Category Archives: Reviews

Artists: Inside Story Of Andy Warhol’s “Athletes” Paintings (Christie’s)

From a Christie’s Magazine online article (February 2020):

Christie's Magazine logo‘The sports stars of today are the movie stars of yesterday,’ proclaimed the artist. It was true; thanks to rapid advances in TV broadcasting, sporting champions in the 1970s were starting to achieve the same level of popularity as other entertainers.

Andy Warhol Athletes paintngs Muhammad Ali & Pele Christie's Magazine February 2020

In 1977, Richard L. Weisman approached his friend Andy Warhol with the idea for a new series: a set of silkscreen portraits of the day’s leading sports stars. Called ‘Athletes’, these pictures have come to be regarded as some of the standout works of Warhol’s later years.

Andy Warhol Athletes paintngs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Tom Seaver Christie's Magazine February 2020

Weisman (1940-2018) was a dedicated collector, and the two men bonded mostly over art, although they also crossed paths regularly at social gatherings across New York. On some occasions, these gatherings were held at Warhol’s Factory studio; on others, at Weisman’s apartment on United Nations Plaza.

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Top New Camper Vans: “2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris Weekender”

Built by Driverge Vehicle Innovations in partnership with Peace Vans as part of our MasterSolutions™ program, the new Weekender draws inspiration from glorious Mercedes-Benz Metris Weekender Camper Van Interior 2020camper vans of the past while incorporating the latest safety, reliability, and convenience features — taking the pop top van to new heights.

  • Seats five, sleeps four. With an elevating roof, swiveling front seats, integrated table, a rear bench that converts to a bed, an extra battery for more power, and much more, the Weekender comes standard with enough features to go from day-to-day life to adventure mode with ease.
  • Power up your weekends with optional features like integrated solar panels for more power, a 1.5” suspension lift for greater off-road capabilities, upgraded navigation features, roof racks, and camping upgrades like an 8’ awning, mosquito screens, rear lift tent, and a pullout rear kitchen.
  • The Weekender is built on the tried-and-true Metris platform: Tow rating of 5,000 lbs., excellent safety and fuel economy, up to 15,000 mile service intervals, ATTENTION ASSIST®, Crosswind Assist, rearview camera, load adaptive ESP and ECO start/stop, and much more.

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Housing: “Nestron” Is First Prefab, Fully Integrated Smart Home In The World

Nestron is the first fully prefabricated, integrated and equipped house in the world. Zero construction required.

  • Adaptive insulation – The house is suitable for living in all kinds of climates. The isolation system in walls, double-tempered glass, and fitted doors guarantee the highest possible comfort.

Nestron Tiny Homes Interior Singapore

  • Solid construction – The steel structure and top quality materials guarantee the highest level of safety. Every Nestron house meet fireproof and earthquake-resistant standards.
  • AI System – Your Nestron is a fully integrated smart house. Use your voice to control the most important functions and let the appliances learn your way of living.

Nestron Tiny Homes Singapore

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Top Photography Books: “At Glacier’s End” In Iceland By Chris Burkard

At Glacier's End by Chris Burkard December 2019 Release“Iceland’s glacial rivers are nature’s abstract paintings. It seems obvious that rivers this wild and stunning are protected, yet the harsh reality is that many have been dammed, mainly to provide power for aluminum plants.

A massive conservation movement is underway to preserve these rivers, but will it succeed? At Glacier’s End gives a voice to Iceland’s glacial rivers – providing both a cultural and environmental perspective – on the journey from glacier to sea.”

At Glacier's End by Chris Burkard December 2019 Release

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Healthcare System: “There’s No Dignity In Hospital Gowns” (BMJ)

From a The BMJ Views and Reviews article by David Oliver (February 5, 2020):

David Oliver There's No Dignity in Hospital Gowns The BMJ February 5 2020Last year the Lancet published a paper on the impact of wearing gowns, surveying 928 adult patients and carrying out structured interviews with 10 patients. Over half (58%) reported wearing the gown despite feeling uncertain that it was a medical necessity. Gown design was considered inadequate, with 61% reporting that they struggled to put it on or required assistance and 67% reporting that it didn’t fit. Most worryingly, 72% felt exposed, 60% felt self-conscious, and 57% felt uncomfortable wearing the gown.

