At Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s house: “The tree house complex for children Kenzie and David will boast cedar-shingle roofs, a secret tunnel, rope bridge, fireman’s pole, basket and pulley, spiral staircase, trap door and rope ladder, double swing set and trampoline deck.”
Tag: 08.30.12
Protests (And Support) For Berlin’s Plans For The Old Masters
“German art historians, conservators and newspapers united to criticise plans to empty the Gemäldegalerie of its Old Masters for the sake of Modern art. ‘Save the Gemäldegalerie!’ was a headline that ran in four German newspapers. But the plan is beginning to find influential supporters, including Thomas Campbell, the director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
Writers In Pieces, Arranged By Country
“But globalization is not uniform, and not always so kind. It can happen that a writer remains absolutely trapped in his local community, perhaps well known for a restricted group, but unable to project him or herself outside it.”
The Scots Like Their Theatre, But Not As Much As Their Libraries
“Theatregoing has dropped from third favourite cultural activity in 2007, behind cinema-going and library use. It is now fifth, having been overtaken by live music and museum-going.”
Moleskine Notebook: The App
The company that owns the brand “doesn’t want to be recognized merely as a notebook company. Their vast catalog now includes hundreds of niche products like beer journals, pencil sets, reading lights, and postal notebooks that turn into ready-to-mail letters.” Not to mention Moleskine iPad and Kindle covers (and the app, of course).
Y U Curate Cat Videos, Walker Art Center?
“Can cat videos be just as appealing in the open air, experienced with others, as they are in the glare of a glowing screen? ‘We’re sharing on the Internet,’ Schultz says. ‘The question is, would we come together to share?'”
Publishers Accept $69M Settlement In E-Book Price-Fixing Suit
“Big news in the Justice Department’s e-book price-fixing suit: Three of the five publishers accused of price-fixing – Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster – have agreed to pay $69 million to consumers to settle claims they illegally conspired to fix the price of e-books.”
The Simpsons And South Park Restricted In Russia (They’re Too Violent For Children)
Because of a new law passed “with a view to protecting children and young adults from ‘information detrimental to their health and development’,” The Simpsons will air with the “Itchy and Scratchy Show” segments blacked out. (The broadcaster promises to do the blacking-out wittily.) And because the death of Kenny in every episode might upset youngsters, South Park will only be shown during late-night hours.
But Classic Soviet Cartoons Won’t Be Censored Under New Law (Despite All That Smoking)
“Russian news reports this week speculated that a law on protecting children that takes effect Saturday could require extensive cutting of episodes of the cartoon Nu Pogodi” – “Just You Wait,” a Road Runner-style show with a wolf perpetually chasing a rabbit – “because the villainous wolf is a heavy smoker.”
Syrian Filmmaker Seems To Have (Been) Disappeared
Orwa Nyrabia, who with his wife “formed the first production company in Syria independent of the government and founded Dox Box, a festival that brought international documentaries to Syria, … is believed to have been detained by Syrian security services as he prepared to board a flight from Damascus to Cairo.”