Last week, Jean-Luc Martinez, ousted as the museum's director last year, was indicted for complicity with the trafficking of stolen Egyptian antiquities purchased by the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Now the Louvre "has decided to bring a civil action before the jurisdiction in charge," though it's not saying against whom. - Artnet
Around 6,000 years ago, the first standardised units were deployed in river valley civilisations such as ancient Egypt, where the cubit was defined by the length of the human arm, from elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and used to measure out the dimensions of the pyramids. - The Guardian
Maybe we rubberneck over disasters because we are bored by our relatively cushy safety. Or maybe we can’t avoid the threats as they creep up on us, which only encourages more distraction. - The Daily Beast
Ms. Brophy, who had written self-published romance novels, had once speculated in a 2011 blog post that a wife who kills her spouse must be “ruthless” and “very clever” because she is likely to become a prime suspect. - The New York Times
The theater, which weighs 14 million pounds, is a protected landmark, meaning the structure, from the stage to the balcony, had to be moved without suffering as much as a crack in the delicate plasterwork adorning ceilings, arches and box seats. - The New York Times
The more crowded Times Square becomes with visitors, the more off-putting it is for the white-collar office workers who now have the choice to work from home. - The New York Times
The root is simple: The internet is broken because the internet is a business. While the issues are various and complex, they are inextricable from the fact that the internet is owned by private firms and is run for profit. - The New York Times
"Each of the five branches of the US military (the air force, army, coast guard, marines and navy) has its own collection, curator and exhibition schedule. Most of the works in these collections do not show violence ... (but rather) enlisted soldiers' day-to-day routines." - The Art Newspaper
“That’s unheard of. It used to be a gentleman’s sport done by gentleman for gentleman. Now these gentleman and gentlewomen of the trade are getting hand-cuffed. People who have wings of museums named after them aren’t accustomed to being handcuffed and that has had an impact.” - The Guardian
"Every year, the NEA parcels out federal funding to state-level arts agencies ... to distribute as individual grants. The states have to match this money. For the latest round of these grants, the Arts Board is waiting for the state to put up its share of the match." - Tone (Madison, WI)
“I feel like I’m starting a new life as a writer,” he says to me. “What I have is a pleasure in writing that is greater than it used to be. That may be a rare occurrence for a writer. Most of the ones I know are kind of winding down. I don’t feel that I am.” - Saturday...
"Blair is played by the comedian Charlie Baker. Saddam Hussein, with moustache and cigar, is given a Groucho Marx makeover. (Playwright Harry) Hill describes the show's Cherie Blair as 'a cross between Lily Savage and Lili Marleen – seductive, but coarse'. And 'we have a woman playing Osama bin Laden'." - The Guardian
The Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency have exercised direct editorial control over more than 2,500 films and television shows. These discoveries raise questions about the government’s reach at a time when deciphering propaganda from fact has become increasingly difficult. - Los Angeles Times
This time it's about video gaming. "While some expressions find obvious translations — 'pro-gamer' becomes 'joueur professionnel' — others seem a more strained, as 'streamer' is transformed into 'joueur-animateur en direct'." - Yahoo! (AFP)
“I (told Spielberg), ‘I always felt like I could play a conductor, but may I research the material and see if I can write it and direct it? Would you let me do that?’” Cooper said. - Variety
