Profiles: Italian Architect & Illustrator Federico Babina – “Abstract Stories”

August 15, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

“I am an Italian ( since 1969)
architect and graphic designer (since 1994)
that lives and works in Barcelona (since 2007)
but mostly I’m a curious person (since ever).“

Every day I try to rediscover a way to observe the world as through the eyes of a child. Children are able to have a vision of things totally
uninhibited and without the conditioning of the experience. The children’s drawings are always amazing and beautiful in their spontaneous simplicity and clarity.

I like trying to explain the world I see through different techniques of expression. I like the richness of the language and the diversity of its forms. I do not want to confine me in a prison of a style or shape.

Drawing and illustration are for me one of the ways to recount and photograph the thoughts, feelings and emotions. Every picture has a story and every picture is a witness of a story.

Website

Business, History, Transportation, Travel, Videos

Transportation History: “The Rise And Fall Of Hertz” (CNBC Video)

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Hertz was a pioneer in car rental and a highly recognized brand nearly as old as the American auto industry itself. Decimated by coronavirus, Hertz tried in mid-2020 to take advantage of an odd Robinhood-driven spike in its share price and sell stock to pay off its debts. At the time, the company admitted the shares it was selling could end up worthless. Will Hertz be able to emerge from bankruptcy in some form, or will this be the end of its century-long story.

Books, Culture, Photography, Travel

Travel & Culture Books: “Marrakech Flair” By Marisa Berenson (2020)

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It has been said that Marrakech awakens all of the senses. Whether it is seeing the intricate zellige tilework; smelling the various spices sold at the souks; hearing the call to prayer emanate from the nearby mosques; touching the supple leather used to make a pair of babouches (leather sandals); tasting a flavorful tagine, Marrakech never fails to excite.

Located just west of the Atlas Mountains, the city has been inhabited by Berber farmers for centuries. It has been dubbed the “Ochre City” because of the proliferation of red sandstone buildings and the red city walls, which now enclose the Medina, home to Jemaa el-Fnaa, one of the busiest squares in Africa.

Marrakech overflows with culture and has been inspiring visitors for decades. From Yves Saint Laurent to Talitha Getty, Winston Churchill to Mick Jagger, Marrakech has attracted great icons inspired by its eternal spirit as well as its sweet, beautiful life. Yves Saint Laurent’s intimate relationship to this city lead to the opening of a museum dedicated to his legendary work.

The annual Marrakech International Film Festival draws a prominent crowd. Museums abound, exhibiting Moroccan arts, photography, carpets, and the Andalusian design aesthetic that permeates the city’s architecture. La Mamounia hotel, opened in 1923, offers a storied history, which includes hosting guests such as Winston Churchill.

Vanessa Branson’s El Fenn is a collection of traditional riads that form a stunning boutique hotel. There are countless ways to be immersed in the culture of Marrakech, but perhaps the best place to start is with a simple glass of mint tea.

Dubbed the “It Girl” by Yves Saint Laurent in the early 1970s, Marisa Berenson is the original modern muse. Berenson transitioned into acting and delivered dazzling performances in iconic films including Cabaret directed by Bob Fosse and Stanley Kubrick’s production of Barry Lyndon. She has written several books, including Moments intimes, A Life in Pictures and Elsa Schiaparelli’s Private Album. Berenson fell in love with Marrakech eight years ago and once she found the perfect riad, she decided to call it home.

Morning News Podcast: Politics Of Post Office Changes, Iowa Outages, California Blackouts

Audio August 15, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

NPR News Now reports: The political issues surrounding operational changes at the Post Office, Iowa power outages after this week’s storms and California blackouts.

Homes, Travel, Videos

Italian Home Video Tour: “Moltrasio On Lake Como”

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In the heart of Moltrasio, a town on the shores of Lake Como, there is this intimate and luxurious estate with a panoramic view of the lake’s landscape for sale.

Moltrasio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 kilometres north of Milan and about 6 kilometres north of Como, near the border with Switzerland, on the western shore of Lake Como.

Health, Medicine, Studies

Health: “Compression Therapy” Reduces Chronic Cellulitis & Leg Edema

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New England Journal of Medicine (Aug 13, 2020) – In this small, single-center, nonblinded trial involving patients with chronic edema of the leg and cellulitis, compression therapy resulted in a lower incidence of recurrence of cellulitis than conservative treatment.

The researchers have conducted a single-center, randomized, nonblinded trial that aimed to find out an association between the compression therapy and controlled incidents of chronic edema of the leg and people with cellulitis that can be defined as an infection of the skin that involves subcutaneous tissues or the innermost layer of the skin. Cellulitis can be caused by trauma or scratching of other lesions due to animal or human bites that result in fever, extreme pain, and redness of the skin.

Read NEJM Study

News, Politics, Videos

Political News: “Shields & Brooks” On The Latest In Washington (PBS Video)

Video August 14, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including former Vice President Joe Biden’s choice of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, the legislative stalemate over federal coronavirus relief and President Trump’s ongoing campaign against mail-in voting and the U.S. Postal Service.

Art, Arts & Literature, History, Videos

Cocktails With A Curator: “Vase Japon” (Frick Video)

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In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” examine one of the Frick’s recent acquisitions, the Sèvres “Vase Japon,” with Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon. A unique interpretation of a Chinese (not Japanese) bronze vase from the Han Dynasty, the object represents the 18th-century influence of China on European porcelain design. This week’s program is paired with a Long Island Iced Tea.

To view this object in detail, please visit our website: https://collections.frick.org/objects…

Travel, Videos

Nature Books: “The Nature Of Nature” By Enric Sala (National Geographic)

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In this inspiring manifesto, an internationally renowned ecologist makes a clear case for why protecting nature is our best health insurance, and why it makes economic sense.

Enric Sala wants to change the world–and in this compelling book, he shows us how. Once we appreciate how nature works, he asserts, we will understand why conservation is economically wise and essential to our survival.

Here Sala, director of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project (which has succeeded in protecting more than 5 million sq km of ocean), tells the story of his scientific awakening and his transition from academia to activism–as he puts it, he was tired of writing the obituary of the ocean. His revelations are surprising, sometimes counterintuitive: More sharks signal a healthier ocean; crop diversity, not intensive monoculture farming, is the key to feeding the planet.

Using fascinating examples from his expeditions and those of other scientists, Sala shows the economic wisdom of making room for nature, even as the population becomes more urbanized. In a sober epilogue, he shows how saving nature can save us all, by reversing conditions that led to the coronavirus pandemic and preventing other global catastrophes. With a foreword from Prince Charles and an introduction from E. O. Wilson, this powerful book will change the way you think about our world–and our future.