Category Archives: Views

Travel: Kaimana Islands In West Papua, Indonesia (4K)

TOP 100 Travel Films (May 28, 2023) – Kaimana Regency contains over 500 separate offshore islands, spread over the five districts with coastlines. Kaimana District includes at least 280 islands, of which the largest are Pulau Namatota, Pulau Aiduma and Pulau Dramai.

There are at least 62 islands in Teluk Etna District, of which the largest is Pulau Kayumerah. Teluk Arguni Bawah District includes 31 islands. There are 14 islands in Buruway District, of which the largest are Pulau Adi (the regency’s largest offshore island, including the village of Manggawitu) and Pulau Kelimala. Kambrau District includes 4 islands.

The New York Times – Sunday, May 28, 2023

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White House and G.O.P. Strike Debt Limit Deal to Avert Default

President Biden meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the Oval Office. The deal capped months of political brinkmanship and a marathon set of negotiations.

With the government on track to reach its borrowing limit within days, negotiators sealed an agreement to raise the debt ceiling for two years while cutting and capping certain federal programs.

Ken Paxton Is Temporarily Suspended After Texas House Vote

Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas who was impeached by the Texas House on Saturday, addressing the news media a day earlier at his office in Austin, Texas.

The state attorney general and conservative star faces a trial in the Senate.

Missteps and Miscalculations: Inside Fox’s Legal and Business Debacle

Fox’s handling of the defamation suit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, which settled for $787.5 million, left many unanswered questions.

Reparations Are a Financial Quandary. For Democrats, They’re a Political One, Too.

Republicans have criticized recent estimates of what Black Americans are owed in reparations. But for Democrats, they pose deeper problems for a party eager to retain the allegiance of Black voters.

Tours: ‘Museum Design’ Home In South Carolina

Wall Street Journal (May 27, 2023) – Their ties to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, N.C. inspired Dorlisa and Peter Flur to custom-build their forever home. The 5,354 square-foot, three-bedroom house on Lake Wylie features a similar cantilever design by architect Toby Witte.

Video timeline: 0:00 Background on the home 1:47 Piano room and great room 3:12 Office and courtyard 5:10 Primary bedroom 6:44 Budget and cost

Tour this custom $2 million lakefront home designed to feel like it’s floating in mid-air, with unique features including a swimming pool and museum-like details.

#RealEstate #Architecture #WSJ

Travel In Tuscany: Pisa In Northwestern Italy (4K)

Wanderizm Films (May 27, 2023) – Pisa is a city in Italy’s Tuscany region best known for its iconic Leaning Tower. Already tilting when it was completed in 1372, the 56m white-marble cylinder is the bell tower of the Romanesque, striped-marble cathedral that rises next to it in the Piazza dei Miracoli.

Also in the piazza is the Baptistry, whose renowned acoustics are demonstrated by amateur singers daily, and the Caposanto Monumentale cemetery. 

Front Page – The New York Times —- May 27, 2023

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Hundreds of Thousands Have Lost Medicaid Coverage Since Pandemic Protections Expired

Melissa Buford, a diabetic with high blood pressure, is no longer eligible for Medicaid because her income increased.

As states begin to drop people from their Medicaid programs, early data shows that many recipients are losing their coverage for procedural reasons.

This Little-Known Pandemic-Era Tax Credit Has Become a Magnet for Fraud

The Internal Revenue Service issued an alert on Thursday warning businesses about scams related to the Employee Retention Credit.

The Employee Retention Credit has spawned a cottage industry of firms claiming to help businesses get stimulus funds, often in violation of federal rules.

Colleges Will Be Able to Hide a Student’s Race on Admissions Applications

If requested, the Common App will conceal basic information on race and ethnicity — a move that could help schools if the Supreme Court ends affirmative action.

Sedition Sentence for Oath Keepers Leader Marks Moment of Accountability

The 18 years in prison given to Stewart Rhodes for a rarely charged crime underscored the lengths to which the Justice Department and the courts have gone in addressing the assault on the Capitol.

Marine Wildlife: The Giant Mantas Of Coastal Mexico

SeaLegacy (May 26, 2023) – Five years after its protection, Mexico’s Revillagigedo National Park bounds with a resurgence of life– welcoming back the region’s incredible native species, like the endangered giant manta ray. Co-founder Cristina Mittermeier and marine scientist Frida Lara explore what’s possible when we give aquatic life space to recover and thrive.

The pair greet a giant manta as an old friend, as it flips, flies, and glides through the water. The curious creature holds great symbolic significance and plays a vital ecological role within the ocean and all the marine life impacted by its sheer presence. The bounty and diversity of life Cristina captures within Revillagigedo National Park prove that protecting our marine ecosystems is the solution to saving our ocean.

Only brightened by the endangered giant manta’s presence, this region’s achievements act as a guiding light of hope for conservation worldwide.

Views: The Wave & Coyote Buttes North In Arizona

Amazing Places on Our Planet (May 26, 2023) – The Wave is an amazing sandstone formation located within Coyote Buttes North in Northern Arizona, USA, near the border with Utah. The Wave is one of the most iconic places of the American Southwest due to its beauty and restricted access.

Locations in the video: 00:00 On the way to The Wave 01:23 The Wave 04:18 The Mini Wave 04:54 Dinosaur Tracks 05:08 The Boneyard 06:24 The Second Wave 08:52 Top Rock Arch 09:18 Sand Dune Alcove 10:20 Melody Arch 10:45 North & South Teepees 12:39 The Wave

Because of its fragile nature and overwhelming popularity, a daily lottery system is established to allow access to the area. The Coyote Buttes North is by itself a premier photographic destination with many spectacular rock formations.

California Architecture: Venice Beach House Tour

The Local Project (May 26, 2023) – A fusion of an Australian and Californian sensibility, Venice Beach House is a calm house that captures the spirit of its owner and a resonating sense of place.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Calm House 00:29 – The Location of the Home 00:48 – The Californian Bungalow 01:03 – The Brief 01:22 – A Visual Palette Cleanser 01:47 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:36 – The Material Palette 02:50 – Aspects of the Surrounding Borrowed Landscape 03:31 – The Material Palette Continued 04:03 – Following the Sun 04:28 – Favourite Aspects of the Home

Tribe Studio Architects and Arabella McIntosh bring a distinct, globally inspired approach in crafting the Los Angeles home of Armadillo co-founder Jodie Fried. Whilst an embracing of the natural elements and the similarities in climate that bind both Los Angeles and Australian design, Venice Beach House is founded on the creation of a series of spaces that capture the travelled spirit of its owner.

As the occasional home to Jodie Fried and her family, the resulting calm house speaks to a combined methodology, drawing upon the renowned Californian outdoor lifestyle and familiar elements found home in Australia. Located among an assortment of established bungalow-style homes, the surrounding context plays a key role in shaping the proposed form, scale and proportion of the home whilst referencing a key Australian influence.

Built by Tatum Constructions, Venice Beach House is, at its heart, a calm house. Expressing an openness between inside and out, the home invites connection with the surrounding landscape and ensures a natural spillover of function into the outdoor spaces. The established fig tree in the front garden inspired and directed the planning to optimise natural shading and orientation to create key connections with the natural elements.

Travel: A Walking Tour Of Canal District, Amsterdam

Walking Man Films (May 26, 2023) – A walking tour of the Canal District (Dutch: Grachtengordel), the famous 17th-century district surrounding the Binnenstad of Amsterdam. The whole district is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique cultural and historical value, and its property values are among the highest of the country.