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☆ A New Hiroshi Sugimoto Sculpture in San Francisco Reaches for Infinity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Jori Finkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The San Francisco skyline has radically changed over the past two decades because of all the real estate development. The Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, famous for his slyly deceptive photography, has just planted a slender, 69-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture on a hilltop in Yerba Buena Island, meant to serve as an anchor — or beacon, given its height — for the area’s new public art program. From some viewpoints it looks like the tip of a sewing needle poking out above the trees and cellular towers of this island in the San Francisco Bay. Because of its particular curved geometry, which tapers from a concrete base of 23 feet to a top that is less than one inch in diameter, the sculpture looks as if it’s growing infinitely smaller and taller as it reaches for Earth’s outer atmosphere. The artist paradoxically calls his skyscraper “Point of Infinity,” and, even more than the beautiful sliver of mirror-finished stainless steel itself, he hopes to showcase that Zen koan-like notion.

Persons: Hiroshi Sugimoto, ”, Sugimoto, “ Organizations: San Locations: San Francisco, Yerba Buena, San Francisco Bay

A man in $63,000 of debt, who wasn't paying his taxes and couldn't remember half his purchases, appeared on YouTuber Caleb Hammer's budgeting podcast to get help. Michael, 33 from Richmond, Virginia, told Hammer he was having trouble with discipline and was living outside his means. He'd racked up credit-card debt, had student loans, and owed money to his friend, his parents, and the IRS. Hammer went through all of Michael's statements to work out what he owed in total. When Hammer went through his statements, he had trouble remembering what every purchase was.

Persons: Caleb Hammer, YouTuber Caleb, Hammer, He'd, Michael, I'm, Michael didn't, Dave Ramsey Organizations: IRS, Verizon Locations: Richmond , Virginia

☆ Egypt bans Dutch archaeology team from Saqqara due to museum’s ‘Afrocentric’ exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A team of archaeologists from a Dutch museum has been banned from carrying out excavations in Egypt’s rich Saqqara necropolis, after the museum mounted an exhibition that drew condemnation from Egyptian authorities. He also confirmed that the journalist who wrote the NRC article had seen the email from the Egyptian authorities. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Some commented with photos showing light-skinned ancient Egyptian drawings, next to ones with darker skin tones, which they say the museum is propagating. It recently criticized the Netflix docuseries “Queen Cleopatra,” which portrays the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt as a woman of color.

Persons: CNN —, Museum of Antiquities Wim Weijland, Oudheden, ” Weijland, Mostafa Waziri, Weijland, “, Nubia …, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Rihanna, ”, Cleopatra Organizations: CNN, National Museum of Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities Service, NRC, Leiden Turin Expedition, Museum of Antiquities, “, Supreme, of Antiquities of, Netflix Locations: Kemet, Egypt, Hip, Leiden, Saqqara, Leiden Turin, Cairo, of Antiquities of Egypt, Nubia, ” Nubia, Africa, Khartoum, Sudan, Nubian, Ptolemaic Kingdom

☆ The Venice Architecture Biennale puts Africa center stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Venice, Italy CNN —Until recently, the Venice Architecture Biennale — arguably the world’s largest architecture exhibition — has drawn crowds for its (mainly Western) star appeal. In a May 20 Facebook post titled “Venice Biennale Blues,” Zaha Hadid Architects’ principal, Patrik Schumacher, wrote that “the ‘Architecture’ Biennale is mislabeled and should stop laying claim to the title of architecture. The German pavilion, which is displaying construction waste produced by 2022’s Venice Art Biennale is a case in point. The German Pavilion at the 18th Architecture Biennale is displaying and repurposing constuction waste from the city's Art Biennale last year. The British Pavilion curators Meneesha Kellay, Joseph Henry, Jayden Ali and Sumitra Upham, with commissioner Sevra Davis, photographed in London.

