Tag Archives: January 2023

Walking Tour: Island Of Murano In Venice, Italy

January 30, 2023: Murano Island – a Glassmaker’s Paradise since 1291, is a tiny Venetian island and home to Venice’s glassmaking industry. Murano glass production was moved to this Island from the main island of Venice because its production posed quite a fire hazard (Note: the buildings in Venice were constructed mostly of wood at that time and the extreme heat that is required to make glass liquid so as to mold and shape it obviously caused the Venetians some concern).

Video timeline: 0:00:00​ – Intro 0:01:06 – MURANO MUSEO 0:01:52​ – RIVA LONGA 0:04:25​ – PONTE LONGO LINO TOFFOLO 0:05:46​ – FONDAMENTA DA MULA 0:07:04​ – PONTE SAN PIETRO MARTIRE 0:07:58 – FONDAMENTA MANIN 0:09:40​ – CALLE BRESSAGIO 0:10:09​ – CALLE BRIATI 0:12:15 – FONDAMENTA PIAVE F. M. 0:13:15​ – FARO DI MURANO 0:13:49​ – CALLE BRESSAGIO 0:15:05​ – FONDAMENTA MANIN 0:15:42​ – PONTE DI MEZO 0:16:04​ – FONDAMENTA DEI VETRAI 0:17:11​ – PONTE S.CHIARA 0:18:03​ – PIAZZALE CALLE COLONNA

Soon enough, Murano Island became quite a hot spot for Venetian glass production indeed. Glassmaking has quite an exalted tradition in Venice. It is an art form, after all. In the 14th century, the daughters of Murano’s biggest glassmaking families were allowed to marry Venetian noblemen.

Filmed and edited by: EpicCityWalk

New Zealand Design: RK Residence In Wellington

The Local Project (January 31, 2023) – Inside a calm and minimal modern architectural home located in the seaside town of Eastbourne, Wellington, RK Residence by Seear-Budd Ross incorporates distilled detailing and minimal finishes.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Calm, Minimal and Modern Home 00:21 – The Idea Behind the Home 00:46 – The Location of the Home 01:08 – Natural Characteristics 01:39 – A Light-Filled Connection 01:57 – The Plan and Topography 02:11 – Utilising Timber 03:35 – Refinement and Detail 03:51 – Fisher & Paykel Integrated Appliances 04:16 – Favourite Aspects of the Home 04:40 – Simplicity, Craftsmanship and Atmosphere

Completing interior design and architecture, Seear-Budd Ross has created a family home that offers a calming atmosphere, as well as an interior space filled with distinct characteristics. Designed as two singular volumes, the front of the house is made to incorporate public entertainment and living quarters, whilst the second singular volume holds the private rooms.

Placed between the two volumes, the courtyard provides a moment of transition between each volume and an abundance of natural light. Still and meditative, the design of RK Residence was planned to include sweeping views from the back of the home to the harbour beyond. Whilst following the house tour inside a calm and minimal modern architectural home, the architects have used high-quality materials throughout – including bandsawn flooring and cladding, tumbled paving in the courtyard and honed stone in the kitchen.

With locally-sourced timber helping connect the home to its surrounding landscape, the architects have used New Zealand pine on the exterior cladding, whilst the interior employs macrocarpa timber, bringing a unique scent and texture to the home. Inside a calm and minimal modern architectural home, the architects have worked with Fisher & Paykel to fit the kitchen with appliances that have been refined down to their essence.

As such, integrated appliances have been employed inside a calm and minimal modern architectural home to impart a seamless look throughout – including the Fisher & Paykel ovens, integrated fridge and freezer and dishwasher drawers. Furthermore, the stove top and rangehood provides a unified look and supports the open plan entertaining space. Creating moments of simplicity through refined architectural and design choices, the architects have used the typology of Eastbourne to establish a natural characterisation throughout. Finished with neutral tones, both the exterior and interior reference the coastal surrounds.

The architects have imparted a meditative atmosphere for the owners to enjoy for years to come. Acting as a counterpoint holiday home to the clients’ rural home, RK Residence by Seear-Budd Ross is a journey of refinement that begins from the exterior and continues inside a calm and minimal modern architectural home.

News: The Last Boeing 747, New Zealand Inflation Rate, Book Stores Future

January 31, 2023: Monocle’s US Editor, Christopher Lord, joins us from Seattle as Boeing delivers the last 747 that it will ever build. Plus: how did New Zealand set the inflation target rate for the world? And what can we learn from Barnes & Noble’s expansion plans?

