Cinematic Travel: A Tour Of Northern Albania (4K)

Pavel Ivo Sedlacek – Albania, country in southern Europe, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula on the Strait of Otranto, the southern entrance to the Adriatic Sea. The capital city is Tirana (Tiranë).

Albanians refer to themselves as shqiptarë—often taken to mean “sons of eagles,” though it may well refer to “those associated with the shqip (i.e., Albanian) language”—and to their country as Shqipëria. They generally consider themselves to be descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who lived in central Europe and migrated southward to the territory of Albania at the beginning of the Bronze Age, about 2000 BCE. They have lived in relative isolation and obscurity through most of their difficult history, in part because of the rugged terrain of their mountainous land but also because of a complex of historical, cultural, and social factors.

Walks: Mutianyu Section Of The Great Wall, China

Walk East – Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城), built in 5400 m long, is regarded as the “Essence of Great Wall in Ming Dynasty”. This great wall, linking Gubeikou (古北口) in the east and Juyongguan (居庸关) in the west, was served as the vital military strategic point from the ancient time. Moreover, Mutianyu section is the “longest great wall in China” so far and since protection work is well done here, tourists can now see its original appearance and enjoy the real ancient culture of great wall. Also, spectacular natural scenery in Mutianyu Great Wall always impresses visitors here for its abundant vegetation.

History of Mutianyu Great Wall

Mutianyu was originally a small mountain village before with fluctuating mountains and lush trees. For its vital and special situation, Mutianyu had been an important martial barrier for long time. And till Ming dynasty, a series of war broke out. In order to protect the national capital and the imperial mausoleum of Ming dynasty, the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) ordered his general Xu Da (徐达) to build this great wall in 1368. Although Mutianyu Great Wall has experience damages and reparation for several times, it is the most-preserved section of great wall relics of Ming dynasty.

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Jan 23, 2023

A truck seen through fog drives down a city street.

The New Yorker – January 16, 2023:

Can 3-D Printing Help Solve the Housing Crisis?

A row of houses being printed by a large machine.

Standard construction can be slow, costly, and inefficient. Machines might do it better.

A Reporter at Large

The Getty Family’s Trust Issues

A family tree with with colorful coins as leaves, sprouting out of a base of tax forms.

Heirs to an iconic fortune sought out a wealth manager who would assuage their progressive consciences. Now their dispute is exposing dynastic secrets.

Has Academia Ruined Literary Criticism?

tiny books all stacked up to create a scholarly looking building

Literature departments seem to provide a haven for studying books, but they may have painted themselves into a corner.

Energy / Technology: How Close Is Fusion Power?

For the first time, US scientists have achieved a fusion reaction with net energy gain. But the dream of limitless zero-carbon energy is still a long way from reality.

Video timeline: 00:00 – What powers the universe 01:04 – ITER: the biggest experiment in human history 04:28 – What is fusion? 06:38 – Replicating the sun 08:38 – The US breakthrough 13:46 – The investors 20:40 – A new class of magnet 24:30 – Dream or reality?

The FT’s Simon Mundy meets scientists and investors in the UK, France and US, to see how close we really are to commercial fusion power.

Read more at https://on.ft.com/3GJl1JF

Opinion: Global Order In Danger, Insurrection In Brazil, Prince Harry Book

January 16, 2023 – Three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist: the destructive new logic that threatens globalisation, how Brazil should deal with the bolsonarista insurrection (11:55) and a review of Prince Harry’s autobiography (16:45).

Front Page: The New York Times – January 16, 2023

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A Year After a Fiery Voting Rights Speech, Biden Delivers a More Muted Address

On Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, the president assured an audience at Ebenezer Baptist Church that its side in the struggle would, indeed, overcome someday.

Dead, Alive or Devastated After Russian Strike on Apartments

Rescue workers were still digging through the ruins of a residential building in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Sunday, a day after a Russian missile attack.

A Fake Death in Romancelandia

A Tennessee homemaker entered the online world of romance writers and it became, in her words, “an addiction.” Things went downhill from there.

If Affirmative Action Ends, College Admissions May Be Changed Forever

Schools may need to rethink everything, including recruitment, scholarships, standardized testing and alumni preferences.

AI Design Views: ‘Paris’

using AI, vincent callebaut reimagines 'haussmannian' paris architecture as green, breathable buildings

designboom – Taking their cues from Haussmann’s work, the architects at Vincent Callebaut Architecture continue to explore the concept of climate and energy solidarity by using new artificial intelligence tools. 

using AI, vincent callebaut reimagines 'haussmannian' paris architecture as green, breathable buildingsusing AI, vincent callebaut reimagines 'haussmannian' paris architecture as green, breathable buildings

The French architects draw inspiration from existing buildings, as well as ecosystem feedback loops and biomimetics, to create a series of green, organic structures distributed throughout Paris. Through a sensitive and contemporary dialog that preserves the historical heritage of the French capital, the project creates islands of urban freshness by reviving nature, biodiversity and permaculture urban agriculture in the heart of the city.

using AI, vincent callebaut reimagines 'haussmannian' paris architecture as green, breathable buildings

using AI, vincent callebaut reimagines 'haussmannian' paris architecture as green, breathable buildings

Winter Walks: Majang Lake Trail In South Korea

Seoul Walker (January 15, 2023) – It is a 220 meter-long and 1.5 meter-wide suspension bridge for pedestrians, which opened in 2017. The suspension bridge, which has become the landmark of Majang Lake, is the longest of its kind in Korea. There is also a 15 meter-high observatory and viewing deck as well as a 3.3 kilometer-long circumferential path around the lake, which are the great places for visitors to enjoy the calm and peaceful scenery of the lake. There is no admission fee or parking fee, and pets are allowed here. 

Front Page: The New York Times – January 15, 2023

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Santos’s Lies Were Known to Some Well-Connected Republicans

George Santos inspired no shortage of suspicion during his 2022 campaign, including in the upper echelons of his own party, yet many Republicans looked the other way.

Documents Inquiry Puts Spotlight on Biden’s Frenetic Last Days as Vice President

The special counsel will have to reconstruct how a small number of classified documents made it to Mr. Biden’s home in Delaware and a private office in Washington.

Ecuador Tried to Curb Drilling and Protect the Amazon. The Opposite Happened.

A novel idea to leave the country’s vast oil reserves in the ground fizzled for lack of international support. Now, struggling under painful debt, the government wants to expand drilling in the rainforest.

As Russians Steal Ukraine’s Art, They Attack Its Identity, Too

Russian forces have looted tens of thousands of pieces, including avant-garde oil paintings and Scythian gold. Experts say it is the biggest art heist since the Nazis in World War II, intended to strip Ukraine of its cultural heritage.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious