Ariel Dorfman: "The smiling, friendly form of capitalism now presents — the very fact that it doesn’t wish to shock or alienate its customers — may, in the end, prove even more dangerous to our ultimate well-being than was true half a century ago." - Salon
The problem isn't Apple vs. Android, say the Wired folks. It's that we're addicted to our phones - and missing chats, aka discussions, with humans in our non-phone lives. - Wired
"It includes bans on biometric systems that identify people using sensitive characteristics such as sexual orientation and race, and the indiscriminate scraping of faces from the internet," plus some copyright protections as well. - Wired
The question of the relation between one’s life and one’s taste has become a fraught one, and is still more troubled when the taste in question has a kind of public authority—as Sasha Frere-Jones came to have for readers of the New Yorker, the LA Times, and the Village Voice. - BookForum
There are still plenty of creative people in Portland, of course, but many left during the pandemic, and no doubt many potential newcomers have been priced out. When money is tight, artists do not make things just to make them, things that might bring joy to those around them but will not put money in their pocket. - Portland Monthly
"It’s not art-at-the-service-of-science. … It’s a collaboration of the two that can generate a vision for the future, to explain complex information, both theoretical and hard big data. And all in a way that’s accessible to scientists and the wider community. … But the road to this future isn't clearly paved. Yet." - Nature
During the past weeks, I’ve been casting about to see what ideas are already out there. Suggestions I’ve found include the Terrible Twenties, the Long 2016, the Age of Emergency, Cold War II, the Omnishambles, the Great Burning, and the Assholocene. - The New Yorker
The current board — installed following Disney's public criticism of DeSantis's "don't say gay" law — described the previous one as "the most egregious exhibition of corporate cronyism in modern American history." Disney responded that the new board's report is "neither objective nor credible." - AP
"(Members) unanimously voted to recommend the city use nearly 10% of its annual Transient Occupancy Tax revenue to fund arts and culture, nearly double the current amount. Tuesday's action doesn't immediately allocate the funds, but does send a message to Mayor Todd Gloria for next year's budget process." - KPBS (San Diego)
Amid all the destruction, residents have barely had the opportunity to grapple with the loss of the densely populated enclave’s few cultural institutions that locals recall as refuges and rare beacons of culture. - Washington Post
Nearly two decades in the making and hailed as a game changer, the program and its steady stream of funds will be transformative for the sector, which is still feeling the impacts of the pandemic. - Seattle Times
"Assimilation to the United States’ Christian-majority culture has played a role in Hanukkah’s modern transformation. That said, the story of how Hanukkah came to have the commercial, kids-and-gifts focus that it has in the U.S. today is a bit more complicated." - The Conversation
The destruction of dozens of majors and careers at West Virginia University, which serves many working- and middle-class students, raises a fundamental question in public higher education: If you’re a bright kid of modest means, which opportunities do you deserve? - The Atlantic
Contrary to some beliefs, introducing AI as a technology can support and enhance creativity in educational settings. For example, generative AI tools can be used to promote divergent thinking, challenge expertise bias, assist in idea evaluation, support idea refinement and facilitate collaboration. - The Conversation
Everything that’s usually on the menu was present. Hair-raising musical performances. Touching tributes from past honorees. Biographical videos. Amusing bits. Herbie Hancock. - Washington Post
