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☆ Beyond the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums says 'we are much more'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, speaks to a reporter during the opening of a new exhibit of ceramic jars and other utensils used in a 17th century pharmacy that was once at the Benedictine monastery, at the Vatican, May 25, 2023. Jatta wants visitors to slow down and enjoy such... Read moreVATICAN CITY, May 30 (Reuters) - Barbara Jatta, the first woman to head the Vatican Museums, wants visitors to avoid being suffocated by the crowds and take in the lesser-known - but spectacular - attractions she helps to oversee. The Vatican Museums, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that closed or limited openings during the COVID-19 pandemic, have almost returned to their pre-pandemic level of about six million visitors a year. Many, particularly day trippers on fast-paced package tours of Rome, head straight for the Sistine Chapel, bypassing the museums' other wonders. She added that the museums, which close at 6 p.m. on most days, may extend opening hours.

Persons: Barbara Jatta, Jatta, Read, Cecilia, Luca Pesante, Raphael, Pope Francis, Philip Pullella, Gerry Doyle, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Vatican, CITY, UNESCO, Heritage, Sistine, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Vatican, Rome, Rome's Trastevere

☆ A Journey Across London on the Elizabeth Line
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Mark Vanhoenacker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Head next to Southall Library, home to a noted collection of Martin Ware pottery. Martin Ware is associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, which arose in the late 19th century in opposition to the industrialization of decorative arts. The Southall studio, founded by the Martin brothers in a former soap factory in 1877, remained in operation through the early 20th century. She guided me first to the former Palace Cinema, constructed in a Chinese style and opened in 1929. The cinema became an essential cultural space for London’s growing South Asian population.

☆ The No. 1 'underrated' city in the world, according to 175 travel experts: It's the 'new hot city'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sharael Kolberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As a travel journalist for over 20 years, I recently asked 175 travel enthusiasts, experts and agents about what they think is the most underrated city to visit. "Bologna is very up-and-coming and poised to be the new hot Italian city to visit," says Tom Marchant, founder of luxury traveling company Black Tomato. "[Bologna] quite possibly has the best food scene in all of Italy," says Jeff Miller, a travel blogger at Our Passion for Travel. the "Disney World of food"), Bologna's 20-acre theme park entirely dedicated to Italian cuisine. Bologna is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 38.5 miles of porticoes, or arched walkways.

CNN —Hundreds of jewels once owned by late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten have fetched a combined 176 million Swiss francs ($196 million) to become the most expensive private jewelry collection ever to appear at auction. Heidi Horten pictured wearing the Briollete of India necklace, which sold for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). The most valuable lot, a ruby and diamond Cartier ring that is “pigeon blood” in color, fetched just over 13 million Swiss francs ($14.5 million), despite Christie’s expecting bids as high as 18 million Swiss francs ($20 million). A 90-carat “Briolette of India” diamond necklace by jeweler Harry Winston also came in below estimate, selling for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). courtesy Christie'sElsewhere, however, a Bulgari diamond ring more than doubled its high estimate to fetch 9.1 million Swiss francs ($10.1 million).

Instead of pure dance, they substitute odd “scenarios,” which are just incomplete stories, excuses to insert classic Fosse bits and preoccupations. It becomes like a dance version of a jukebox musical, with many of the same problems. VINCENTELLI As with scores, I don’t think choreography necessarily needs to move the story or the characters: I’m all in favor of gratuitous moments. So what if there is no justification for a number or a song, as long as it looks or sounds good? My problem with “New York, New York” was basically the opposite: The dance was strong and effective in advancing characters who were otherwise too peripheral to demand it.

Designs by Karl Lagerfeld are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," in New York on April 29, 2023. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)Celebrated tonight at the Met Gala will be the opening of the Costume Institute's exhibition "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," curated by the Institute's Andrew Bolton. Looks designed by Karl Lagerfeld on display during the press preview of the Costume Institute's exhibition, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," on May 1, 2023. "The serpentine line signifies Lagerfeld's historicist, romantic, and decorative impulses, while the straight line indicates his modernist, classicist, and minimalist tendencies." The exhibition will be open for public viewing May 5 through July 16, 2023.