Front Page: The New York Times – January 31, 2023

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Blinken Meets Netanyahu at Turbulent Moment for Israel

The secretary of state and the Israeli leader had a ‘candid’ conversation amid deepening rifts over the Palestinians, Ukraine and a rightward shift by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Initial Police Report on Tyre Nichols Arrest Is Contradicted by Videos

The police report was the latest instance in which video evidence offered a starkly different account of police violence than what officers had reported themselves.

Wall St. Is Counting on a Debt Limit Trick That Could Entail Trouble

If the debt limit is breached, investors expect Treasury to put bond payments first. It’d be politically and practically fraught.

For Giffords, Progress on Gun Safety Is Like Her Recovery: ‘Inch by Inch’

A 2011 mass shooting left Gabrielle Giffords, then a Democratic congresswoman, partly paralyzed and unable to speak fluently. She has since built a powerful advocacy group.

News: China Satellite Firm Sanctions, Russia Military, NATO In South Korea-Japan

US slaps sanctions on a Chinese company for allegedly supplying satellite images to the Wagner Group. Plus: Russia’s shifting focus after Western powers promise tanks for Ukraine, and Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg visits South Korea and Japan.

Front Page: The New York Times – January 30, 2023

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‘Very Dangerous People’: Russia’s Convict Fighters Are Heading Home

Tens of thousands of inmates have joined a mercenary group fighting with the Kremlin’s decimated forces in Ukraine. Some of them are returning to civilian life with military training and, in many cases, battlefield traumas.

Scorpion Unit Emerged as Memphis Pursued Get-Tough Strategy

City leaders had praised the new group as a key strategy for fighting crime. Now they are trying to assess whether it was flawed from the start.

Hamlin’s Injury Highlights Precarious Position of Many Young N.F.L. Players

The injury to Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills, who collapsed on the field in cardiac arrest, has drawn attention to players who have been hurt early in their careers and now struggle to get help.

California Has More Than 100 Gun Laws. Why Don’t They Stop More Mass Shootings?

The state is still reeling from back-to-back attacks that left at least 19 people dead. The killings have spurred lawmakers to call for more regulations.

Front Page: The New York Times – January 29, 2023

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After Tyre Nichols Death, Officials’ Moves Reflect a Shift in Handling Police Violence

With cameras nearly everywhere, and residents wary, the authorities are moving faster and speaking critically when officers are accused of beatings.

Tyre Nichols Beating Opens a Complex Conversation on Race and Policing

The five officers charged with the murder of the young Black man are also Black, complicating the anguish and efforts at police reform.

How a Drug Company Made $114 Billion by Gaming the U.S. Patent System

AbbVie for years delayed competition for its blockbuster drug Humira, at the expense of patients and taxpayers. The monopoly is about to end.

Do Abortion Rights Hang On State Constitutions?

Many of the legal arguments seeking to overturn abortion bans rely on rights provided by the states, and how they are interpreted by state supreme courts.

Finance Preview: Barron’s Magazine- January 30, 2023

Magazine - Latest Issue - Barron's

Barron’s Magazine – January 30, 2023 issue:

China’s Big Comeback Is Just Getting Started. How to Play It.

The country’s stocks are up 50% since officials rolled back Covid-19 restrictions. Alibaba, Yum China, and other names stand to gain.

23 More Picks From Our Investing Pros

The final installment of this year’s Barron’s Roundtable highlights Deere, Salesforce.com, and other undervalued stocks. Plus, a bevy of bond picks for a rising-rate world.

Lowe’s Is Catching Up to Home Depot. Its Stock Price Will Follow.

The home-improvement retailer is more sheltered from a weakening housing market than you might think. Its stock looks like a buy.

Big Tech Earnings Are Almost Here. Microsoft Has Investors on Edge.

There are still reasons to be bullish on the long-term trend of digital transformation. What to watch in the coming week.

The Bulls Have It in 2023—and Last Year’s Losers Are Winners

Front Page: The New York Times – January 28, 2023

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Tyre Nichols Cried in Anguish. Memphis Officers Kept Hitting.

Video footage of the fatal encounter included critical moments in which police officers kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed Mr. Nichols, 29, while he screamed.

From Sacramento to Memphis, Tyre Nichols Cut His Own Path

Social media posts show that Mr. Nichols harbored a mistrust of prevailing government and economic systems, yet, a friend says, he also considered trying to change policing from the inside.

As the Colorado River Shrinks, Washington Prepares to Spread the Pain

The seven states that rely on the river for water are not expected to reach a deal on cuts. It appears the Biden administration will have to impose reductions.

He Was Compared to Tiger Woods. So Why Did He Walk Away From Golf?

Is it OK for an athlete — or anyone, really — to have an extraordinary gift and not use it? The golfer Anthony Kim apparently decided, emphatically, that it is.