At a time of public outrage over corporate greed and a heightened awareness of gender-based power dynamics, the 29-year-old Ms. Swift was able to turn a commercial dispute into a cause célèbre. – The New York Times
Blog
Struggling To Make Sense Of Today’s Politics? Fan-Fiction Might Help
It’s a growing genre. Political fiction has always existed, but now many writers are re-imagining our contemporary political landscape in political ways that make sense to them. – The New York Times
Men Use Metal Detectors To Find Millions In Viking Treasure
Four men face years of incarceration for failing to report Viking treasure worth an estimated $3 million. Police say the find has national importance for Anglo-Saxon coinage and for a greater understanding of a critical time in British history. Some of the recovered coins are helping scholars rewrite history, according to police. – Washington Post
Artist’s Light Installation Lets People On Either Side Of The US/Mexico Border Talk To One Another
On either side of the border, there are three stations, each with a microphone, speaker and tuning wheels that control a searchlight, that can be seen from a 50-kilometre radius. When your light beam intersects with someone else’s in the sky, a two-way audio connection opens up and you can talk to the other person through the microphone. – CBC
Survey: Three-Quarters Of UK Youth Have Never Heard Of Mozart
Three quarters of young people in Britain have never heard of Mozart, a survey reveals. One in five think composer Johann Bach – who died in 1750 – is still alive. – The Daily Mail
A Massive Art Theft In Dresden Is The Biggest Heist Since WWII
Uh, wow, Dresden: “The exact details of the operation, and what was taken, are not yet clear, but local news outlets report the thieves targeted the jewelry section of the historic Royal Palace after entering the building through a small window. Authorities said three diamond jewelry sets, consisting of as many as 100 pieces of diamonds, pearls, and rubies, were taken from the Grüne Gewölbe (or Green Vault) housed in the downtown palace.” – Slate
Another Young K-Pop Singer, Goo Hara, Has Died
The 28-year-old was a member of one of the first big K-pop girl groups, Kara. She had attempted suicide in May. In her solo career, she had some hits and also some TV and movie roles. – The New York Times
The Inventor Of The World-Wide Web Thinks We Can Fix The Internet
Aw, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, we appreciate the attempt. “The Contract for the Web is a global plan of action created over the past year by activists, academics, companies, governments and citizens from across the world to make sure our online world is safe, empowering and genuinely for everyone.” – The New York Times
The English National Ballet Has Severed Ties With Prince Andrew
This seems like a pretty solid idea for a company that has a lot of young women involved. And, of course, “earlier this week the duke announced he would be not be undertaking public duties ‘for the foreseeable future,’ following a widely criticised television interview about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.” – The Stage (UK)
Music Tourism, Inventive And Identity-Affirming, Soars
As a record number of people want more than just Spotify or YouTube videos, well, the logical result is that “music cruises are one of the interesting growth areas of music tourism. There has been a boom; it is a real development of the last few years.” – The Observer (UK)