☆ Need More Light in the Kitchen? Here’s a Stylish, Adjustable Fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Nina Molina | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

DOUBLE DIP Landed Interiors & Homes, which is based in New York City, draped a couple of matte-black adjustable pendants above a kitchen island in Piedmont, Calif. Photo: Haris KenjarHAVE YOU ever yearned to yank the ceiling light in your kitchen closer to the radishes you’re julienning? Adjustable pendants can get you out of your own way. London designer Susie Atkinson thrifted a 1960s double adjustable pendant for a local Queen-Anne style kitchen. This discreet concealing trick is still available on some models, but Los Angeles interior designer Martha Mulholland, for one, admires the visible, “industrial meets decorative” look of those with visible ballast. “It’s a design born out of a practical function,” said Ms. Mulholland.

☆ Benjamin Millepied Uses Movement to Reinvent ‘Carmen’ on Camera
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Roslyn Sulcas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For IndieWire, David Ehrlich wrote: “‘Carmen’ is stretched across a few too many borders to ever feel like it’s standing on solid ground. “It’s an unsteady composition, a frenzied combination of willowy movement pieces, an ecstatic score and a too-loose narrative,” Lovia Gyarkye wrote in The Hollywood Reporter. Over coffee, Millepied discussed the critical reaction to the film, the allure of “Carmen” and working with actors. Early on, when I was starting to think about the story, I had dinner with [the director] Peter Sellars and mentioned I wanted to make a “Carmen” film. He got kind of passionate, and said, “You have to reinvent it, it’s a terrible story.” I thought he was right.

☆ Gold coach procession and new emoji for King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Charles will be crowned at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a ceremony full of resplendent pomp and pageantry, with traditions dating back 1,000 years. The king and his wife will be taken from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, built to commemorate Elizabeth's 60th year on the throne and first used in 2014. It is 7 metres (23ft) long, 3.6 metres tall and weighs four tonnes, and needs eight horses to pull it. "Because of that it can only be used at a walking pace, which really adds to the majesty and stateliness of this great royal procession," said Sally Goodsir, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Royal Collection Trust. However, in a documentary aired in 2018, Elizabeth described her journey from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey in the coach as "horrible", saying it was not very comfortable.

☆ The hat: Mathematicians invent 'einstein' tile that never repeats
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Called “The hat” because it vaguely resembles a fedora, the elusive shape is an “einstein” (from the German “ein stein,” or “one stone”). “I’m not really into math, to be honest — I did it at school, but I didn’t excel in it,” Smith said. “The hat,” however, is an aperiodic tile, meaning it can still completely cover a surface without any gaps, but you can never identify any cluster that periodically repeats itself to do so. How ‘The hat’ worksThere’s nothing inherently magical about “The hat,” according to Kaplan. “We’re not trying to protect it in any way,” Kaplan said.

Trump arrived via motorcade at 100 Centre Street, a towering, 1940s-era building faced in limestone, granite, and decades of grime. It's the DA investigators who "book" Trump, a process that begins with the former president emptying his pockets. Prints are run on anyone arrested in New York, and Trump will be no different. No one will check if Trump fibsThe DA investigators will also take Trump's pedigree information — name, date of birth, address, phone number, that sort of thing. "There's a cell in the processing area in the DA investigators' offices," she said.

☆ Ancient Egyptian zodiac symbols were found in a temple after archaeologists cleared away 2,000 years' worth of grime
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ancient Egyptian star signs were found under a thick layer of soot and dust in the Temple of Esna. The colors in the full set of Egyptian zodiac symbols are vivid after being protected by the grime. The set is just one of three full sets of ancient Egyptian zodiac signs uncovered in Egyptian temples, said Dr. Daniel von Recklinghausen, a Tübingen Egyptologist who worked on the project. These zodiac symbols were uncovered in the latest series of renovations, which revealed the designs in brilliant colors. Ancient Egyptians adopted astrology late in their reignThese symbols show the decans, which are zodiac symbols representing the 12 hours of the night.

