Author Archives: elb

The Trumps asked to borrow a Van Gogh but the Guggenheim offered a solid gold toilet instead. – The Washington Post

The Trumps asked to borrow a Van Gogh but the Guggenheim offered a solid gold toilet instead. – The Washington Post:

The curator’s alternative: an 18-karat, fully functioning, solid gold toilet — an interactive work titled “America” that critics have described as pointed satire aimed at the excess of wealth in this country.

For a year, the Guggenheim had exhibited “America” — the creation of contemporary artist Maurizio Cattelan — in a public restroom on the museum’s fifth floor for visitors to use.

But the exhibit was over and the toilet was available “should the President and First Lady have any interest in installing it in the White House,” Spector wrote in an email obtained by The Washington Post.

An offer befitting a president with such a foul mouth.

50 Cent accidentally made $8 million in bitcoin – The Verge

50 Cent accidentally made $8 million in bitcoin – The Verge:

At the time, a single bitcoin was worth only $662, and the rapper’s fans could pick up the album for a fraction of that. In total, he pulled in over $400,000. Since then, the value of bitcoin has soared: the price of the cryptocurrency rose as high as $17,000 earlier this month, only to drop under $10,000 in recent weeks. (At the time of writing, bitcoin is now worth a little more than $11,000.) After sitting untouched in his account for years, 50 Cent’s earnings are now worth $7 million to $8.5 million, based on the current fluctuating bitcoin valuation.

It’s only January, but 50 Cent forgetting he had a a fortune in Bitcoin may end up being my favorite tech story of the year.

AI Eating Up Lawyers’ Jobs, Sends Wave Of Worry Among Suitors

AI Eating Up Lawyers’ Jobs, Sends Wave Of Worry Among Suitors:

Deep research, extensive study of the case, and complex arguments have been at the center stage of livelihood of lawyers from ages. But advancements in technology would bring disruption in their work methods. Law school graduates would undergo different way of training to become legendary lawyers as they need to learn to implement technology efficiently to win or settle cases.

Blue collar workers aren’t the only ones who need to consider the impact of AI automation. We’re creeping ever closer to

Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction proves the world still needs David Letterman – The Verge

Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction proves the world still needs David Letterman – The Verge:

It’s not a show that will be easily distilled down into disposable YouTube clips, though there are some great exchanges. And it’s not a program that should be viewed with attention turned halfway elsewhere. It’s thoughtful, funny, and moving, but more than anything else, it is proof that David Letterman still has something to say.

Letterman’s new show was not what I expected and I love it.

Macmillan CEO: “We will not allow any president to achieve by intimidation what our Constitution precludes” – Publishers Lunch

Macmillan CEO: “We will not allow any president to achieve by intimidation what our Constitution precludes” – Publishers Lunch:

The president is free to call news “fake” and to blast the media. That goes against convention, but it is not unconstitutional. But a demand to cease and desist publication—a clear effort by the President of the United States to intimidate a publisher into halting publication of an important book on the workings of the government—is an attempt to achieve what is called prior restraint. That is something that no American court would order as it is flagrantly unconstitutional. 

This is very clearly defined in Supreme Court case law, most prominently in the Pentagon Papers case.

I haven’t read the book and have no opinion about it, but I’m glad to see the publisher stand up for Americans’ rights.