Joe Russo, director of Avengers: Endgame and some other things you might have heard of or seen in the company of many other people, said, “Popular films were winning Oscars before the mid ’90s, then Weinstein started mudslinging campaigns.” - Variety
"I was conscious ... that I was part of a collectively realised beauty. And that it was as that beauty fell in plaintive harmony on those two words – wept and remember – that I felt the sweetness of living being restored to a memory.” - The Guardian (UK)
“The cost of fighting lawsuits and responding to an influx of inquiries during the coronavirus pandemic — when hundreds of people believed they had found an original van Gogh ... — has made the museum increasingly resistant to authentication requests.” - The New York Times
“Amazon is forcing Echo users to make a couple of tough decisions: Grant Amazon access to recordings of everything you say to Alexa or stop using an Echo; let Amazon save voice recordings and have employees listen to them or lose a feature set to become more advanced.” - ArsTechnica
The Board, which has been purged and replaced by Trump loyalists, will take up a resolution that says, "The committee will recommend a slate of honorees to the Kennedy Center’s president for approval.” And we know who that is. - The New York Times
Classic Looney Tunes show are now gone from Warner Bros’ Max, though some remain on Warner Bros’ channels for kids. But otherwise, that’s all, folks. - Vulture
“I wanted the benefits of clowning, namely feeling comfortable and even coming to enjoy reading my work in public, without any of the scary bits (and clowns in America have quite a scary reputation).” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
“Steven Meiner, the mayor of Miami Beach, has issued a draft resolution calling for the termination of the city’s lease agreement with O Cinema, and withdrawing $40,000 in promised grant funding for the nonprofit that runs the independent cinema.” - The Guardian (UK)
One “striking feature of Grade’s fiction is that it almost never acknowledges the imminent annihilation of the world it so meticulously reconstructs—as if by ignoring that obscene fact, he could annul it.” - The Atlantic
“For decades, cassette players have carried the soul-stirring poetry of Sufi saints and the mystical melodies of Kashmiri instruments like the sarangi and santoor, and it’s long been a local ritual for families to gather around the warm hum of a tape player.” - Seattle Times (AP)
“Children appreciate the miniature dolls house type model making, adults appreciate the skill that goes into making them, and older people who may remember when some of these places still stood.” - BBC
And the U.S., mired in political drama every day, rejoices. Star Jason Sudeikis said the folksy character will be coaching a women’s team in season 4. - The New York Times
Is it time to move? "Flames came within feet of the building, and 17 courageous staff members who remained onsite went through 40 handheld fire extinguishers stamping them out.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
But how much of that made it to the artists? “Major-label artists with massive streaming numbers can make substantial money, but for mid-level and emerging artists, streaming income is often unsustainable.” - CBC
