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The Real Story Behind The Famous Bust Of Nefertiti (It’s Not What You Probably Think)

It was not an object of veneration, it was not meant for public display, and it wasn't considered valuable in its day except to craftsmen. (If it were, it would probably have been destroyed in the wave of iconoclasm after the death of Nefertiti's husband, Akhenaten.) - Aeon

One Of Ukraine’s Strongest Defenses Against Russian Aggression Is The Ukrainian Language

For much of the past century in Ukraine, Russian has taken precedence over Ukrainian, even in the post-Soviet period. These days one hears more and more Ukrainian in the streets, especially among young adults. even in Kyiv and the Russophone stronghold of Kharkiv. - MSN (The Washington Post)

There’s A Whole Body Of Women’s Novels In Yiddish That Are Finally Reaching English-Speakers

The originals were mostly published as serials in Yiddish newspapers and never made it into bound volumes in any language until now. Says one scholar, "This literature has been hiding in plain sight, but we all assumed it wasn't there." - The New York Times

Well, The Super Bowl “Volunteer” Halftime Dancers Won’t Be Working For Free This Year …

"Four hundred volunteers working for up to 72 hours as 'field cast participants' during this weekend's Super Bowl LVI halftime show will be paid $15 per hour" — minimum wage, for one of the most lucrative annual sports events in the world. - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)

Did This Year’s Oscar Nominations Show The Usual Art-Versus-Popularity Divide? It’s Not That Simple Anymore

"The definition of success (is) more slippery than ever. Gone are the days when box office is the only metric; streamers calculate their investments not based on conventional monetary returns, but in gaining and retaining subscribers." And some nominees simply don't fit within the art-pop binary. - MSN (The Washington Post)

Maybe Ridicule Works: The Original Ending Of “Fight Club” Has Been Restored For Streaming In China

The Chinese streaming giant Tencent had — to much criticism and mockery — removed the final scene, in which buildings explode as an anarchist revolution starts, and replaced it with a title card saying that the authorities had foiled the plot and sent Tyler Durden to an insane asylum. - The Hollywood Reporter

The Kirov Academy Ballet School Is Closing (Note: This Is Not In Russia)

Don't panic: this school isn't connected with the St. Petersburg company now known as the Mariinsky, although its first directors came from there and aimed to reproduce its teaching methods. This Kirov Academy, in DC, was founded by none other than Rev. Sun Myung Moon. - The New York Times

Why Some Of Us Seek Out Painful Experiences

Under the right circumstances and in the right doses, physical pain and emotional pain, difficulty and failure and loss, are exactly what we are looking for. - The Wall Street Journal

Restitution Of Cultural Artifacts Is Gaining Momentum

International co-operation and resolve is growing firmer, as seen most recently in December, when Greece’s resolution, “Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin”, was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. - The Art Newspaper

NBC Uses Olympics To Test New Way Of Measuring Audience

To boost its efforts to offer an alternate means of counting the video-watching masses, NBCU is working with more than 30 different advertisers to test a new measurement tool it has built with iSpot.TV — and using the company’s Olympics and looming Super Bowl broadcasts as a sort of test run. - Variety

Unesco: A Worldwide Cultural Crisis Because Of The Pandemic – 10 Million Culture Jobs Lost

“What was already a precarious situation for many artists has become unsustainable, threatening creative diversity.” - The Guardian

Why Joe Rogan Matters

He channels his audience into extended conversations with famously smart people who are willing to give them hours of attention. Through him, they feel like the world is a little bit less incomprehensible and their lives are a little bit less uncontrollable. - Post Alley

Why It’s Important To Listen To Old Recordings

Today, of course, technical perfection is an overriding concern.  But there are other aspects of performance practice today, some of which are wonderful but others I find distracting after comparing them to recordings of certain of my favorite musicians of the past. - Nightingale Sonata

Oh, Great — Even More Damage To What’s Left Of The Bamiyan Buddhas

The new Taliban governor of Bamiyan province somehow heard a rumor that there's buried treasure under what used to be the large 6th-century statues (destroyed in 2001, the last time the Taliban were in power). He's having the site dug up and refused orders from Kabul to stop. - Artnet

That Line Between Work And Play

Adults taking hobbies too seriously can be a pathetic spectacle, but it is also a staple of comedy. - 3 Quarks Daily

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