“It’s a grossly wasteful industry. Think about set builds that aren’t recycled, think about transport, think about food, think about housing, but also light and energy. The amount of wattage you need to create daylight and consistent light in a studio environment. It’s a lot of energy.” - The Guardian
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Pärt has found a way to speak across boundaries of culture, creed and generation. In the world of contemporary classical music, where complexity and empty virtuosity often dominate, Pärt stands apart. - The Guardian
Descartes had a famous dictum about the constitutive powers of the thinking self: I think therefore I am. Could it be that, today, I hate, therefore I am? - The New York Times
As linear TV viewership plummets and online ad rates remain low, the economics of late-night talk shows no longer works. But there are consequences, both obvious and impalpable, to the disappearance of these franchises. - TheWrap (MSN)
Named Aeneas after the mythical Trojan hero, the program predicts where and when inscriptions were made and makes suggestions where words are missing. - The Guardian
Despite its explosive popularity over the years, in 2024 Burning Man fell short of its fundraising goals and saw a reduction in ticket sales. The organization does not have corporate sponsorships to support its operations, and the sale of tickets, which cost anywhere from $550 to $3,000, do not alone cover those expense. - The Guardian
Where going online once evoked a wide-eyed sense that the world was at our fingertips, now it requires wading into the slop like weary, hardened detectives, attempting to parse the real from the fake. - The Atlantic
“Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that punishes online searches for information that is deemed ‘extremist.’ … The official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like (Navalny’s) Anti-Corruption Foundation … and the ‘international LGBT movement’.” - AP
“The report shows 44% of freelancers earn less than the UK National Living Wage, up from 34% last year. ... The survey reveals high levels of unpaid work, rising expenses and falling incomes, with 32% of respondents saying over half of their working hours are unpaid and 75% reporting higher work-related costs.” - WhatsOnStage (UK)
“The Joffrey’s current lease was slated to end following the 2027 season, but this extension will keep the city’s top ballet company at the massive downtown opera house through 2034. Joffrey first began performing under Lyric’s roof in October 2021, after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.” - WBEZ (Chicago)
Her tribe, birthplace, date of death — all those and much else from the journals and later testimony of Lewis and Clark had been considered definitive. But Native American oral history about Sacagawea is quite different, and there are good reasons to believe that Lewis and Clark were misinformed. - The New York Times Magazine
“The displays were flagged for review in accordance with a Trump administration order directing National Park Service staff to identify language and historical depictions that ‘inappropriately disparage Americans past or living’.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
“Patrick Soon-Shiong will retain majority ownership of the Los Angeles Times in his planned public sale, which will be limited to $75 million after the paper is combined with some of his other media ventures.” - TheWrap
Due to the Trump/Congress clawback of funding for public broadcasting, the 13 GBH employees who work on the history documentary series have lost their jobs and production of new episodes is paused indefinitely. Reruns of American Experience documentaries from previous seasons will be broadcast instead. - Current
Geophysicists say Istanbul has a 40-60% chance of a major earthquake by 2055. … There are roughly 40,000 historical sites in Istanbul that need to be protected from earthquakes. … The Washington Post studied three examples from minimal to maximum intervention: Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, and Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. - The Washington Post (MSN)
