These Days: Thursday, February 18th, 2016
Encrypted Iphones: The FBI wants Apple to build a backdoor so they can get into Syed Farook, the terrorist of San Bernardino, private messages. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says he would have to build one, it is a question of privacy, and Apple won’t do it. The question is this, in a world where hackers are all over everywhere, why on earth is there an IPhone that can’t be hacked. How difficult can it be? Since when did an IPhone become Fort Knox?
Recorded: Except for Kanye West, which remains the best album around, I’ve had it with this week and I am ready to move on with my life. As for Kanye, this is the strangest album ever: but is it an album? What is it exactly? It isn’t for sale, it exists on Tidal (and on boots all over the world), and it doesn’t feel quite finished. But what is finished, “Ultralight Beams”, “Real Friends”, “Famous”, “No More Parties In LA”…. this is incredible music…. “Wolves”…
Live: Still looking at Hall & Oates, and tonight Eleanor Friedberger is at Bowery Ballroom, but it is the dead of winter and who has the energy? If Eleanor had been on Friday maybe, but we all know BB doesn’t have the headliner on till 10pm at the earliest… Meanwhile, Benjamin Clementine next week…
Television: How could “Vinyl” go so wrong? I got through ten minutes before moving on, I may try again at some part but even if everything else was equal, I can’t stand the sight of Bobby Cannavale sweating.
Sports: Adidas cut ties with Manny Pacquiao, after he called homosexuals worse than animals. The Philippines boxer and congressman should become Donald Trump’s running mate.
