled, but revenues have funded places for the indigent in the local old-age home. — The Guardian