Front Page: The New York Times – October 16, 2022

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Democrats Spent $2 Trillion to Save the Economy. They Don’t Want to Talk About It.

Polls show voters liked direct payments from President Biden’s 2021 economic rescue bill. But they have become fodder for Republican inflation attacks.

New Generation of Combat Vets, Eyeing House, Strike From the Right

A class of political newcomers with remarkable military records are challenging old ideas about interventionism — and the assumption that electing veterans is a way to bring back bipartisanship.

Three Women of Bucha: Their Deaths and Lives

New reporting illuminates the fortitude of three women — a former public servant, an animal lover, a grandmother — who were victims of Russian brutality.

North Africa Road Trip: 15 Lamborghinis In Morocco

It wasn’t a typical car tour but a Mission to celebrate one of our all-time automotive love affairs and what we prefer doing with it: just getting out and driving.  We hope this short snapshot incapsulates the feeling of adventure that touched us all during four unforgettable days in a faraway land.

Morocco, mountainous country of western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.

Morocco
Morocco

The traditional domain of indigenous peoples now collectively known as Berbers (self-name Imazighen; singular, Amazigh), Morocco has been subject to extensive migration and has long been the location of urban communities that were originally settled by peoples from outside the region. Controlled by Carthage from an early date, the region was later the westernmost province of the Roman Empire. Following the Arab conquest of the late 7th century CE, the broader area of North Africa came to be known as the Maghrib (Arabic: “the West”), and the majority of its people accepted Islam. Subsequent Moroccan kingdoms enjoyed political influence that extended beyond the coastal regions, and in the 11th century the first native Amazigh dynasty of North Africa, the Almoravids, gained control of an empire stretching from Andalusian (southern) Spain to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Attempts by Europeans to establish permanent footholds in Morocco beginning in the late 15th century were largely repulsed, but the country later became the subject of Great Power politics in the 19th century. Morocco was made a French protectorate in 1912 but regained independence in 1956. Today it is the only monarchy in North Africa.

Greek Island Views: A Walk In Kos Old Town (4K)

With long sandy beaches, a balmy climate and monuments from various historical eras, Kos was among the first Aegean islands to attract visitors –during the 1930s, under Italian rule. Despite its touristic role, Kos is in fact one of the most fertile Greek islands, with rich volcanic soil and an adequate water supply from its single mountain range.

Local melons have long been famous – old-timers as far away as the Cyclades remember the melon-peddlers from Kos – and they’re still sold at the roadside. Agriculture continues to co-exist with tourism, baled hay and grazing cattle (there are said to be almost as many cows as people – 18,000 – on Kos) found just behind beachfront hotel complexes.

As a strategic border island with Turkey, a military presence is inevitable if usually not intrusive – though it’s quite possible to catch a glimpse of exercising tanks, cattle and hotel wings all at once.

West Yorkshire: Touring Brontë Sisters’ England

Emily Bronte, Anne Bronte, and Charlotte Bronte lived 180 years ago. We visit Bronte Country and walk in the footsteps of the Bronte Sisters, piecing together their tragic short lives as we visit places they lived or frequented. The Brontes wrote some of the most dramatic fiction right here in West Yorkshire and many of the places still exist.

On our walk, we will head to where it all started at the Bronte’s birthplace in Thornton. Visit the school that Charlotte Bronte immortalised as Lowood School in Jane Eyre. See Oakwell Hall which she based Fieldhead on in Shirley. Walk the wild Haworth Moors to Top Withens where Emily Bronte found inspiration for Wuthering Heights, and a whole lot more. All the time telling the story of how the 3 Bronte Sisters came to be the famous writers we all know today.

Portugal: A Biking Tour Of Lisbon’s Waterfront (4K)

The bike tour is 12 miles (19km) long and takes you along the Lisbon waterfront past the Ponte 25 de Abril, Belem Tower, Padrão dos Descobrimentos and much more.

