Category Archives: Views

Front Page: The New York Times – January 15, 2023

January 15, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Santos’s Lies Were Known to Some Well-Connected Republicans

George Santos inspired no shortage of suspicion during his 2022 campaign, including in the upper echelons of his own party, yet many Republicans looked the other way.

Documents Inquiry Puts Spotlight on Biden’s Frenetic Last Days as Vice President

The special counsel will have to reconstruct how a small number of classified documents made it to Mr. Biden’s home in Delaware and a private office in Washington.

Ecuador Tried to Curb Drilling and Protect the Amazon. The Opposite Happened.

A novel idea to leave the country’s vast oil reserves in the ground fizzled for lack of international support. Now, struggling under painful debt, the government wants to expand drilling in the rainforest.

As Russians Steal Ukraine’s Art, They Attack Its Identity, Too

Russian forces have looted tens of thousands of pieces, including avant-garde oil paintings and Scythian gold. Experts say it is the biggest art heist since the Nazis in World War II, intended to strip Ukraine of its cultural heritage.

Adventure, Boats, Tourism, Travel, Videos, Views

Safari Travel: Okavango Delta By Boat In Botswana

Video January 14, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

DW Travel – On safari through Botswana’s wilderness in a dugout canoe: Rather than rumbling through nature in a noisy jeep, glide silently through the water in a traditional mokoro boat – getting closer than ever to elephants, hippos, and other animals, without disturbing them with noise, and exhaust fumes.

Botswana, country in the centre of Southern Africa. The territory is roughly triangular—approximately 600 miles (965 km) from north to south and 600 miles from east to west—with its eastern side protruding into a sharp point. Its eastern and southern borders are marked by river courses and an old wagon road; its western borders are lines of longitude and latitude through the Kalahari, and its northern borders combine straight lines with a river course. Within the confines of Botswana’s borders is a rich variety of wildlife, including many species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Before its independence in 1966, Botswana was a British protectorate known as Bechuanaland. It was also one of the poorest and least-developed states in the world. The country is named after its dominant ethnic group, the Tswana (“Bechuana” in older variant orthography). Since its independence the Republic of Botswana has gained international stature as a peaceful and increasingly prosperous democratic state. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the African Union (AU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The secretariat of SADC is housed in the capital of Botswana, Gaborone (until 1969 spelled Gaberones—i.e., Gaborone’s town, after the tribal chief who had his capital at the site during the colonial period).

Travel, Videos, Views

Japan View: ‘Kyoto In Snow’

Video January 14, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Yurara Sarara – Kyoto is a city of some 2000 temples and shrines: a city of true masterpieces of religious architecture, such as the retina-burning splendor of Kinkaku-ji (the famed Golden Pavilion) and the cavernous expanse of Higashi Hongan-ji. It’s where robed monks shuffle between temple buildings, prayer chants resonate through stunning Zen gardens, and the faithful meditate on tatami-mat floors. Even as the modern city buzzes and shifts all around, a waft of burning incense, or the sight of a bright vermillion torii gate marking a shrine entrance, are regular reminders that Kyoto remains the spiritual heart of Japan.

News, Newspapers, Views

Front Page: The New York Times – January 14, 2023

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Biden and Kishida Vow to Bolster U.S.-Japan Alliance as China’s Power Grows

The two leaders discussed tensions with China, North Korea and Russia and plans for deterrence in Asia with U.S. troops and missiles.

Idaho Murders Suspect Felt ‘No Emotion’ and ‘Little Remorse’ as a Teen

Messages and online posts from the Ph.D. student now charged with four murders show that he was once detached and suicidal before he became fascinated with criminals’ minds.

In a Drought, California Is Watching Water Wash Out to Sea

Heavy storms have flooded parts of California, but the state has been unable to capture billions of gallons of water that are flowing unchecked into the ocean. Los Angeles is embarking on an ambitious new program to change that.

How Western Goods Reach Russia: A Long Line of Trucks Through Georgia

With Western sanctions barring many imports, a lot of what Russia needs now travels a slow, crowded truck route through the Caucasus Mountains from Georgia.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Home Tour: ‘Greenhouse’ In Hobart, South Tasmania

Video January 13, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Local Project (January 13, 2023) – Renovating an old house in Hobart, Bence Mulcahy added a two-storey extension made of glass and steel. Named Greenhouse, the structure replaces a 1980s iteration in a manner that best engages the nearby veranda, courtyard and garden.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Cloudy Bay 00:12 – Introduction to the Greenhouse 00:53 – The Brief for the Renovation 01:19 – House Tour of the Home 02:16 – The Sandstone Base of the Building 02:30 – The Lower and Upper Floor of the Extension 03:15 – The Exterior of the Greenhouse 03:25 – The Interior Materials Chosen 03:48 – The Furniture and Furnishing of the House 04:50 – Cloudy Bay

Located in the Hobart suburb of Mount Stuart, Greenhouse forms a contemporary addition to a red brick, Federation-style Italianate home. The new volume looks out onto the Derwent River and is supported by a veranda and a well-established garden complete with plants, trees and sandstone retaining walls. Bence Mulcahy identifies the key to renovating an old house is relating the extension to the main building – Greenhouse mirrors the scale of the existing dwelling, proposing a strong sense of verticality.

