DW Documentary (September 28, 2023) – With its rich biological diversity, the region around the Mekong River is a jewel of Asia. The river is also known as “the mother of waters.
” It’s a transport route, water supply and food source for millions of people. The film sets out in a journey to the former royal city of Luang Prabang in Laos. It’s regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in southeast Asia and to this day, religion determines everyday life: Every morning, hundreds of monks walk through the city’s ancient center to collect their alms.
In the isolated villages, some of which are only accessible by boat, most Laotians live off the land. There are huge rice paddies on the fertile banks on the Mekong; rice is the Laotians’ main staple, eaten three times a day here. The river also provides some welcome dietary variation in the form of fish. Locals – and the odd tourist boat – also use the Mekong as a main transit route; even today, the quickest way to reach the country’s larger cities is still by river.
At some point, several hundred kilometers downstream, we reach the capital Vientiane, the economic heart of Laos and a trading center for the famous Laotian woven textiles, exported from here all over the world.
Dozens of leaders, mostly from Western states, have asked the Supreme Court to overturn lower court decisions that restrict enforcement against public camping.
The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states sued Amazon, saying its conduct in its online store and services to merchants illegally stifled competition.
The decision in a lawsuit that could go to trial next week is a major win for Attorney General Letitia James, who says former President Donald J. Trump overvalued his holdings by as much as $2.2 billion.
Biden Joins Autoworkers on Picket Line in Michigan
The president’s trip came a day before former President Donald J. Trump was scheduled to arrive in Michigan, as the two offer dueling messages in a key swing state.
‘Monster Fracks’ Are Getting Far Bigger. And Far Thirstier.
Giant new oil and gas wells that require astonishing volumes of water to fracture bedrock are threatening America’s fragile aquifers.
The Local Project (September 26, 2023) – Narrow sites and smaller residences tend to provide architects with an opportunity – one that inspires creativity and innovation. This is true of Concrete Curtain, an architect’s own home in inner-city Melbourne, where FGR Architects evocatively draws on materiality and natural light, imbuing the architecture of the family home with a sense of elegance and spaciousness.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Home 01:29 – Designed for a Growing Family 01:39 – A Walkthrough of the Home 03:13 – Playful Additions 03:49 – The Use of Stone Throughout the Home 05:27 – The Calming Materials 05:46 – Proud Moments
Upon entering the architect’s own home, one is met with a garage that is flanked by an ensuite, study and laundry. The house tour then leads into the central foyer area – a core part of the dwelling that allows light to enter from the east and west. The lower part of the residence contains the kitchen, living and dining area that then naturally flows out towards the al fresco dining area.
The spiral staircase leads to the second level, which is split into two segments. On the northern side is the master suite, and on the southern end is the childrens’ bedrooms. This floor also features a playful, blue carpet, which adds vibrancy to the upstairs level. Perhaps the most prominent feature of the architect’s own home is the concrete curtain, which reveals FGR Architects’s intention to illuminate areas with natural light.
Wanting to create a sense of space, the architect leveraged the idea of a sheer curtain to allow for both privacy and openness. As such, the concrete ‘cylinders’ are spaced out in a way that emulates the fold of a curtain. The result is a remarkable feature with a gentle, pleated style that softens the residence and lets light pass through seamlessly. The interior design and materiality of the architect’s own home is vital to its overall effect.
The brilliant mountain maples, birches and beeches in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
NEW YORK TIMES TRAVEL (September 25, 2023) – Here are five beautiful places to catch the leaves — and while you’re there, you can peek out of covered bridges, gaze up at waterfalls, ride a tramway or a train, or even try to spot a legendary Bigfoot-like creature known as the Grassman.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
White Mountains Trail
Driving the White Mountains Trail, a 108-mile loop that winds through groves of gold birches, bronze beeches, and orange, yellow and red mountain maples, you may find yourself unable to resist stopping in the middle of a covered bridge to peek through the walls.
