“The family thanked the Italian authorities, members of the U.S. State Department, … Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former President Bill Clinton for their assistance expediting the return of Gandolfini’s remains to the United States, a process that typically takes up to a week.”
Author: ArtsJournal2
Why Didn’t Twitter Go Crazy On Paula Deen?
“My question for the Twitterhood is this: Is a hashtag the racial absolver of all statements said before it?”
The Return To Ghost Island – Funded By Crowdsourcing And Led By A Poet
“About 50 years ago, the threat of rock slides, the spread of tuberculosis and the loss of men to World War II forced residents to relocate to the mainland. King Island has been a ghost island ever since.” Will the visitors be able to find a thread of their identity?
That Time When The British Literary World Flat-Out Forgot One Of Its Stars
“Critics seemed embarrassed to praise her work even when they loved it, as if their enthusiasm were simply an idiosyncrasy. Reviewing “Excellent Women” (1952) in The Daily Telegraph, John Betjeman said many people would surely find it ‘tame,’ what with all the church bazaars and the boiled eggs and the cups of tea. He added, almost apologetically, ‘For me it is a perfect book.'”
Social Networks Have Been Threatening Human Productivity For, Oh, Centuries
1677: “‘Why doth solid and serious learning decline, and few or none follow it now in the University?’ he asked. ‘Answer: Because of Coffea Houses, where they spend all their time.'”
In A Twist, Germany Is Protesting Russian Exhibit Of WWII-Looted Art
“After hours of thinly disguised recriminations on both sides, the two leaders announced, an hour before the exhibition was due to open, they would indeed attend but there would be no joint opening and Merkel’s speech had been cancelled.”
What’s UNESCO’s Beef With A Bobsleigh Run (Yes, A Bobsleigh Run) In Germany?
What happens when humans keep on building things on or near human-history-affected World Heritage sites? (Hint: It’s not good.)
Why Are Fan-Made Trailers So (Often) Much Better Than The Official Ones?
“There are piss-taking projects like Honest Trailers and Literal Trailers, which point out the hyperbole in a lot of movie promos; those done in the style of the Shining remix, which recut trailers to make them different than their actual genre; and supercuts, which collect every instance of a certain kind of cinematic moment into one video.”
When English Majors Go Away, The World Is Going To Be A Lesser Place
“What is an English major good for? In a way, the best answer has always been, wait and see — an answer that satisfies no one. And yet it is a real answer, one that reflects the versatility of thought and language that comes from studying literature.”
Male Movie Stars, Aging In The Public Eye, Should Look For (Good) Mentors
“The book on what not to do is being written by De Niro. One of our greatest working actors has lost himself in crummy, mindless comedy. I honestly believe the Oscar nod for ‘Silver Linings Playbook”s crusty dad was a part of the academy’s positive reinforcement program so he wouldn’t do another Fockers film.”