I’ve often wondered why on earth we routinely put so many patients into hospital gowns within minutes of their arrival at hospital.

Sometimes referred to as “dignity gowns,” such dignity as they afford is only in comparison to being stark naked. They don’t come in a wide range of sizes or lengths, and they’re open along the back. You tend to get what you’re given and make do. The effect is to leave patients with lots of exposed flesh, with underwear or buttocks intermittently displayed and a feeling of extreme vulnerability, not to mention being cold if they have no other layers to wear.

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American Classic Cars: “1948 Packard Standard Eight Station Sedan”

1948 Packard Standard Eight Station Sedan Interior Classic DriverPackard Super Eight was the name given to the larger of the two eight-cylinder luxury automobiles produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. It shared frames and some body types with the top model Packard Twelve. Following the discontinuation of the Seventeenth Series Packard Twelve after the 1939 model year, a new Super Eight One-Eighty was derived from the Super Eight as the new top car range. The Super Eight was renamed the Packard Super Eight One-Sixty.

Classic Driver logoAfter 1942, Packard concentrated on the new Clipper styling that was developed for an upper-class sedan the previous year. There were Super Clippers and Custom Super Clipper in the One-Sixty and One-Eighty tradition until 1947. After a heavy facelift, the name Clipper was dropped. The most senior Super Eight One-Eighty became the Custom Eight, while its slightly lower-priced sibling, the Super Eight One-Sixty, once again became simply the Super Eight. Clipper Custom Super Eights and Custom Eights were very close relatives to their respective Super models, distinguished outside by the lack of an eggcrate grille and small rear chrome trim moulding under the trunk lid on Supers. In 1949, a new Super Eight Deluxe was added to the line. This car had also the Custom Eight’s eggcrate grille, but not the rear trim.

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From Wikipedia

Future Of Driving: Behind The Scenes Look At “Rivian Electric Trucks” (Video)

A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a new kind of car company. Follow the Rivian team out of stealth mode and into the wild as we prepare to launch the world’s first electric adventure vehicles.

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Retro Tech: “Gearbox Automatic Turntable MkII”

GEARBOX AUTOMATIC TURNTABLE MKIIThe Gearbox Automatic has created quite a buzz in the audio world, a plug & play turntable that plugs a gap in the portable turntable sector. It features high-quality components, meaning the sound is astonishing for its price class. This you would expect from Gearbox of course, but it also does things no other turntable has ever done before.

What also sets this turntable apart is the high-fidelity built-in valve phono stage, (the first in the world to have one), which has been designed and tuned for moving magnet cartridges such as the pre-fitted Ortofon OM10. This means that you can plug the turntable straight into any line input and enjoy the warm and open acoustics, right from the box.

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High, Non-Transparent Prices And Aggressive Collection Tactics Erode Trust In Healthcare (JAMA)

From a JAMA Network online article (February 4, 2020):

Billing Quality is Medical Quality JAMA Network ViewpointHigh medical prices and billing practices may reduce public trust in the medical profession and can result in the avoidance of care. In a survey of 1000 patients, 64% reported that they delayed or neglected seeking medical care in the past year because of concern about high medical bills. The field of quality science in health care has developed measures of medical complications; however, there are no standardized metrics of billing quality.

JAMA NetworkA recent study found that only 53 of 101 hospitals were able to provide a price for standard coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Notably, among the hospitals that provided a price, the price ranged from approximately $44 000 and $448 000 and was not associated with quality of care as measured by risk-adjusted outcomes and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons composite quality score.

Possible metrics of assessing billing quality JAMA

In the same way that there is wide variation in pricing, aggressive collection tactics also can be highly variable by institution. In a recent analysis, 36% (48/135) of hospitals in Virginia garnished wages of patients with unpaid medical bills, and 5 hospitals accounted for 4690 garnishment cases in 2017, representing 51% of all cases.7 In total, 20 054 lawsuits were filed in Virginia against patients for unpaid debt. For many hospitals that sue patients, legal action follows multiple attempts to contact patients through letters and calls, and some hospitals may offer to set up payment plans or even negotiate charges.

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