☆ No office tower is safe from the roiling market — not even a trophy building housing Google and Visa deemed one of the best
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Potential problems at One Market Plaza show how far San Francisco's office market may fall. One Market Plaza has long been considered the pinnacle of San Francisco's office market. Autodesk plans to downsize by about 73,000 square feet to 211,000 square feet, a spokeswoman told Insider. Google did not respond to a request for comment on its plans for One Market Plaza. One Market Plaza could indicate how far San Francisco's office woes reachTurbulence at One Market Plaza indicates the extent of the problems facing San Francisco's office market.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Airbnb, Twilio, Rivian, Occidental Petroleum and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company posted a slight beat on revenue. Rivian — The electric vehicle stock gained more than 5% in extended trading. Rivian reported a narrower-than-expected loss and revenue beat Wall Street's expectations. Toast — The cloud-based restaurant software vendor popped 7.4% in extended trading. The company reported an adjusted loss of 47 cents a share.

☆ Hollywood's Reynolds and McElhenney found success at Welsh soccer club Wrexham. But there's a warning for would-be copycats
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"There's a big amount of pressure and attention from the press, not to mention scepticism from diehard football fans. WREXHAM, Wales - May 2, 2023: Wrexham AFC fans celebrate during a bus parade following their league title win. One fan has donned the costume of Deadpool, the comic book character played by co-owner Ryan Reynolds. Hollis said they understood that "it would take more than funny Twitter posts and a documentary" to turn around a struggling club like Wrexham. This sort of dedication plays a crucial role in attracting more support from fans," Hollis said.

☆ 9 things you think you know about ancient Egyptians that are actually wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

With their impressive architecture, scientific knowledge, religious cults, and beautiful artwork, the ancient Egyptians continue to impress historians long after the end of their reign. The pyramids were built by slavesThe Sphinx at Giza in Cairo set against the Pyramid Pyramid of Khafre. That means there may have been sacrifices over a period of about 400 years, while ancient Egyptians ruled for about 3,000 years. His book detailing the life of ancient Egyptians was extremely influential. Many misconceptions that have survived in the lore about ancient Egypt to this day may have found their origins in Herodotus's work.

CNN —Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest sportsmen of his generation, a seven-time world champion and an influential philanthropist. “The crazy thing is I’m in my 17th year of this sport […] I’m still grafting. I’m still having to work like never before to be able to excel in a sport that’s constantly evolving. “There’s not a lot of Black equity and Black leadership within sports in general, so that’s something I’m really passionate about being a part of changing. I’m really grateful for it.

☆ Bill Ackman jabs at old rival Carl Icahn after short-seller Hindenburg's bombshell report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Ackman said Tuesday that there's a "karmic quality" to Hindenburg Research's attack on his old rival Carl Icahn. Hindenburg disclosed a short position against Icahn's business empire in a bombshell report published Tuesday. "There is a karmic quality to this short report that reinforces the notion of a circle of life and death," Ackman tweeted. Ackman and Icahn feuded over a decade ago after Ackman made a $1 billion bet against Herbalife, which he alleged was a pyramid scheme. Read more: The short seller that took on Asia's richest man has a new target: Wall Street legend Carl Icahn

☆ Wrexham: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney enjoy club's open-top bus parade
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are celebrating in style after both Wrexham’s men’s and women’s teams secured promotion in their respective leagues this season. The Hollywood co-owners joined the teams for their open-top bus parade through the streets of the city Tuesday. The parade is also celebrating the women’s team which won promotion to the Adran Premier division this season. Carl Recine/ReutersThree buses carrying staff and players from the men's and women's teams drove slowly through the town. When Reynolds and McElhenney took ownership of the club in February 2021, few could have imagined the impact the pair would make.

☆ Veracruz state: Home of the flying Voladores, Mexico's top coffee and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Tim Leffel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Voladores of Veracruz in Mexico have a history that goes back at least 1,400 years. “The flying ritual has never had a learning age, it is a project of a lifetime,” he says. Nearly all of the Voladores train in or around Papantla, where the flying schools prepare young people to take over for those who are eventually aging out. Coffee, ancient ruins and an overlooked capital cityMen with ankle ropes flying deftly around a pole are not the only export from this state, though. The big draw, however, is Mexico’s second most important archaeological museum after the one in Mexico City.

