Lionel Shriver: ‘Few writers are willing to put themselves on the line for free speech’ | Books | The Guardian
The Internet Has Grown Toxic, Say The Guys Who Built It
"To
understand what went wrong — how the Silicon Valley dream of building a
networked utopia turned into a globalized strip-mall casino overrun by
pop-up ads and cyberbullies and Vladimir Putin — we spoke to more than a
dozen architects of our digital present. If the tech industry likes to
assume the trappings of a religion, complete with a quasi-messianic
story of progress, the Church of Tech is now giving rise to a new sect
of apostates, feverishly confessing their own sins. And the internet’s
original sin, as these programmers and investors and CEOs make clear,
was its business model." … Read MoreAs lies on Syrian gas attack unravel, US and UK shift to claims of Russian “cyber war” WSWS
YOUR DAILY TREACHER: ‘They Were Never Going to Let Me Be President,’ Said the Woman Who Thought It Was Her Due.
Norm Macdonald, in addition to being the best Weekend Update anchor ever, is also a keen student of human nature. Last year he summed up the results of the 2016 presidential election with this koan-like observation: “People hated Hillary Clinton so much that they voted for someone they hated more than Hillary Clinton in order to rub it in.”
Choi Eun-Hee, South Korean Actress Kidnapped By North, Dead At 91
One
of South Korea's most famous actors in the 1960s and '70s, Choi was
kidnapped in Hong Kong in 1978 and transported to Pyongyang at the order
of Kim Jong-Il. With her ex-husband, Shin Sang-Ok, who was abducted
shortly afterward, she was held in North Korea and forced to make films
for eight years. … [Read More]Australia's Phillip Adams - Carl Kasell, Longtime NPR Newscaster, Dead At 84
"In
1975, Kasell joined NPR as a part-time employee. Four years later, he
announced the news for the first broadcast of a new show called Morning
Edition. Over three decades, he became one of the network's most
recognized voices. ... And then came a surprise second act; after
decades of being super-serious, Kasell got a chance to let his hair down
as the official judge and scorekeeper for Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!"
… [Read More]WHAT KIND OF KNIFE WOULD Sherlock Holmes carry?
Collecting: Why Canada’s National Gallery Is Selling A Chagall To Get A David
There
will, no doubt, be many who oppose the decision. Chagall’s lofty
position in the pantheon of Modern art is equalled by few, and bested by
maybe only two: Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. David, a towering
figure in French neo-classical painting, is no less important, an art
historian would tell you, though in another era and for different
reasons. … [Read More]