"The Cambodians have enlisted the help of the U.S. Justice Department to press for the return of dozens of artworks, basing their claim in part on the account of a reformed looter. ... But the dispute (with the museum) has evolved into something of an odd standoff." - The New York Times
"The mayor of Venice has said he is on the hunt for the 'two overbearing idiots' who were filmed gliding along the Grand Canal on motorised foil surfboards. The young men were spotted dodging gondolas and waterbuses as they navigated Venice's main thoroughfare on Thursday morning." - The Guardian
Most NFT projects are definitely bubbles—but the NFT art-and-collectibles trading ecosystem as a whole is something more like a new form of art-themed online gambling. It scratches the same itch as horse racing or sports betting, but for digital natives. - Artnet
It is not that I think we should scrap existing syllabi, but rather that we must make room for other storytelling traditions in these programs. And this must start with reading... What is being taught as universal rules of good writing in these programs is nothing more than a highly narrow understanding of literary taste. - The Millions
New research from Get Off! and the University of Sunderland saw nearly 850 members of the live comedy industry (more than half of which were men) responding to an anonymous survey. Of these, 21% said they had personally experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, and 74% said it was regular or frequent. - The Guardian
“This is a state-sponsored purging of ideas and identities that has no precedent in the United States of America. We’re witnessing the silencing of stories and the suppressing of information the next generation less able to function in society.” - Washington Post
Cineworld’s liquidity and debt burden, which stood at more than $5 billion in net debt as of the end of 2021, have long been in focus for investors. - The Hollywood Reporter
The 53-year-old pop singer is trying to trademark that title so that she alone can sell goods — perfume, lotion, sunglasses, face masks — and market herself as the Queen of Christmas. - Washington Post
"An immigrant from the Dominican Republic with minimal acting skills, she managed by sheer force of will to become one of Hollywood's brightest stars during the WWII years. ... She dedicated herself to a tried and true method – courting controversy and never letting the Hollywood press forget her name." - The Guardian
By adding all of these features, Google has effectively changed the experience from an explorative search environment to a platform designed around verification, replacing a process that enables learning and investigation with one that is more like a fact-checking service. - Wired
"Papier-mâché has been practiced for centuries by Kashmiri artisans ... who make their living from the craft. But, in recent years, just as Kashmiri papier-mâché has gained recognition in museums across the world, the renowned and beloved art has faced extinction." - ARTnews
"I think these methods of analysis and talking about music are ideas musicologists need to explore a piece. When I listen to music, it is not important which aspects are notated or not notated. It doesn’t have any meaning for a listener." - Van
A team of European researchers, using a method borrowed from biostatistics called the "unseen species model," has estimated that 90% of the literary manuscripts (i.e., not counting religious texts), and one-third of the stories, from the era have disappeared for good. - Hyperallergic
Though TikTok didn’t invent the audio meme, its effortless interface may have perfected it, and the platform, which recently ended Google’s 15-year-long run as the most visited website in the world, would be nothing without sound. - The New York Times
"American-style comedy clubs ... barely existed in France before the 21st century. ... At (several) venues ..., all opened within the past three years, there wasn't a free table in sight. And the crowd was exactly the kind of 'new audience' so many theaters desperately seek to attract." - The New York Times