Just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow’s forces massing on the border, officials in the medieval town of Lützen, Germany, afforded landmark status to a Soviet-era World War II memorial standing outside a kindergarten in the town center. “Glory to the great Russian people — the nation of victors,” reads an inscription that was repainted by local officials in June on one side of the 10-foot, pyramidal monument. Inscribed on another side in bright red is a quote from Joseph Stalin commemorating 12 Soviet prisoners of war who died at German hands while working at the local sugar factory. A bright red star with gold-colored hammer and sickle adorns the pyramid’s peak. Scattered across Germany, but primarily in what was once the Soviet-dominated German Democratic Republic in the east, are more than 4,000 protected monuments commemorating the sacrifices of Soviet soldiers in the struggle against Nazism.

☆ How Russia has fortified parts of Ukraine ahead of a possible counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

A map shows all the locations in Russia, along its border with Ukraine, and in Russian-held Ukraine, where the American Enterprise Institute found any kind of fortification built by Russia. Four maps show when the fortifications built by Russian along its border with Ukraine and in Russia-held Ukraine were first spotted on satellite imagery. In December 2022 and January 2023, fortifications appeared inside Russian regions and more parts of occupied Ukraine. Russian forces have dug many such trenches along what they see as key roads and junctions, and outside strategic cities, Africk said. A zoomed-in map shows fortifications around several towns such as Tokmak, Bilmak and Mykhailivka, along plain terrain and along major roads in Russian-held Ukraine.

☆ Russia digs in as Ukraine prepares to attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

And in the case of Polohy, Russia has constructed two distinct defensive lines, one to the north and one to the south. Musiyenko estimated that Ukraine would have a force of between 100,000-110,000 for an attack, including eight assault brigades with a total of 40,000 troops. Russia has not said how many troops it has in Ukraine, or within its borders ready to deploy. A leaked U.S. intelligence document dated Feb. 28 seen by Reuters said the West had committed 200 tanks to Ukraine. Army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said in December he needed 300 to defeat Russia, along with other vehicles and artillery.

☆ Artists give new life to Ivory Coast's neglected 'Pyramid'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Loucoumane Coulibaly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Luc GnagoABIDJAN, April 24 (Reuters) - International and local artists paint giant, colourful murals on the exterior of a 15-storey building in Ivory Coast's commercial capital called "the Pyramid," an architectural gem that fell into disuse 20 years ago. A symbol of Ivorian prosperity in the 1970s and one of the first towers built in the central business district of Plateau in Abidjan, this futuristic pyramid-shaped building was neglected for years. The project "Pyramid 2023, tomorrow is already born" aims to give it a second life. Through this initiative, Ivorian artistic director Lemon Otto renovates external facades of older building such as Pyramid, which was completed in 1973 under the direction of the Italian architect Rinaldo Olivieri. Many buildings in the business district are internationally known and could teach Ivorians about their own urban history, architects say.

☆ Hollywood backers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney help springboard a Welsh soccer club back into the big leagues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WREXHAM, Wales - APRIL 22, 2023: Jordan Davies of Wrexham celebrates with fans as Wrexham win the Vanarama National League and are promoted to the English Football League after victory against Boreham Wood. Wrexham, the Welsh soccer club owned by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, secured promotion back to the English Football League (EFL) system for the first time in 15 years. A 3-1 victory on Saturday over London-based Boreham Wood saw the club win the Vanarama National League title, powered by two second-half goals from talismanic striker Paul Mullin. The win meant Wrexham wrapped up the league title with one game to spare after a fierce challenge from Notts County. It will see the club ascend next season from the National League, the fifth tier of the English football pyramid, into the EFL League Two for the first time since its relegation in 2007/8.

☆ A freelancer who is financially independent from his real estate portfolio shares the 'pyramid model' that helps him decide how to invest his money
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Atif Afzal has built wealth and created financial independence via real estate investing, but it's not the only place he puts his money. Real estate is the lowest risk for me because traditionally it has always grown." Despite his success as a real estate investor, he's invested in other types of assets, including cryptocurrency and the stock market. Why real estate is at the base of the pyramidFor Afzal, investing most of his money into real estate means "adopting a conservative approach," he said. Seattle-based real estate investor and self-made millionaire Todd Baldwin similarly believes that real estate investing is the most tried-and-true way to generate wealth.