Video timeline: 0:00 Praca do Comercio 01:42 Avenida Ribeira das Naus 04:24 Jardim de Roque Gameiro 06:25 Cais Gás 16:13 Santo Amaro Dock 19:54 Ponte 25 de Abril 20:40 Tejo Promenade 25:02 MAAT 29:03 Doca de Belém 31:09 Padrão dos Descobrimentos 34:18 Belem Lighthouse 35:03 Bom Sucesso Marina 38:50 Belém Tower 42:28 Monument to the Overseas Combatants 43:33 Doca Pesca 49:05 Belém Tower 50:43 Bom Sucesso Marina 54:29 Padrão dos Descobrimentos 55:08 Doca de Belém 58:27 Tejo Promenade 59:08 MAAT 1:02:24 Ponte 25 de Abril 1:03:53 Doca de Santo Amaro 1:08:40 Doca de Alcântara 1:12:30 Doca de Santos 1:14:16 Doca de Santos 1:16:00 Cais das Pombas 1:16:46 Avenida Ribeira das Naus 1:18:02 Praça do Comércio

This biking tour of Lisbon, Portugal was filmed on Sunday July 17th, 2022 starting at 1:13 pm at the Commerce Square.

South America Views: Santiago, Chile (4K)

Santiago, capital of Chile. It lies on the canalized Mapocho River, with views of high Andean peaks to the east.

The city was founded as Santiago del Nuevo Extremo (“Santiago of the New Frontier”) in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia. The area was inhabited by the Picunche Indians, who were placed under the rule of the Spanish settlers. The original city site was limited by the two surrounding arms of the Mapocho River and by Huelén (renamed Santa Lucía) Hill to the east, which served as a lookout.

Germany Views: Boat Tour Of Lübbenau In Spreewald Biosphere Reserve (4K)

Lübbenau lies nestling in the UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve and it makes an immediate impression with its charming Old Town and a bustling port quarter for boat trips into the Spreewald.

Lübbenau is part of the Upper Spreewald-Lausitz district in southern Brandenburg, about one hour’s drive from Berlin. The town was first mentioned in records in 1315 and in 2015 it celebrates its 700th anniversary. Traces of its medieval beginnings can still be found in the historical town centre. The lively port quarter of Lübbenau is a popular starting point for boat trips into the Spreewald. 

Aerial Views: Yucatán In Southeastern Mexico (4K)

Yucatánestado (state), southeastern Mexico. Occupying part of the northern Yucatán Peninsula, it is bounded to the north by the Gulf of Mexico, to the east and southeast by the state of Quintana Roo, and to the southwest and west by the state of Campeche. The state capital and chief commercial centre is Mérida.

The state’s relief includes coastal wetlands, semiarid hills and plains, and limestone lowlands dotted with cenotes (water-filled sinkholes). In pre-Hispanic times the peninsula was an Olmec and Maya cultural hearth, as evidenced by the monumental ruins of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal; each has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, in 1988 and 1996, respectively. Among the other numerous ruined cities are Chumul, Ek Balam, and Sayil. Strong resistance to the Spanish conquest lasted in the area from 1527 until the 1540s. Yucatán occupied the entire peninsula when it became a state in 1824, but following a series of insurrections, its territory was reduced with the loss of Campeche in 1857 (ratified in 1858) and Quintana Roo in 1902. Later boundary changes reduced the state to its present size.

Culture: New York Times Magazine – Oct 16, 2022

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The Culture Issue – 10.16.22

The Elusive Power of Cate Blanchett

The actress has stayed one step ahead of audiences by constantly being in motion. In her new movie “Tár,” she’s as inscrutable as ever.

American Culture Is Trash Culture

It’s not just that trash is what Americans want from movies; it’s who we are. So where did it go?

Can Black Literature Escape the Representation Trap?

A crop of recent novels strains against the expectations of a publishing industry attempting to embrace diversity.

Political Analysis: Jan. 6 Panel Subpoenas Trump And Midterm Elections

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the Jan. 6 Committee’s decision to subpoena former President Trump and what’s at stake in the upcoming midterm elections.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious