All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education

Culture: New York Times Magazine – Feb 19, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – February 19, 2023:

Spirited Away to Miyazaki Land

What happens when the surreal imagination of the world’s greatest living animator, Hayao Miyazaki, is turned into a theme park?

Remaking Country’s Gender Politics, One Barroom Weeper at a Time

The Nashville songwriter Shane McAnally is behind many of country music’s No. 1 hits, which aren’t as straight as they seem.

Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril? One Man’s Decision.

How the landmark 1978 Supreme Court decision that upheld the practice may ultimately have set it on a path to being outlawed.

Tours: Hermon House In Hawthorn, Australia

Located in Hawthorn, Victoria, Hermon is a fun and playful house set on a tree-lined street dotted with Edwardian and Federation homes. Stitching together the project’s Edwardian structure and contemporary changes, WOWOWA has introduced unique materials, a vibrant colour palette and elements to install vivacity into the family home.

00:00 – Introduction to the Playful House 00:23 – The Location 00:38 – Key Ambitions 01:01 – A Love for Renovations 01:22 – A Walkthrough of the House 01:50 – The Fun and Dreamy Kitchen 02:28 – Embracing Age 02:50 – The Materials and Colour Palette 03:28 – Laminex Pairings 04:15 – Focusing on the Little Moments and the Big 04:34 – Fresh and Nostalgic

With a love for rejuvenation, WOWOWA has continued the residence’s charming heritage by using the original stone, bricks and gradient of the roof tiles for inspiration in the transformation of the fun and playful house. Beginning the house tour from the front gate, guests walk up a soft pebble walkway before entering into a traditional foyer with tall ornate walls and a spacious hallway. After passing through the threshold of the fun and playful house, WOWOWA’s contemporary renovations are revealed in the kitchen – the heart of the home.

Employing a colour story of reds, browns and terracotta to reference the surrounding landscape, the kitchen is full of moments of inspiration and reflection. Throughout the space, the architects have also installed wide windows and doors that reveal the vibrant and colourful gardens. Working with Laminex for the kitchen’s interior design, WOWOWA has used the bayleaf colour to partner with the warm hues throughout the home. Also implemented in the main bedroom, the bayleaf adds a cohesiveness to the interior design and brings the vibrancy of outside into the more intimate spaces.

With four bedrooms located upstairs, including a main bedroom with walk-in robe and ensuite, two children’s rooms and a guest room, the interior design throughout results in a fun and playful house for the owners. By embracing the traditional circles, geometry and patterns of Hermon, WOWOWA have used materials such as terrazzo, finger tiles, terracotta, steel and timber to add a contemporary twist. Furthermore, the modern elements reference the original stained-glass windows of the façade. Considering the Edwardian exterior architecture, WOWOWA have softened the harder architectural structure by adding planter boxes and new lush gardens around the house. With a focus on aligning the larger gestures with the smaller ones,

WOWOWA have made sure to inject the same amount of attention into each material choice and design element of the fun and playful house. Adding joyfulness and nostalgia to Hermon, WOWOWA have created a home that gives the owners opportunity to create new stories.

Front Page: The New York Times – February 17, 2023

New York Times Front Page, New York Edition

A New Goal for Abortion Bills: Punish or Protect Doctors

The legislative calendar is packed with 300 abortion bills. “You can’t go to jail for screwing up an appendectomy,” one lawmaker said.

Federal Officials Send Help After Ohio Derailment, but Residents’ Frustrations Persist

A visit to East Palestine from the head of the E.P.A. and a White House pledge to lend more support were met with skepticism in the community.

Behind China’s Balloons, a Push for Business to Serve the Military

The Chinese government has tried to meld its military and civilian innovation, prompting a backlash from the United States.

A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled

A very strange conversation with the chatbot built into Microsoft’s search engine led to it declaring its love for me.

Previews: The Economist Magazine- Feb 18, 2023

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The Economist Magazine- February 18, 2023:

Inflation will be harder to bring down than markets think

Investors are betting on good times. The likelier prospect is turbulence

Israel’s proposed legal reforms are a dreadful answer to a real problem

They will damage the country at home and abroad

The World Bank’s embattled chief steps down

David Malpass’s record is better than his many critics will credit

Previews: History Today Magazine – March 2023

Volume 73 Issue 3 March 2023 | History Today

History Today Magazine – March 2023 Issue:


Treason of the Clerics

For 600 years Muslims held sway over the Indian subcontinent. Then democracy and a desultory leadership did them in.

Getting Away with Murder

Sarah Malcolm by William Hogarth, 1733.

Found guilty of the Temple Murders in 1733, Sarah Malcolm became the most notorious woman in Britain. Did she commit the crime alone? Did she commit it at all?

Save Your Ass

CIA

The US government was happy to support the assassination of foreign officials – but not to be seen doing so.

The New York Review Of Books – March 9, 2023

Download The New York Review of Books - March 9, 2023 - SoftArchive

The New York Review of Books – March 9, 2023:

Peddling Darkness

True crime stories, like Sarah Weinman’s Scoundrel, make for suspenseful reading. But do they exploit the criminal, and deepen a thirst for punishment?

Commanders and Courtiers

The Howe family achieved an influential position of power in late-eighteenth-century Britain, propelled by the shrewd social intelligence of the Howe women.

News: Xi Jinping Pledges Support For Iran, Finland-NATO, Museum Openings

February 16, 2023: China’s president, Xi Jinping, has promised to give support to Iran. How will that affect relations between the two countries and the West? Also in the programme, we discuss whether Finland will join Nato before Sweden and look at India’s first new museum opening in a decade.

Front Page: The New York Times – February 16, 2023

New York Times Front Page, New York Edition

U.S. on Track to Add $19 Trillion in New Debt Over 10 Years

Congressional Budget Office projections released on Wednesday suggested rising interest rates and bipartisan spending bills are adding to deficits.

As Lawmakers Spar Over Social Security, Its Costs Are Rising Fast

New budget projections show that the program’s spending is outpacing tax revenues as an aging population claims benefits.

As Taliban Settle In, Kabul’s Green Zone Comes Back to Life

Walking down its streets a year ago was like wandering into the modern ruins of another empire come and gone from Afghanistan. Now, the Taliban have adopted the former diplomatic enclave as their own.

Before the Gunfire, It Was Their Glittering ‘Dancing Star’

The mass shooting in Monterey Park threatened a community of ballroom dancers who share a rich history. They hope to find a way to carry on.

Books: TLS/Times Literary Supplement – Feb 17, 2023

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Times Literary Supplement (February 17, 2023) – This week’s @TheTLS , featuring @jamesamarcus on Mailer at 100; Tom Seymour Evans on James Ellroy; @SPlokhy on Putin’s war in Ukraine; @nclarke14 on Blake Morrison; @CamilleRalphs_on Sylvia Plath; @natsegnit on Salman Rushdie; @rinireg on balloons – and more.