The Albany Covered Bridge, which crosses the rocky Swift River in the White Mountain National Forest near Conway, N.H., is one of 54 remaining covered bridges in the state. Built in 1858, it features a red roof and weathered brown walls with gaps that let the leaves peep at you.
MASSACHUSETTS
Mount Greylock State Reservation
From the study at his farmhouse in Pittsfield, in western Massachusetts, Herman Melville gazed at 3,491-foot Mount Greylock, whose humped shape possibly inspired the white whale in “Moby-Dick.” When the trees on that hump start to change, it becomes more of a gloriously mottled whale.
The mountain’s colors typically peak in early to mid-October, with golds, bright oranges and vivid reds, mainly from tamarack, striped maple and yellow birch. The wet summer may lead to some spotting and discoloration on some leaves, said Nicole Keleher, the director of forest health for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, but she predicted a wide variety of colors overall.
GEORGIA
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
The Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway, a 40-mile loop through the nearly 867,000-acre Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, winds through mountains drenched in the yellows of tulip poplars, the crimsons of dogwood, and the scarlets and purples of maples — with most expected to peak the week of Oct. 24, said Steven Bekkerus, a public affairs officer for the forest.
Deep in those woods, you’ll find two waterfalls to complement the autumn palette.
OHIO
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
From a vintage rail car on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, the reds and golds of Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio’s only national park, roll by — and if you see a shadow darting among the trees, it could be the Ohio Grassman, also known as the eastern Bigfoot, a creature reputed to reside in the woods there.
The colors, which peak in mid- to late October, “range from brilliant reds of the sugar maples to the deep browns of the white oaks,” said Pamela Barnes, a public information officer at the park, which is just south of Cleveland.
Senators of both parties are debating whether to include new military assistance for the fight against Russia in any stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded past the end of the month.
After decades of going it alone in security issues, Finns are finding that life in a large alliance is complex, expensive and deeply political.
In a Blow to Russia, Ukraine Says It Killed Chief of Black Sea Fleet
As they ramp up attacks on occupied Crimea, Ukrainian forces are repeatedly targeting the fleet based there, a key to Russia’s attacks deep into Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Hollywood’s Focus Turns to Actors After Writers Agree to Deal
The studios and the actors’ union haven’t spoken for more than two months, but a deal is needed before the entertainment industry can fully return.
We know because we were there. This boat was carrying Times journalists off the island of Palawan, in the Philippines, looking at how China was imposing its territorial ambitions on the South China Sea.
Right-wing Republicans who represent a minority in their party and in Congress have succeeded in sowing mass dysfunction, spoiling for a shutdown, an impeachment and a House coup.
In Hospitals, Viruses Are Everywhere. Masks Are Not.
Amid an uptick in Covid infections, administrators, staff and patients are divided over the need for masks in health care settings.
Clams Ruled This Town Until the Crabs Moved In
Goro, on the Adriatic Sea, is famous for its clams — essential for the beloved spaghetti alle vongole. But an infestation of crabs is threatening the town’s cash crop.
TOP 100 Travel (September 24, 2023) – Tropical island Canimeran with sandy beach in the blue sea with coral reef, top view. Balabac, Palawan, Philippines. Small island with palm trees and white sand
Federal prosecutors have accused Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey and his wife, Nadine, of accepting bribes in exchange for official actions by Mr. Menendez.
Fentanyl use is increasingly out in the open, and increasingly fatal. But New Yorkers are divided over what to do: decriminalize it or make more arrests.
Gold’s Deadly Truth: Much Is Mined With Mercury
Ten years after an international treaty to ban mercury, the toxic metal continues to poison. The reason might have to do with your wedding ring.
TV Networks’ Last Best Hope: Boomers
Viewers have fled prime-time lineups for streaming outlets, with one notable exception: people over 60.
QuantumScape Films (September 23, 2023) – Trollstigen is an impressive mountain pass that twists through eleven hairpin bends up the steep mountain sides in Romsdalen valley. The Trollstigen road connects Åndalsnes with the village of Valldal in Sunnmøre.
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