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Opinion | When Private Equity Came for the Music Industry - The New York Times
Private equity is cannibalizing the music industry by buying up old hits and pushing them back into our cultural consciousness.
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How can democracies respond to rigged elections? - The Economist (No paywall)
THE RESULT of Russia’s presidential election was entirely predictable. Long before the first ballot was cast, it was clear that Vladimir Putin, the country’s dictator since 1999, would win by a predetermined, overwhelming majority. Russia’s electoral commission claims that Mr Putin won 87% of the vote on a record turnout of 77.5%. Voting, which took place between March 15th and 17th, was strictly supervised. In illegally occupied parts of Ukraine, voters cast their ballots at gunpoint. Mr Putin faced no credible opponents: most of Russia’s opposition is in exile, in jail or dead.
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How China, Russia and Iran are forging closer ties - The Economist (No paywall)
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, and Ebrahim Raisi, his Iranian counterpart, have several things in common. Both belong to a tiny group of leaders personally targeted by American sanctions. Even though neither travels much, both have been to China in recent years. And both seem increasingly fond of one another. In December they met in the Kremlin to discuss the war in Gaza. On March 18th Mr Raisi was quick to congratulate Mr Putin for his “decisive” election victory.
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How AT&T Employees Turned Process Gripes Into $230 Million Saved
The spring 2024 issue’s special report looks at how to take advantage of market opportunities in the digital space, and provides advice on building culture and friendships at work; maximizing the benefits of LLMs, corporate venture capital initiatives, and innovation contests; and scaling automation and digital health platform.
The spring 2024 issue’s special report looks at how to take advantage of market opportunities in the digital space, and provides advice on building culture and friendships at work; maximizing the benefits of LLMs, corporate venture capital initiatives, and innovation contests; and scaling automation and digital health platform.
An $8 expense — rejected because of a travel policy technicality — led to my own first “raindrop.” That term is unique to AT&T, but the leadership challenge isn’t: A raindrop is an annoying policy, an outdated process, or a tool that’s no longer useful — anything that hinders rather than helps you and your organization move forward. One or two of these may be tedious but bearable; pool enough of them, however, and a day at work can make people feel as if they’re drowning in bureaucracy. Every raindrop wastes time, energy, and/or money.
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The 2 Most Misunderstood Films of the Decade Expose Hollywood's Biggest Failing
Two of the decades’ most epic films share a poignant message — but it’s going right over most people’s heads.
Hollywood loves a good film about a bad person. As eager as the industry is to produce those films, though — and as eager as audiences are to consume them — the point of those films is often lost on most viewers.
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Sitting Is Even Deadlier Than We Thought, A New Study Reveals
Advances in technology in recent decades have obviated the need and desire for humans to move. Many of the world’s population sit for long periods throughout the day, whether in front of a computer at work or in front of a TV at home. Given that the human body is made to move, all this sitting is clearly bad for our health. A new study from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) confirmed this – and then some.
A total of 5,856 female participants aged 63 to 99 years were asked to wear an activity monitor on their hip for seven days at the start of the study. The researchers then followed them for a decade, during which 1,733 participants died.
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I Can't Stop Using This Free App That Uses AI to Identify Birds
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s free Merlin Bird ID is the only AI app you need on your phone. Here me out.
Other than cars, the thing I hear most often at home is birds. I live in Southern California, in a relatively suburban neighborhood, outside of an even more metropolitan downtown. I don’t get the opportunity to really consider the natural world other than the palm trees on my street and walking a few blocks to the park near my apartment. But I’ve always wondered about the birds I hear every morning, and after being introduced to the Merlin Bird ID app through, believe it or not, a podcast, I had to try it.
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25 Years Later, a Box Office Flop Has Become a Cannibal Cult Classic
On its 25th anniversary, Ravenous cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond looks back on the cannibal western classic.
After 25 years, most genre films have probably found their place in history — even if it’s just as a niche title for fans of late-night horror. But every now and then, a film comes along that deserves not only recognition but also a seat at the big kids’ table of cinema. Antonia Bird’s Ravenous is one such film, but don’t take our word for it: for the film’s 25th anniversary, Inverse spoke to cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond, who marked Ravenous as a standout in his already impressive career.
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Why the emotional labour of hospital staff is dirty work | Aeon Essays
A member of the medical staff makes a phone call from the intensive therapy unit at Homerton Hospital, London, 17 January 2020. Photo by Andrew Testa/Panos
A member of the medical staff makes a phone call from the intensive therapy unit at Homerton Hospital, London, 17 January 2020. Photo by Andrew Testa/Panos
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The only man permitted in Bhutan's sacred mountains chronicles humanity's impact | Aeon Videos
According to local tradition, Bhutan’s highest terrain is considered the sacred domain of gods and spirits. Due to this belief, mountaineering is illegal in Bhutan, making the country’s Himalayan highlands one of the most unspoiled places on Earth. However, this doesn’t mean our impact isn’t felt at all. Indeed, as a result of climate change, the glaciers on these mountaintops are melting, threatening the lives of those below.
The short documentary Mountain Man chronicles the life and work of Phuntsho Tshering, a glaciologist who, accompanied by his team, is the only person permitted to climb high into the mountains. Leaving his family for more than a month to measure changes to remote glaciers and lakes, he sends video dispatches to his daughter, who fears his presence might provoke the spirit of the mighty ‘Snow Lion’ that inhabits these lands. For his part, Tshering performs rituals both scientific and spiritual to assess threats and assure safe passage. With his rare access to these sublime scenes, the Bhutanese director Arun Bhattarai creates a film that, like the mountains it captures, possesses a hushed power and beauty.
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Tuesday 19th March 2024
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