A house tour of the dream home begins at the formal entry space and transitions into the main hall. Beyond lies the beginning of the extension. The process of renovating an old house sees the final extension enclose the dining room, kitchen and an extra eating area. Upstairs, the addition houses an ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. Ample glazing then allows the home to borrow visual space from the external landscape.

Bence Mulcahy takes a seasoned approach to renovating an old house, inserting voids in order to manage the sense of privacy. A two-storey void is left over the dining room, whilst a separate alcove of the same size is located above the upstairs ensuite. Creating a glasshouse structure using a combination of glass and steel, Bence Mulcahy pays homage to a greenhouse inspiration. The durable nature of the material palette is particularly relevant to renovating an old house, promising an enduring outcome.

Internally, copper sinks and a copper island bench complement a wax-sealed timber floor and array of curated soft furnishings. Utilising the skills of local craftsmen, Bence Mulcahy does justice to the personal nature of the home. Greenhouse stands as a lesson in house renovation and embraces the tranquil quality of its natural surrounds.

Travel, Videos, Views

360° Aerial Tour: Moneron Island, Eastern Russia (8K)

Video January 13, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

AirPano VR – Moneron Island, a large island located near Sakhalin Island, with its unique nature, with the status of the marine natural park reserve. From 1904 to 1945, the island belonged to Japan, and called Caibaté. On Moneron, rich flora and fauna, many giant mussels, rare sea urchins, sea cucumbers red book. This is the only place in Russia, where there are gastropods shellfish – galiotis. On the coast of the island Moneron, fur seal rookeries satisfied. The nature of the island is unique, there are like endless green fields and rocky canyon, waterfalls, columnar cliffs.

News, Newspapers, Views

Front Page: The New York Times – January 13, 2023

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Garland Appoints Special Counsel to Investigate Handling of Biden Documents

The appointment of Robert K. Hur comes two months after the attorney general named a special counsel to investigate former President Donald J. Trump’s mishandling of classified material.

Inflation Is Slowing, Good News for American Consumers and the Fed

Consumer Price Index inflation moderated to 6.5 percent in December, helping Fed officials to lean toward slower rate moves.

Western Tanks Appear Headed to Ukraine, Breaking Another Taboo

The West has sent an array of weapons once seen as too provocative, and it looks like tanks will be next. With a new Russian offensive expected, officials see an urgent need to shift the balance.

With F.B.I. Search, U.S. Escalates Global Fight Over Chinese Police Outposts

Beijing says the outposts aren’t doing police work, but Chinese state media reports say they “collect intelligence” and solve crimes far outside their jurisdiction.

News, Newspapers, Views

Front Page: The New York Times – January 12, 2023

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Discovery of More Classified Records Raises Questions Over Biden’s Handling of Documents

The revelation is sure to intensify Republican attacks on the president, who has called former President Donald J. Trump irresponsible for hoarding sensitive documents at his estate in Florida.

Hunter Biden’s Tangled Tale Comes Front and Center

Federal prosecutors could decide soon whether to indict the president’s son on tax and gun charges, and he faces a fresh round of hostile congressional hearings. But a close look at his story shows that it differs in important ways from the narrative promoted by Republicans.

Here Are All the Ways Republicans Plan to Investigate Biden

House Republicans are preparing a cascade of investigations, some overlapping, into the Biden administration and its policies. Right-wing lawmakers have said the ultimate goal is to impeach the president.

Obamacare Is Everywhere in the Unlikeliest of Places: Miami

A decade after the Affordable Care Act’s federal health insurance marketplace was created, its outsize — and improbable — popularity in South Florida persists.

Travel, Videos, Views

Cinematic Travel: Island Of Zanzibar In Tanzania

January 11, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Zanzibar, Swahili Unguja, island in the Indian Ocean, lying 22 miles (35 km) off the coast of east-central Africa. In 1964 Zanzibar, together with Pemba Island and some other smaller islands, joined with Tanganyika on the mainland to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Area 600 square miles (1,554 square km). Pop. (2007 est.) 713,000.

Both Zanzibar and Pemba are believed to have once formed part of the African continent, the separation of Pemba having occurred during the Miocene Epoch (about 23 to 5.3 million years ago) while Zanzibar dates from the Pliocene Epoch (about 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago) or even later. Various types of limestone form the base of both islands.

Zanzibar’s history was greatly shaped by its geography, the prevailing winds of the region placing it directly on the Indian Ocean trade routes and making it accessible to both traders and colonists from Arabia, south Asia, and the African mainland. The first immigrants were the Africans; the next were the Persians, who began to land in Zanzibar in the 10th century and who, over a brief period, became absorbed into the local population and disappeared as a separate group.

Their influence was left in the gradual consolidation of disparate villages and rural populations into what came to be recognized as two peoples, the Hadimu and the Tumbatu. This African-Persian population converted to Islam and adopted many Persian traditions. (Even today, most of Zanzibar’s African population calls itself “Shirazi,” in echo of the ancient Persian principality of Shīrāz, from which the earliest Persians came.)

Filmed and Edited by Sahal Nizar