Numero Uno, With a Bullet: The New York Times says today's the day when MOCA will make its decision about whether to take Eli Broad's offer or merge with LACMA. (As MAN has it, it's Broad v. Govan: deathmatch.) You've got to be kidding me with this. Someone please tell me the last time two museums merged and both came out stronger and better. Not only that, but this time you're talking about a merger in which the BETTER museum (MOCA) is in the begging position. A merger is a disaster in the making. Also: I see talk of MOCA director Jeremy Strick's resignation, but I've seen absolutely no soul-searching on the part of the MOCA board. OR FUNDRAISING. FROM THEIR OWN POCKETS. If MOCA chooses merger, all it will have proven is that one of the best contemporary art museums in America—if not the best—is run by one of the worst boards of trustees, if not the worst. I've seen this board behavior before, and it just hurts to watch. Trustees: You can still do the right thing.

The Year-in-Reviews Are Starting to Roll In: Schjeldahl, Jones, Lacayo.

Take the YouTube Adaptation Challenge: Staffers at the Henry have each curated a show based on YouTube adaptations, and it's pretty great watching: Stravinsky's Rite of Spring interpreted by choreographer Marie Choinuard and also applied to Kate Moss's pole dance and burning Kansas fields (curated by Mike Pham); the Madison (the classic line-dance) in Godard, John Waters, Souljaboy, and English landscape editions (curated by Betsey Brock); public-access star Sondra Prill's spine-tinglingly terrible version of Janet Jackson's "Nasty" (curated by Gabriel Stromberg); and much more that I haven't had time to watch yet. (Like the real-life Adaptation exhibition, this one is going to take you some time.) The entire online "exhibition" is here; vote on a winner here.