Berkshire was a net seller of $127 billion of stocks this year, bringing its equity portfolio down to $300 billion and nearly doubling its cash position to a record $311 billion.
Monocle on Saturday (November 9, 2024): After a “magnificent victory” for Donald Trump in the US election, Charles Hecker and Vincent McAviney unpack this week’s news. They discuss Musk’s call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the three men charged with an “Iran-linked” assassination attempt and how world leaders will win Trump’s favour in his second term.
Plus: journalist HJ Mai speaks to voters in Washington and Monocle’s Chris Cermak on the health of democracy with Moldovan election officials.
The National Gallery (November 8, 2024): The National GalleryEpisode 1 of ‘200 Years of the National Gallery’. Travel back through 200 extraordinary years of our history – from our origins in a private house in Pall Mall to our current home in bustling Trafalgar Square. ‘200 Years of Your National Gallery’ is a three-part documentary miniseries.
Stream for free exclusively on YouTube. Through the eyes of the staff, past and present, who care for the nation’s collection, and with rarely seen and newly digitised archive footage and images, we go exclusively behind-the-scenes to see the role the Gallery plays at the heart of cultural life of the UK.
Journeys to the Past: Isotope geochemistry is helping scientists reveal secrets about the molecular histories of Earth, the cosmos, the human body, and more.
An Intriguing Red Planet Rock: The Mars Perseverance rover has found a “compelling” rock that could indicate the planet hosted microbial life billions of years ago.
The 2024 Distinguished Alumni: Meet this year’s awardees: David Brin (BS ’73), Louise Chow (PhD ’73), Bill Coughran (BS, MS ’75), and Timothy M. Swager (PhD ’88).
The Evolution of Trolling: A new theoretical framework explains why social media discourse can be so toxic.
Inside Look: Joe Parker: Step into the office of this evolutionary biologist, whose research nest is filled with real—and illustrated— insects.
Ripples from the Heart: Mory Gharib (PhD ’83) has leveraged his aerospace expertise to tease out some of the heart’s greatest secrets and use them to develop life-saving medical devices.
The Lab in the Sky Says Goodbye: A NASA DC-8 airplane that carried Caltech students around the globe for science has been retired.
The Week In Art Podcast (November 8, 2024):This week: two exhibitions in London are showing remarkable works made during the Renaissance. At the King’s Gallery, the museum that is part of Buckingham Palace, Drawing the Italian Renaissance offers a thematic journey through 160 works on paper made across Italy between 1450 and 1600.
Ben Luke talks to Martin Clayton, Head of Prints and Drawings at the Royal Collection Trust, about the show. At the Royal Academy, meanwhile, the timescale is much tighter: a single year, 1504 to be precise, when Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael were all in Florence. We talk to Julien Domercq, a curator at the Academy, about this remarkable crucible of creativity.
And this episode’s Work of the Week is a magnum opus of Renaissance textiles: the Battle of Pavia Tapestries, made in Brussels to designs by Bernard van Orley, and currently on view in an exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Thomas Campbell, the director of Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, talks to The Art Newspaper’s associate digital editor, Alexander Morrison, about the series.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance, King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, until 9 March 2025
Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c.1504, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 9 November-16 February 2025
Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries, de Young Museum, San Francisco, US, until 12 January; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, spring 2025
Subscription offer: get three months for just £1/$1/€1. Choose between our print and digital or digital-only subscriptions. Visit theartnewspaper.com to find out more
Cabana Magazine (November 8, 2024): “I believe in the future of Venice, otherwise I would not do this job,” says curator and restorer Toto Bergamo Rossi, speaking to Cabana from the spectacular surroundings of the X.
The director of Venetian Heritage is protecting and preserving his native Venice for future generations, always working within the architectural fabric of the historic water-locked city.
“I find that the ego of the architect who restores [these buildings] must disappear, never trying to compete with what’s over 300 years old, ever,” he tells Cabana. “Because we are temporary, but this remains.” Join Cabana Films and Toto Bergamo Rossi on a journey through Venetian heritage, as he paves the way for the city’s future.
The Local Project (July 26, 2024): Inspired by structures found near New Zealand’s Southern Alps, The Shepherd’s Hut is the worlds most secret home. The minimalist house – designed by Fearon Hay in collaboration with interior designer Paul Kennedy – sits comfortably in the landscape while offering a flexible set of interiors.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the World’s Most Secret Home 01:07 – Behind the Design and Name 02:31 – The Arrival Sequence 02:58 – A Playful and Relaxed Brief 04:29 – The Floor Plan and Layout 06:25 – The Interior Material Palette 07:59 – The Exterior Material Palette 08:48 – Proud Moments
Settled on the Wānaka lakefront, the worlds most secret home is often in the path of cold wind crossing from Makarora. “When there are storms, you can feel very alone, but with the warmth of the fires, my two dogs rugged up with sheepskin, you essentially become a shepherd,” says Matt Chapman, custodian of the property. “When we created the home, I didn’t want too much space for an abundance of possessions. I’d reached a point in my life where minimalism and simplicity were the ways I wanted to exist.”
While maintaining a minimalist focus, the design brief for the project proposed a spatially flexible home that enables new experiences. “When we encountered the site, it was an opportunity to build a structure with length,” says Tim Hay, architect at Fearon Hay. “We liked the idea of a very simple silhouette … we wanted the building to have a sense of retreat and integration with the landscape.”
Monocle Radio Podcast (November 8, 2024): With Europe bracing for a second Trump presidency, we discuss what’s next for the EU and Ukraine. Then: Germany heads for snap elections as the ruling coalition crumbles.
Plus: highlights from the 2024 World Architecture Festival and a special interview with the minister of tourism of Greece, Olga Kefalogianni.
National Geographic (November 7, 2024): Mark Wiens travels to a Karen village in the remote mountains of Mae Hong Son Province, in Northern Thailand, to reunite with his friend Mook. Mark’s challenge is to fish and forage for ingredients to cook a traditional Karen meal.
This will serve as the culminating flavor feast for a wrist tying ceremony, a Karen tradition to mark the planting and harvesting cycle of rice. But first, Mark and Mook must trek through the jungle to collect things like bitter melon leaves and broken bones pods. Once the sun goes down, they will join Mook’s brothers on a nighttime fishing expedition which doesn’t quite go as planned.
EPIC FOOD JOURNEYS WITH MARK WIENS Famed food traveler and flavor enthusiast Mark Wiens embarks on a culinary adventure in search of the most authentic eats. From 24-hour street food marathons in bustling cities to fishing and foraging in idyllic countryside regions for a traditional meal, he is on a mission to unlock the secrets of local cuisines while learning about the culture. Exciting tuk-tuk rides, charming boat cruises, and good old mountain trekking: Wiens will do what it takes to share with you these tasty and unique food journeys around the world.
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