☆ Why You Need Window Blinds (Even if You Don’t Think So)
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Tim Mckeough | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It is also possible to make a small window appear taller, Mr. Mendelson said, by placing an outside-mounted shade at the ceiling or the bottom of your crown molding, so it covers the wall space above the top of the window. “That illusion is one of the most important things I learned about window treatments,” he said. “It’s a way to add verticality to a room.”Of course, if you plan to use two layers of shades, you could use both installation strategies, with a decorative shade on the outside of the window frame and a second shade tucked inside the frame. “It’s like a stage where you’re able to create different moods and moments,” Mr. Brown said. “The more you layer, the more you’re able to do that.”For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here.

Persons: Mendelson, ”, “, ” Mr, Brown

☆ I placed my first order on Temu, the Chinese e-commerce app. It worked, but the dozens of marketing emails annoyed me.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Temu items in original packaging. My temu order arrived with a hole in the package. All four items included in my Temu order. Moving forward, I will keep the Temu app on my phone and scroll through when boredom strikes. Read more: Everything we know about Chinese app Temu.

☆ Walmart offers affordable Easter meals to lure thrifty shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 13 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) said on Monday it would offer Easter meals and bundles at affordable prices, a move aimed at drawing more customers to its stores at a time when egg prices have surged and consumers are keeping a tight grip on their wallets. The price of eggs, a staple of Easter baskets, has been near a record high for months as outbreaks of avian flu have killed more than 58 million backyard and commercial chickens and turkeys since February 2022. Walmart said on Monday it would keep the prices of its Easter essentials consistent with 2022 and offer the Easter meal and basket combo for less than $100, both online and in stores. This year, Walmart's Easter meals and baskets will include staples like ham, green beans and cherry pies, along with decorative grass, Hershey's (HSY.N) Milk Chocolate Bunnies and Reese's Eggs. Reporting by Mehr Bedi in Bengaluru and Siddharth Cavale in New York; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Parthenon Marbles return possible without ownership accord, campaigners say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - The return of the British Museum's Parthenon Marbles to Greece is possible even if the two sides cannot come to an agreement over who owns the sculptures, a campaign group working to resolve the long-standing dispute said on Sunday. Greece has asked for others to imitate the Vatican Museums after they agreed this month to return three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon. London and Athens are in talks over the Parthenon Sculptures held by the British Museum. The Parthenon Project, which has been backed by British politicians from different parties, said the British Museum's Parthenon collection could be returned to Greece under a long-term cultural partnership agreement. That would mean the arrangement sidesteps the requirement for a change in the law to allow the British Museum to dispose of its artefacts.

☆ The Classic Noguchi Lamp as You’ve Never Seen It
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Allison Duncan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WE ARE WELL acquainted with Isamu Noguchi’s iconic Akari light sculptures. The lovely little frameworks of bamboo covered with off-white washi paper (whose design dates to 1951) are the sort of thing uncompromising incense fans own. But who knew that 25 of the more than 170 Akari iterations currently in production are screen printed with flourishes of color or pattern. The decorative printed additions range from pure abstractions (alternating bands of black and white) to simplified pictures (knocked-out bow ties) to Japanese design motifs. “The appeal of the colored versions is they have more cultural specificity than the unadorned ones but [still] achieve the timeless, placeless universality of Noguchi’s best work,” said Dakin Hart, senior curator at the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, N.Y.

☆ A college side hustle made her a self-made millionaire before she turned 30—here's how she got started
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

As Katelyn Alsop recalls, she stumbled into the hobby that would help her become a millionaire before she turned 30 by accident. That blog turned out to be a tremendous asset for Alsop's budding business. "I started sharing personal stories about my life on the blog, and people really gravitated to that," she says. In 2010, when Alsop graduated college, her photography side hustle became her full-time business. Motivated by the success of her blog, Alsop started selling online technical courses for photographers on her website in 2015.

☆ 27-year-old pays $1,850/month to live in an old NYC laundromat: 'I knew true community as a child and I know it again now'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Mickey Todiwala Celia Fernandez | Mickey Todiwala | Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"I think a space should be an imperfect representation of the people who are in it at that moment in their lives." A former tenant added a small kitchen that gives Dahl enough space to have a sink, stovetop, and toaster oven. It's because of that philosophy that Dahl has made it so that his living space is open to others. "People are looking out for me more than I'm looking out for myself, and that's a true community. I knew true community as a child, and I know it again now," he says.

