Of course, Gen Xers always knew this would happen: the gradual folding of everything that could possibly be called “culture” into one image-spectacle-and-sensorium corporate machine that thrives on endless niche differentiation as a way of metastasizing its market share. - LitHub
Maybe you can relate to my mood: I want this election season over with. I have no more outrage left to give, yet there seems to be no bottom to Donald J. Trump’s authoritarian shamelessness. Thursday's debate between President Biden and Trump has me ducking for cover. - LA Times (Yahoo)
The downtown Calgary cultural hub has been raising funds for a $660-million transformation, which will see its existing facility upgraded, a new building added and the neighbouring outdoor Olympic Plaza redesigned. - The Globe & Mail
Why do some people hit their peak later than others? In his book Late Bloomers, the journalist Rich Karlgaard points out that this is really two questions: First, why didn’t these people bloom earlier? Second, what traits or skills did they possess that enabled them to bloom late? - The Atlantic (MSN)
"It could be the most terrifying folk art in China. It is called shua ya, which literally means 'teeth playing'. … Performers need to manipulate four to 10 tusks in their mouths, using their lips, teeth, and breath to make them move, conveying the emotions of characters." - South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
"The data show that implicitly-measured attitudes are revealed in and perhaps reinforced by language, which is a key vehicle of transmitting culture. If we want to durably address and reduce implicit bias in society, we will likely need interventions that adopt a more cultural (or macro level) focus." - Phys
Mirror-writing, after all, isn't that hard to read once you figure out the idea, and a genius like Leonardo could easily have come up with an encrypted code. Some have suggested that the mirror-writing was an act of resistance, which seems like presentism. The likely reason is actually a practical one. - Artnet
The RIAA’s lawsuits use lofty language, saying that this litigation is about “ensuring that copyright continues to incentivize human invention and imagination, as it has for centuries.” This sounds nice, but ultimately, the incentive it’s talking about is money. - The Verge
"Constructed from earth bricks, the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre (in Uganda) is intended as a creative outlet for the community, which is home to more than 250,000 displaced people, making it the largest refugee settlement in Africa." - Dezeen
Research in neuroscience and psychology reveals that active engagement in creative pursuits is an effective way to see the world in a more positive way. This might be the simplest, easiest, and most natural way for anyone to improve their life. - The Atlantic
The Apprentice (not to be confused with Trump's old reality TV series) is a rather unflattering depiction of the young Trump's disciple-like relationship with notorious lawyer Roy Cohn. The film's lead US funder, a Trump donor, is reportedly furious over the film, though he denies deliberately blocking it. - The Washington Post (MSN)
Comedy Central, CMT, Paramount Network, TV Land, and MTV sites now point visitors to the streaming platform, effectively removing vast archives of content from public access. This follows the unexpected shutdown of the MTV News website earlier this week, which erased two decades of content. - Shelly Palmer
"The two-year program in Moncton, N.B. will accept eight Indigenous dancers in Grade 11. … The (instruction) will be in contemporary style, but also include traditional and ballet, making it a holistic format that will give students access to a wide range of opportunities in their professional careers." - The Canadian Press (MSN)
"Cultural figures supporting the women" — director Yevgenia Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, two highly decorated fixtures of contemporary Russian theater — "say this is the first time in Russia’s post-Soviet era that a work of art is effectively being put on trial." - The New York Times
It's called a stretto piano, and it fits 88 keys on a keyboard roughly 7/8 the size of a standard grand piano keyboard. Studies indicate that the benefits in reduced strain and pain for smaller-handed pianists are just what you'd expect they'd be. - Ludwig Van
