Arts & Literature: Ursula Magazine – Winter 2023

Ursula (Winter 2023) is the art magazine of Hauser & Wirth, featuring essays, profiles, films, interviews, original portfolios, and photography by some of the most thought-provoking writers and artists in the world.

Artists and Sitters

Henry Taylor in conversation with Sheree Hovsepian about depiction and the depicted

Maker: Akiko Hirai

For our first film in a new series focusing on some of the world’s best emerging and established artist-makers, we take you inside the studio of Akiko Hirai

Culture: The American Scholar – Winter 2023

Winter 2023

@TheAmScho Winter 2023 issue:

The Road to Paradise and Back

Fires in the West, hurricanes in the East—what it’s like on the ground as we confront our rapidly changing world

The Corals and the Capitalist

The key to avoiding an ecological catastrophe might be found in the wealth of nations and the spirit of innovation

Our Founding Contradiction

The entrenched dichotomy at the center of the national story

Analysis: Is Traditional Agriculture Sustainable?

DW Documentary (December 10, 2022) – Is sustainable agriculture possible in Europe? From Spain’s “plastic sea” of greenhouses, to farmer suicides in France, the organics boom and high-tech production, it’s clear that Europe’s agricultural sector is in a period of extreme flux. And it needs to change: Agricultural landscapes are shaped by the history of our continent and inextricably bound up with its identity.

But farmers are struggling. They’re under constant pressure to produce more, at lower prices and can no longer hold out against the stiff competition. Most European farms are still family-run businesses, but it’s the large-scale enterprises that benefit from EU subsidies. These companies practice intensive farming, which we now know has a detrimental effect on biodiversity and human health.

This kind of agricultural system is also very bad for soil quality and is now seen as obsolete. With every crisis that occurs, its shortcomings become more evident. The pace of climate change now requires rapid responses to crucial questions: How to sustainably feed more than 500 million Europeans? What steps can be taken to stem the catastrophe resulting from the dramatic rise in meat consumption (up 60 per cent in 60 years) and its associated intensive production of cereal crops?

Solutions are presenting themselves, and many farmers have already seized the initiative. Throughout the European continent, they are the main drivers of a vital 21st century agricultural revolution: a return to traditional farming methods, intelligent or urban agriculture, fewer mass imports, research into in-vitro meat and meat substitutes. These are just some of the approaches being explored by European farmers in a bid to protect biodiversity, the landscape and the health of human beings.

Reviews: The Seven Best Books On Politics In 2022

The Economist – Best books on politics in 2022:

The Impossible City By Karen Cheung

The Impossible City by Karen Cheung

An illuminating and moving personal account of how Hong Kong descended into the mass street unrest of 2019, and of the pandemic-abetted repression that has crushed it since. The author speaks powerfully for a desperate generation of young Hong Kongers conscious that their home city has lost what made it home.

There Are No Accidents. By Jessie Singer

There Are No Accidents

A look at why Americans are so much more likely to suffer violent “accidents” than people in other rich countries. The author shows how poor road design, rather than bad driving, explains the persistence of car crashes and how factories use rule books and disciplinary procedures as a cheap substitute for real safety improvements.

Confidence Man. By Maggie Haberman

Confidence Man by Maggie Haberman

A chronicle of the life and lies of the 45th president of the United States, from outer-borough brat to White House bully. This portrait of a master scammer is by a New York Times journalist who covered Donald Trump for decades. He learned early, she notes, that celebrity was power.

We Have Tired of Violence. By Matt Easton

We Have Tired of Violence

meticulous narration of the efforts to bring to justice the killers of Munir, a prominent Indonesian human-rights activist murdered in 2004. It reads like an enthralling legal-procedural whodunnit, as evidence is slowly unearthed from telephone records, lost documents are retrieved from deleted computer files and intriguing new witnesses emerge.

The Naked Don’t Fear the Water By Matthieu Aikins

In 2016 the author, a Canadian journalist, went undercover to accompany an Afghan friend on his perilous journey to a new life in Europe—always knowing that, if push came to shove, he could fall back on his Western citizenship, while his friend would have to rely on his luck. The result is a devastatingly intimate insight into the refugee crisis.

The Age of the Strongman By Gideon Rachman

It is striking how many of today’s leaders fit the strongman mould, notes a columnist for the Financial Times (formerly of The Economist). His subjects, including Xi Jinping and Prince Muhammad bin Salman, are a threat not only to the well-being of their own countries, he says, but to a world order in which liberal ideas are increasingly embattled.