☆ Touching the sky: A rare solar eclipse and a new hotel in the clouds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Courtesy Amelia Earhart Hangar MuseumAmelia Earhart wasn’t just the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic. Camelot Theme Park (England): Set in the leafy Lancashire countryside, the Magic Kingdom of Camelot resurrected tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Scott Audette/AP Pripyat Amusement Park (Ukraine): This theme park was orphaned in 1986 following the Chernobyl meltdown just five kilometers (three miles) away. Considered the first theme park in Southeast Asia, it featured an artificial lake, huge swimming pool with giant water slides and a Prehistoric Animal Kingdom. Anne Jones/Alamy Stock Photo 10 fascinating theme parks that have closed forever Prev NextThat’s the question posed by these no-longer-in-operation theme parks around the world.

☆ Opinion: The world just tilted in India’s favor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. CNN —Imagine a world in which the world’s most populous country is a democracy. The United Nations Population Fund announced Wednesday that, according to its calculations, India’s 1.4 billion have already surpassed mainland China’s population, and will exceed all of China’s – including Hong Kong’s population – by the middle of this year. In addition to shrinking, China’s population is growing older. Today, after decades of breakneck economic growth, China’s population is much wealthier than India’s.

☆ 10 fascinating theme parks that have closed forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In April, we’re taking a thrilling ride into the world of theme parks. “We think of amusement parks as vibrant, colorful, noisy, cheerful places,” says Jim Futrell of the National Amusement Park Historical Association. Pripyat Amusement Park (Ukraine)The Pripyat Amusement Park was built right before the Chernobyl disaster. Yongma Land (South Korea)Once in a blue moon, abandoned theme parks find new life by adopting totally new functions. Faced with increased competition from Orlando’s modern theme parks, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and was eventually absorbed into LEGOLAND Florida.

☆ ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3, Episode 6 Recap: Dutch Treat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Christopher Orr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Ted, on the other hand, is understandably conflicted. Ted, having had his fill of foreignness, heads to the Yankee Doodle Burger Barn restaurant, which advertises American food in American portions. (For those who didn’t make the connection, the barbecue sauce the waitress brings him is from Arthur Bryant’s, Ted’s favorite joint in Kansas City.) Coincidentally, an old Jordan-era Bulls game is on the television, featuring the triangle offense implemented by the coach Phil Jackson. The first is the revelation that Beard’s drugs were duds: Ted wasn’t high at all!

☆ Why MLM Sales 'Huns' Get so Much Hate on Reddit, TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Aimee Pearcy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Over the past few years, MLM companies have been under increased scrutiny. MLM companies largely appeal to those who are disconnected and looking for a way to get on solid financial footingAt first, Stimson felt optimistic. And a 2018 AARP survey found that just 25% of MLM participants made a profit. US direct-sales companies, which include MLM companies, earned $42.7 billion in retail sales in 2021, according to the Direct Selling Association — a 21% increase from 2019. And two-thirds of MLM participants said that "knowing what they know now, they would not join the same MLM company again."

☆ For some US banks, it’s still a wonderful life
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Bank customers are still sitting on a pile of savings manufactured by pandemic-era government stimulus and curtailed consumption. Among all banks, deposit balances have fallen 5% year-on-year; to get back to their pre-Covid trend, they’d need to fall 20%. What of small banks that can’t match either advantage? Better placed within communities to soothe the nerves of mostly local customers, small banks can instill trust and loyalty while allaying fears. This edge for small banks should also insulate them from the worst effects of a deposit price war.

☆ Ryan Reynolds says Wrexham's dramatic win over Notts County was 'just bananas'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds says he will “never be the same again” after watching Wrexham AFC take a huge step towards promotion in dramatic fashion on Monday. Wrexham has four games of the regular season remaining to secure automatic promotion to the Football League. Just the drama attached to all of it.”On his last-gasp penalty save, Foster added: “That adrenaline buzz there, that moment gives you goosebumps. The club had been languishing outside the top four divisions of English football, known as the Football League, for over a decade but now seems to be on an exciting path up the football pyramid. Wrexham is one of a number of Welsh clubs that play in the English football league system due to being founded before the creation of the Welsh football league.

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