Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – April 24, 2024

April 24, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine (April 24, 2024): The latest issue features…

The summer Season

Ben Lerwill looks forward to high-speed sporting action
Tom Chamberlin and Sophia Money-Coutts reveal how to keep your cool when the heat is on
Hetty Lintell presents glorious ensembles for hot days

Paul Henderson asks top chefs for their picnic picks
Julie Harding meets the wicker weavers
Harry Eyres and the Country Life tasting team find English fizz in sparkling form

Every picture tells a story

As the National Gallery counts down to its 200th anniversary, Carla Passino delves into the fascinating stories behind 10 paintings in the collection

John Booth’s favourite painting

The chairman of the National Gallery board of trustees picks an exquisite, skilful work that resonates with deeper meaning

The private made public

In the second of two articles, John Goodall investigates the 20th-century evolution of Stansted Park in West Sussex

Luxury

Hetty Lintell reveals the secret to staying fresh faced and fashion artist David Downton shares a few of his favourite things

The legacy

Octavia Pollock hails the talented Stevenson clan, who saved countless lives at sea thanks to their prolific lighthouse building

Interiors

Giles Kime on how decorative frames can give a room an extra edge and Arabella Youens on the creation of a family kitchen

Processions, proclamations and punishment

Time has not been kind to way-side crosses, once beacons of the British landscape. Lucien de Guise follows a trail of destruction

Supporting acts

Amelia Thorpe selects the best structures for growing climbers

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson gets creative with fresh, cooling spearmint

Dropping down to Derwentwater

Lakeland fells form a dramatic backdrop to the captivating Arts-and-Crafts garden at High Moss in Cumbria, finds Non Morris

Satan on six legs

Crushing one is said to absolve you of all your sins, but the Devil’s coach horse beetle is also the gardener’s friend, says Ian Morton

Flying between extremes

A booming bittern and a colossal crane make it a memorable return to the Norfolk Broads for John Lewis-Stempel

Blessed among plants

It may be named after the Virgin Mary, but, warns Ian Morton, there is a hint of the profane about lady’s mantle

Native herbs

John Wright reveals how the pretty, but unpalatable ground ivy found its true calling as an ingredient in the brewing of ale

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – April 26, 2024

April 24, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Times Literary Supplement (April 24, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Mormon Conquest’ – Seth Perry on a people of the book; Is ‘green growth’ a mirage; Virginia Woolf’s rural retreat; China’s Shakespeare…

This week’s @TheTLS, featuring Seth Perry on Mormonism; @xlorentzen on the Democrats; @SansyG on Tommy Orange; Kit Fan on Du Fu; @nheller on the Buddha; @PD_Smith on dust; @bjkingape on animal communication; a new poem by Michael Longley – and more pic.twitter.com/K6UiyhyXHR
— George Berridge (@George_Berridge) April 24, 2024

News, Podcasts, Politics, Stories

News: Trump ‘Hush Money’ Trial, Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-shek Statue Removals

Audio April 24, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

The Globalist (April 24, 2024): As Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, and the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, visit Warsaw, we examine the role that Poland plays in the diplomatic field.

Then: Donald Trump’s criminal trial; Taiwan wants to remove statues of Chinese dictator Chiang Kai-shek; and an exploration of the future of ticket resale with the managing director of Viagogo. Plus: aviation news and a lost Klimt painting is auctioned.

News, Newspapers, Views

The New York Times — Wednesday, April 24, 2024

April 24, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Judge Questions Credibility of Trump’s Lawyer as Witness Details Coverup Allegations

Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan is off to an ominous start for the former president, and it might not get any easier in the days ahead.

Trapped and Starving, 2 Families in Gaza Try to Keep Their Children Alive

The United Nations says famine is likely to set in by May. For those living under Israel’s attacks and a crippling blockade, every day is a race against time.

In Ukraine, New American Technology Won the Day. Until It Was Overwhelmed.

Project Maven was meant to revolutionize modern warfare. But the conflict in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches.

Arts & Literature, Essays, Journalism, Magazines, Previews

Literary Preview: n+1 Magazine – Spring 2024

April 23, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

@nplusonemag (April 23, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Passage’ – Fast fashion nation. Six months of genocide in Gaza. Human_Fallback_2: 2 Human 2 Fallback. Martin Amis, re-reassessed. Border stories by Nicholas Hamburger and Paul Soto.

Who Sees Gaza?