The Economic Weapon By Nicholas Mulder

A fortuitously timed history of the use of economic sanctions during the interwar period of the 20th century. Their mixed success cautions against hoping that the West’s sanctions against Russia can bring about an end to war in Ukraine.

Seaside Towns: A Tour Of Historic Whitby, England

MemorySeekers (December 2022) – Whitby is a seaside town in Yorkshire, northern England, split by the River Esk. On the East Cliff, overlooking the North Sea, the ruined Gothic Whitby Abbey was Bram Stoker’s inspiration for “Dracula”. Nearby is the Church of St. Mary, reached by 199 steps. The Captain Cook Memorial Museum, in the house where Cook once lived, displays paintings and maps. West of town is West Cliff Beach, lined with beach huts. 

Tours: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort (2022)

the Luxury Travel Expert – A full tour of the 5-star InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa on the island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia.

Video Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:48 Arrival 4:37 Lobby 6:54 Jetty 9:29 Overwater villa 15:17 Pool 17:38 Restaurants 21:56 Beach 28:27 Swim 30:40 Spa 37:03 Lagoonarium 38:38 Sunset 40:54 Dinner 45:04 Dance show 48:20 Breakfast 52:03 Boutique 52:40 Departure

The Bora Bora island is one of the most popular islands in The Islands of Tahiti. One of nine islands within the Society Islands, Bora Bora was formed over seven million years ago by a volcano. Like most of the islands of French Polynesia, Bora Bora is surrounded by a ring of coral reef, also known as an atoll. 

This south pacific island could easily be defined as the center of the romantic universe, where luxury, beach resorts, and spas dot the island with overwater bungalows, thatched-roof villas, and a fabled ambiance. Simply put, Bora Bora is one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

Winter Walks: Christmas Market 2022 In Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Christmas Market has been named the best in Europe by National Geographic. The most famous and main  Christmas  Market in the city is located at Princes Street Gardens.

Edinburgh is Scotland’s compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials. 

Financial Review: Barron’s Magazine – Dec 12, 2022

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@barronsonline December 12, 2022 issue:

Retirees Put Their Lives on Hold for Covid. Inflation Is Forcing Them to Do It Again.

Retirees Put Their Lives on Hold for Covid. Inflation Is Forcing Them to Do It Again.

“Nobody budgets this kind of inflation.” How retirees are responding to the fastest-rising prices in 40 years.

Cash Yields Are a Bright Spot for Retirees. Here’s How Much You Need.

High inflation and the volatile stock market have wreaked havoc on people’s retirement plans. Cash—handled correctly—can provide some relief.

CVS Wants to Be America’s Healthcare Provider. All It Needs Now Are Doctors.

The company’s big bet on primary care hasn’t yet come to pass. Should investors be worried?

This Industrial Stock Could Soar 40%

Investors are punishing Regal Rexnord for acquiring Altra Industrial Motion as the economy weakens. Those concerns are overblown.

The Lesson of Blackstone’s Retail Real Estate Fund: Liquidity Matters

The Lesson of Blackstone’s Retail Real Estate Fund: Liquidity Matters

The firm’s nontraded real estate income trust, BREIT, was a big success until the turmoil of 2022. When redemption requests mounted, the firm limited them, raising a raft of issues, from fears of outflows to regulatory scrutiny.

News: Georgia & Arizona Senators, Brittney Griner

PBS NewsHour – New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including how a win in Georgia expands Democrats’ majority in the Senate despite the loss of a party member in Arizona and the release of wrongly detained basketball superstar Brittney Griner.

Front Page: The New York Times – December 10, 2022

Inside the Prisoner Swap That Freed Brittney Griner

U.S. officials say Moscow had been pushing for the release of a Russian assassin being held in Germany before finally agreeing to release Ms. Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer.

Chasing the U.S., China’s Leader Emerges From Diplomatic Isolation

Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia highlights Beijing’s renewed bid to compete with Washington after years of preoccupation with the pandemic.

Sinema Adds Intrigue and Democratic Fury to Arizona’s 2024 Senate Race

Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s announcement that she would become an independent left Democrats in her state, many of whom have long wanted to defeat her in a primary, facing a new political calculus.

A Rural Hospital’s Excruciating Choice: $3.2 Million a Year or Inpatient Care?

A new federal program offers hefty payments to small hospitals at risk of closing. But it comes with a bewildering requirement.