“Governments coddle these cities the same way nursing homes care for Alzheimer’s patients; everything is planned, nothing happens organically. Those splendid skylines are so fraught with symbolism and national pride that a misplaced roof tile could cause panic. The only future these cities will ever know is their own past.”
Tag: 11.21.14
A Portrait Of A Dead Woman, Told Through The Auction Of Her Art
“Visitors seemed drawn by the romance of Mrs. Mellon’s legacy. A devoted horticulturalist, she was credited with developing the White House Rose Garden, and inspiring a green thumb in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.”
Berlin Is Building A New City Palace, But The Money’s Running Out
“The new Prussian palace could end up being nothing more than an unattractive concrete box besmirching the banks of the Spree — and just as unsightly as the asbestos-ridden building controversially torn down to make room for it.”
More Than A Century In, Have We Figured Out What Makes A Film Successful?
“There’s a stark difference between ‘flop’ and ‘second-highest-earning live-action original release of the year,’ and it comes from the worldwide gross.”
Increasingly Problematic: TV Ratings Are Failing To Count More Of The Audience
“Nielsen’s metric doesn’t include those who watched the episode on streaming sites like Hulu or Fox’s own website, nor does it count those who watch via video-on-demand more than four days after the original airing. That’s an issue for networks that want to use those viewership totals with advertisers.”
Metropolitan Opera’s Deficit Swells To $22 Million
“Weaker-than-expected contributions and ticket sales [last season] combined with expenses related to the company’s labor talks to create its most serious shortfall in decades. … The deficit for the 2013-14 season was roughly eight times that of the previous season.”