A genocide in images

OCTOBER 7 MARKED the beginning of a new economy of war imagery. At first there was a video of a bulldozer plowing through the border fence between Israel and Gaza—an astonishing image, captured in a familiar way. Then things turned horribly surreal. The events of that day were beamed to the world in real time via body-cam, dashcam, cell phone, drone. A Hamas fighter wearing a GoPro stalked the highway with his automatic rifle jutting up from the bottom of the frame, first-person-shooter style. A dashboard camera showed a car zooming forward as a bullet pierced its windshield and the car began to drift, veering left, until it crashed into the rear end of a parked Toyota; you knew exactly when the person behind the wheel could no longer drive, was probably dead.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos

Design: Brahminy House Tour, Byron Bay, Australia

Video April 23, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

The Local Project (April 23, 2024): Deeply connected to place, Brahminy House by Harley Graham Architects is located in Wategos Beach, Byron Bay, Australia. Tucked back into the land, the beachside house creates a feeling of connectedness to its surrounds while also offering the owners a home filled with tranquility.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Waterfront House 01:05 – Designing with Intention 01:21 – A Walkthrough of the House 02:53 – Framing the Landscape 03:21 – A Robust and Sturdy Material Palette 04:30 – Proud Moments

Looking at the external form, the architect thought of creating a house as a sculpture within the landscape and wanted to be sure that every curve, material and element was intentional. Following the house tour, a casual entry is revealed. Placed under a concrete form with plants cascading out of it, the entry also holds an outdoor shower made from local basalt stone. Used for washing the surfboard or oneself after a swim, the casual entrance sets the tone for the home’s laid-back character. As the house tour continues up the Italian terracotta tiled stairs and through to the side entry and pool, the beach house reveals its sculptural forms, curves and charm.

Additionally, due to being built into the hill and jungle, the beach house is complemented by greenery that cascades over the shapes of the exterior architecture. Once inside, the communal spaces such as the kitchen, living and dining areas encourage the owners to pursue a deeper connection not just to the landscape but to each other. For open-plan spaces, Harley Graham Architects tries to differentiate the areas by introducing varying floor or roof heights. As such, Brahminy House’s living area has been given a pop-up ceiling that infuses a different atmosphere to the other areas.

Analysis, Foreign Affairs, Government, Magazines, Politics, Reviews

Politics: Foreign Affairs Magazine – May/June 2024

April 23, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Foreign Affairs (April 23, 2024): The latest issue features Can China Remake the World?; Russia’s Divergent Futures; Iran’s Winning Strategy…

China’s Alternative Order

And What America Should Learn From It

By Elizabeth Economy

By now, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambition to remake the world is undeniable. He wants to dissolve Washington’s network of alliances and purge what he dismisses as “Western” values from international bodies. He wants to knock the U.S. dollar off its pedestal and eliminate Washington’s chokehold over critical technology. In his new multipolar order, global institutions and norms will be underpinned by Chinese notions of common security and economic development, Chinese values of state-determined political rights, and Chinese technology. China will no longer have to fight for leadership. Its centrality will be guaranteed.

No Substitute for Victory

America’s Competition With China Must Be Won, Not Managed

By Matt Pottinger and Mike Gallagher

News, Podcasts, Politics, Stories

News: Global Military Spending Reaches All-Time High, Erdogan Visits Iraq

Audio April 23, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

The Globalist (April 23, 2024): Paul Rogers of OpenDemocracy explains why global defence expenditure is at its highest level since records began.

Elsewhere, Monocle’s Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, tells us about Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq, the Maldives shifts its allegiance from India to China and we ask why the US is withdrawing troops from Niger. Plus: art and culture news.

News, Newspapers, Views

The New York Times — Tuesday, April 23, 2024

April 23, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

An Unprecedented Trial Opens With Two Visions of Trump

The prosecution’s opening statement sketched a seamy scheme meant to further the election of Donald J. Trump. His lawyer said the government’s case is merely “34 pieces of paper.”

The Stark Reality of Israel’s Fight in Gaza

Israel has failed to achieve its two primary goals of the war, while the suffering of Palestinians erodes support even among its allies.

Israel Planned Bigger Attack on Iran, but Scaled It Back to Avoid War

The strike on Iran on Friday was originally intended to be much broader in scope, but after intense pressure from allies, Israeli leaders agreed to ratchet it down.

Analysis, Economics, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Reviews

Special Report: “India’s Economy” – April 27, 2024

April 22, 2024 boomersdaily Leave a comment

The Economist SPECIAL REPORTS (April 22, 2024): The latest issue features The India express – With the right changes, it can continue as an engine of global growth, say Arjun Ramani and Thomas Easton….

For its next phase of growth, India needs a new reform agenda

An illustration showing a modern train pulling old carriages.

With the right changes, it can continue as an engine of global growth, say Arjun Ramani and Thomas Easton

The consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a city in Uttar Pradesh, in January was a matter of supreme importance to Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister; attendance was thus de rigueur for those seeking his approval. The attendant courtiers included not just politicians, officials and foreign dignitaries but also India’s biggest corporate bosses. Uttar Pradesh is not their normal stamping ground, and Ayodhya has not until recently been much of a destination for tycoons. Now it has 115 hotels under construction, and some of those January visitors may soon be finding reasons to return.