Alvarez, 97 when she died, won a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2022. As she accepted her award, she said, “Although life is difficult, there is always a way out, and with faith and love you can achieve it. … It’s never too late.” - The New York Times
“Even if you think you are making an active choice – I am playing this song, I’m listening to this genre – the algorithm is still quietly influencing you.” Is it possible to break free, aside from abandoning the data mining app that is Spotify? - Slate
“Everything about the modern Christmas movie is so relentlessly familiar. Even the stars I don’t recognize look somehow inherently recognizable, as if they are all fitted with squinting approximations of famous faces. I’ve found myself charmed by their commitment to the bit.” - The New York Times
If there were ever an argument for dance (and a sense of humor) as a way to extend one’s life, well: Dick Van Dyke in a suit and tie, barefoot, dancing in his California backyard as he nears his 99th birthday, is it. - Vulture
“Grande and Erivo have been praised for their performances onscreen, but they have also been performing in a parallel show, making viral magic on the press tour.” - The New York Times
“The co-writers were also interested in details about the world that produced someone like Dagmar. Copenhagen in the post-WWI years was crowded and people could easily disappear.” - Time
Wow, OK, these slippers better work as claimed: “The final bid of $28 million was the largest sum spent at an auction for a piece of entertainment memorabilia, the auction house said.” - The New York Times
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found a lot of issues around Google Pay - but "says its finding that Google should be supervised doesn’t mean the company is 'guilty of wrongdoing.’” - The Verge
Why? Because the reasoning era is here. The basic difference: “Language models learn a grammar, perhaps even something about the world, while reasoning models aim to use that grammar.” - The Atlantic
“Notre Dame was a monumental achievement in the 12th and 13th centuries. Its resurrection after the devastating fire that threatened to bring the entire edifice down, is a monumental achievement for the 21st.” - The Observer (UK)
Consider The Amazing Digital Circus, which used to be a satirical indie web series - and is now, thanks to legions of fans churning out absolute mountains of content, a Netflix show. (Then there’s the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef.) - NPR
Chiang, author of the short story that was turned into the movie Arrival, is only the second SF writer to win the PEN/Malamud Award, a lifetime achievement award for short stories. - Associated Press
Nakayama was “a reigning J-pop star of the 1980s who broke through to become a critically acclaimed dramatic actress and gained international attention.” - The New York Times
"The main beneficiaries this week are smaller films in dire need of the attention the tastemakers provide” - for instance, Drive My Car a couple of years ago. - Vulture
A lot depends on the incoming administration. “The TikTok ban could take effect as soon as one day before Trump is inaugurated next month. In reality, the app is most likely to survive a few more months.” - Wired
