The Globalist Podcast, Thursday, July 6, 2023: A discussion of the future of NATO – will Sweden be in it?
Also, campaigning for Spain’s general election begins and Japan Airlines launches a clothing rental service. And the latest technology news.
The New York Times – Thursday, July 6, 2023
Ruling Puts Social Media at Crossroads of Disinformation and Free Speech
The case, which could alter how the government battles disinformation, is a flashpoint in a broader effort by conservatives to document what they contend is a liberal conspiracy to silence their views.
‘Dig, Dig, Dig’: A Russian Soldier’s Story
An inmate hoped to start over with a clean slate by fighting in Ukraine. Instead, he was confronted by the drudgery of trench work and the terror of battle. “You’re going in as meat,” he said he was told.
The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business
With at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups, India stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier.
China Took Her Husband. She Was Left to Uncover His Secret Cause.
He was brilliant, quirky and intensely private — and also, she now suspects, an anonymous dissident blogger who had won fame for years of evading the surveillance state.
Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – July 7, 2023
Times Literary Supplement (July 7, 2023): The national religion – NHS at seventy-five; The history of female combatants from ancient times to the present; The temptation for Romantic writers to tip into over-familiarity, and more…
You’re over-sharing, Mr Hazlitt
The temptation for Romantic writers to tip into over-familiarity
Authorship and Romantic readers by Lindsey Eckert
In times of uncertainty, hardship or illness, re-reading a favourite novel can be a source of immense comfort. Even when we read something new, elements of familiarity – in plot, character and theme – can make us feel that the words have sprung from our subconscious. Familiarity connects us to our past and gives a sense of belonging to a community of readers. It can turn fictional characters into friends, make authors feel like confidants and render imagined settings as reassuring as a childhood home.
Research Preview: Nature Magazine – July 6, 2023
Fungi bacon and insect burgers: a guide to the proteins of the future
Humanity needs to eat less meat. Here are seven alternatives.
Would you eat a burger enriched with mealworms? Fake bacon sliced from a mass of fermented fungi? Milk proteins extruded by microbes? Maybe you already have. Dozens of companies are now banking on these alternatives to animal protein becoming a regular part of your diet.
Mini-antibodies given mighty powers can stave off influenza
Complexes formed from ‘nanobodies’ and an antiviral drug halt infection in its tracks.
A dynamic duo comprising an antiviral drug joined to an antibody fragment provides strong protection against the two main types of influenza that infect humans, according to research in mice.
Travel Guide: What To See And Eat In Copenhagen
Video timeline: 00:00 Nyhavn 00:44 How to get around? Public transport 01:05 Rent a bike 01:35 What to see? Free sightseeing tour 02:33 Museums: Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek 02:49 What to eat and drink? 03:10 Reffen street food market 03:25 Pastries 03:36 Danish fastfood: Pølser 04:00 Where to stay? 04:22 Discover Nørrebro, Vesterbro and the harbour 05:16 Harbour boat tour 05:28 Parkin garage and gym Konditaget Lüders 05:58 Tivoli and Bakken amusement parks
DW reporter Aisha Sharipzhan has some ideas about how to have a good time there without splashing the cash. Her tips range from city sights, through public transport to lunchtime deals.
Culture: Country Life Magazine – July 5, 2023
Country Life Magazine – July 5, 2023 issue: The seashore as artistic inspiration, from Constable’s wild skies to Gormley’s lonely figures; Puffins -the parrots of the sea; A history of mermaids, and more…
A shore thing – Michael Prodger examines the seashore as artistic inspiration, from Constable’s wild skies to Gormley’s lonely figures
Meet the parrots of the sea – The colourful puffin inspires amused adoration in everyone, but the big-beaked birds have a tough side, finds Ian Morton
Tripping the light fintastic – Sinister sirens who lure sailors to their deaths or beautiful beings who drag men from watery graves? Carla Passino combs history for mention of mermaids
Travel In Switzerland: From Kleine Scheidegg To Lauterbrunnen By Train
The Wengernalp Railway is a 19.11 kilometres long rack railway line in Switzerland. It runs from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald via Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg, making it the world’s longest continuous rack and pinion railway. The name refers to the alpine meadow of Wengernalp, above Wengen.
Filmed on June 25, 2023
News: Ukraine Nuclear Plant Threats, China & U.S. Semiconductor Standoff
The Globalist Podcast, Wednesday, July 5, 2023: Threats to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after Russian workers are told to evacuate.
Why are China and the US limiting exports of each other’s semiconductors? Plus, the mail-order catalogue that changed perceptions of masculinity in the US.
The New York Times – Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Putin, Xi and Modi Meet on Camera, but With No Signs of Greater Unity
At a virtual summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the leaders of Russia, China and India each focused on their own driving issues.
Yellen’s China Visit Aims to Ease Tensions Amid Deep Divisions
Mutual skepticism between the United States and China over a wide range of economic and security issues has festered in recent years.
Biden Sidesteps Any Notion That He’s a ‘Flaming Woke Warrior’
Despite his alliance with abortion-rights supporters and L.G.B.T.Q. advocates, the president has deftly avoided becoming enmeshed in battles over hotly contested social issues.
Federal Judge Limits Biden Officials’ Contacts With Social Media Sites
The order came in a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, who claim the administration is trying to silence its critics.
Home Tour: ‘Clifftops’ In Auckland, New Zealand
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Unique Clifftop Home 00:58 – The Location 01:37 – The Site and its Aspect 02:00 – The Architecture Brief 02:39 – The Interiors Brief 03:15 – Working with the Materiality 03:41 – Crafting the Textures and the Touch 04:18 – Drawing Light Deep Into the house 05:01 – The Element of Surprise
Bossley Architects has built a visually striking and welcoming home defined by strong geometric architecture on the exterior and a soft, sinuous feel on the inside. Built on the picturesque clifftops overlooking Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, the home is comfortable yet capable of accommodating a growing family.
The site posed two main challenges – exposure to the elements of the nearby ocean and a long, narrow allotment. The house takes advantage of this shape with a series of walls and fins built angled towards the sea. Walls located at the east and west ends of the site also create a partially enclosed courtyard that both welcomes sun and provides shelter from the weather.
A modest palette features in-situ concrete as the main material, which is durable and allows the concrete to resemble fluid, free forms, resulting in a number of sculptural walls and curves in the interior of the home. This is offset against panels of marble cladding, glass-reinforced concrete fascias, walnut flooring, cedar ceilings and aluminium joinery. There are also a number of windows and openings built into the architecture of the home, which serve an important role in scoping and drawing light deep inside.
Additionally, a ‘slow stair’ has been incorporated to provide a sense of circulation into the linear structure. The staircase has a very long tread, so as one moves from the ground floor to the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs they experience vertical movement in a more rounded way. The home holds most of its spirit in the interior design. Sonya Cotter Design crafted an interior experience that layers furniture and finishes in a way that works to create personality and warmth. However, most of the selections, whilst varied, all are designed to patina, invoking a constant sense of movement across surfaces throughout the home.
Boomers Daily 