☆ A Rare Reunion of Vermeers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( J.S. Marcus | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer didn’t live long, and he didn’t paint much. By the time he died in 1675, at age 43, he may have spent more time working at other jobs, including art dealer and innkeeper, than as an artist. Scholars now believe that some three dozen of his paintings survive, about one-tenth as many as Rembrandt. On Feb. 10, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum will make history with “Vermeer,” bringing together 28 acknowledged paintings by the Dutch master, substantially more than previous museum shows. Weber, the Rijksmuseum’s head of fine and decorative arts and the show’s co-curator.

☆ A glamourous Parisian's haute couture wardrobe goes up for auction at Christie's
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Michaela Cabrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - A wardrobe owned by a Parisian woman who rubbed elbows with Yves Saint Laurent and other famous French designers is up for online auction at Christie's as Haute Couture week kicks off in Paris. A velvet bustier evening dress, from Saint Laurent's 1984-1985 haute couture collection, is also up for sale. And you know, all haute couture clients, they said that the Saint Laurent outfits are the most comfortable and the more feminine and sensual," de Foresta said. The Parisian owner also wore pieces by Christian Lacroix, Gianfranco Ferre for Dior and Valentino, and most of the couture pieces were bought in the 1980s and 1990s. Haute Couture Fashion Week, which wraps up on Thursday, allows an elite club of top-end designers to show off elaborate creations, which are not mass-produced for stores but tend to be sold to private clients.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows man being hit by a live wire in India, not being electrocuted due to Bluetooth earphones
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video shows a ticket examiner at the Kharagpur railway station in India being electrocuted when a live wire hit him on the head. The video, however, is being shared online alongside an unrelated claim that the electrocution happened due to wearing Bluetooth earphones. The video shows two men talking on a train platform when a long, thin wire comes into frame and lands on the head of the man on the left. He is electrocuted and falls back onto the tracks, while the other man and onlookers run out of frame. The incident seen in the video took place in India, where a ticket examiner was injured by a falling live wire, according to local reports.

☆ Is This the ‘It’ Chair of 2023? Interior Designers Think So
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Antonia Van Der Meer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

AN UNFUSSY and downright brutish, midcentury vintage chair design has been muscling its way into even the most traditional of homes lately. Some look like little more than two pieces of wood attached to legs, but keyhole details or sculpted backs can make them sweeter. Designers and dealers are calling the increasingly in-demand seats, which hail primarily from Scandinavia and Europe, brutalist. At online marketplace 1stDibs , searches for “brutalist chair” are up 115% year over year. “I used it as a decorative accent, as though it were a piece of art,” she said.

☆ Greek PM dashes hopes of swift return of Parthenon marbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Renee Maltezou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday dismissed reports of an imminent repatriation of the Parthenon sculptures known in Britain as the Elgin marbles. Greece has accused Lord Elgin of theft and does not recognise the British Museum as owner of the sculptures. [1/3] A man looks at the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of stone objects, inscriptions and sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, on show at the British Museum in London October 16, 2014. The British Museum has always rejected returning the parts in its collection, which include about half of the 160 metre (525 ft) frieze that adorned the Parthenon. Many countries have pressured British institutions to return looted artefacts, especially given that the British Museum only displays about 1% of its collection.

☆ Criticism of Lula's economic plans mounts as Brazil markets tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Gabriel Araujo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Haddad, a former mayor of Sao Paulo, took office vowing to restore public accounts and with the challenge of presenting a credible fiscal framework after Congress passed a giant Lula social spending package. Markets reacted badly to Haddad's first days in office, especially after Lula ordered a budget-busting extension to a fuel tax exemption which Haddad had publicly opposed. "Haddad learned on his first day in office that he will be a decorative figure, a sort of task worker for President Lula," the conservative daily said in an editorial. On Tuesday, markets were further rattled by remarks by Lula's social security and labour ministers. That was compounded when he said Lula's government would need to review the investor-friendly pension reform approved by Bolsonaro's administration.

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