DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Inside a $2.5 million Michigan castle that harkens back to medieval Europe with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and wine cellar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The LeBlanc Castle is a custom 10,000-square-foot property about 30 minutes north of Detroit. The castle, set on more than 6 acres, has been on the market for three months asking $2.5 million. To this day, he has not spent a single night at the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion a 30-minute drive north of Detroit known to locals as The LeBlanc Castle. It harkens back to the 15th-century Scottish medieval era with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and other classical features like a moat. Since taking possession of the castle, Gatecliff said he has updated several pieces of the home's infrastructure.

☆ ‘Life Is Hard’ Review: Suffering Gladly
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Jennifer A. Frey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In this masterwork, Lady Philosophy (personifying wisdom) comes to Boethius as a physician promising to cure his sickness of mind. A committed atheist, Mr. Setiya begins with a nod to the unhappy reality of the human condition: We are born to suffer, in complex and multiform ways. Unlike Lady Philosophy, he offers his readers no cure. There is simply no way to spin this straw into gold, no path to true happiness out of our sorrows. In fact, Mr. Setiya counsels, we should reject happiness as a goal altogether, and instead think about what it means to “live well” in our suffering.

☆ Man detained after eggs were thrown at King Charles III and Camilla
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — A protester was detained Wednesday after hurling eggs and vitriol at King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, as they walked in the northern England city of York. The incident happened as the king and his wife were entering York through Micklegate Bar, a medieval gateway where monarchs are traditionally welcomed to the city. Police detain a protester after he appeared to throw eggs. Jacob King / PA via Getty ImagesSeveral police officers could be seen grappling with a man at a crowd barrier. Britain’s PA news agency reported that he booed and shouted “This country was built on the blood of slaves” as he was being detained.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday declined over the objection of two justices to decide whether defendants facing serious criminal charges are legally entitled to a 12-person jury, rejecting an appeal from an Arizona man convicted of fraud by a jury of just eight people. The decision not to take up the appeal brought by defendant Ramin Khorrami means states can continue to use of six- or eight-person juries for felony offenses. Florida, the third most populous state, uses six-person juries for all non-death penalty-eligible criminal cases. A 12-person jury is a common feature in dramatic depictions of criminal trials, such as the 1957 classic film "12 Angry Men." In February of this year, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to hear Khorrami’s case.

☆ A 'magic' new AI tech has become the hottest thing in Silicon Valley, VCs said. Here's why everyone's watching 'generative artificial intelligence.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The field of generative AI, or AI that can create content, has recently exploded in popularity. Generative AI's rise to popularitySimply put, generative AI refers to artificial intelligence that can create content. Tech advancements over the past few years — specifically transformer and diffusion models — have made generative AI possible. AI models refer to the training and deployment of algorithms on a dataset. "I don't see generative AI today through its early use cases demanding any of those budgets quite yet."

☆ Employees took advantage of the Great Resignation. Now employers are about to take revenge.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jake Rosenfeld | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The 2008 financial crisis spared no one — income gains halted for nearly everybody as the economy plunged into the worst recession in almost a century. A tight labor market is good for workersThe main culprit behind these gains in worker power has been the tight labor market. A tight labor market also means companies have to offer higher wages to attract new employees or get people to switch jobs. And the iconic coffee maker isn't the only big-name corporation to raise pay in the face of rising worker unrest. So without a contract to lock in economic gains, workers may have won a series of battles, but they risk losing the long-term war.

☆ Here’s the Dirt on ‘House of the Dragon’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In a recent “House of the Dragon” episode, search parties hunt for a prince hiding in Flea Bottom, a slum lined with brothels and itchy-looking commoners. Scenes were shot in the Spanish city of Cáceres, where medieval authenticity came with a catch: Crews were restricted on the amount of simulated filth they could slather on the ancient walls and cobblestone streets of the tourist destination, a UNESCO World Heritage site. “The disadvantage is it can look a little Disney -fied and clean,” said Jim Clay, the show’s production designer.

☆ Scholars found a long-lost star map from ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus hidden beneath layers of medieval Christian text
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scholars discovered the oldest known star map beneath the text of a Christian manuscript, according to new study. The ancient Greek astronomer made the earliest known attempt to chart the entire night sky. The Christian text came from Egypt's Saint Catherine's Monastery and is now in possession of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Researchers say the star map was scraped away so the parchment could be reused — a common practice at the time. The "new evidence is the most authoritative to date and allows major progress in the reconstruction of Hipparchus' Star Catalog," the study authors wrote.

☆ Here’s the Dirt On ‘House of the Dragon’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In a recent “House of the Dragon” episode, search parties hunt for a prince hiding in Flea Bottom, a slum lined with brothels and itchy-looking commoners. Scenes were shot in the Spanish city of Cáceres, where medieval authenticity came with a catch: crews were restricted on the amount of simulated filth they could slather on the ancient walls and cobblestone streets of the tourist destination, a UNESCO World Heritage site. “The disadvantage is it can look a little Disney -fied and clean,” said Jim Clay, the show’s production designer.

☆ Greek monastery manuscripts tell new story of Ottoman rule
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOUNT ATHOS, Greece — A church bell sounds, the staccato thudding of mallet on plank summons monks to afternoon prayers, deep voices are raised in communal chant. And high in the great tower of Pantokrator Monastery, a metal library door swings open. The libraries of the self-governed community, established more than 1,000 years ago on northern Greece’s Athos peninsula, are a repository of rare, centuries-old works in several languages including Greek, Russian and Romanian. Byzantine scholar Jannis Niehoff-Panagiotidis says it’s impossible to understand Mount Athos’ economy and society under Ottoman rule without consulting these documents, which regulated the monks’ dealings with secular authorities. “Ottoman was the official language of state,” he told The Associated Press from the library of the Pantokrator Monastery, one of 20 on the heavily wooded peninsula.

☆ 'Rings of Power' series reveals another underdiscussed aspect of representation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Polynesian scholars are pointing out “Lord of the Rings” productions have traditionally been filmed on their land, but with Pacific Islander actors relegated to the background. The new prequel on Amazon Prime did slightly better with representation, but experts stopped short of declaring it true progress. Na'puti pointed out that the Māori community experienced significant land loss, now holding just roughly 5% of all land there. McCartney also said that indigenous, Polynesian representation means incorporating the culture into the writing, given the Māori displacement in the country. And so if you’re on it, you have a responsibility.”Ultimately, Young questioned the necessity to continuously adapt the work of Tolkien, who wrote the “Lord of The Rings” series in the early 1900s.

☆ Medieval Times sues performers' union over trademark infringement
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The restaurant-and-show chain is suing its employees' New Jersey union for allegedly infringing on its trademark by using the Medieval Times name. The union also represents Medieval Times workers at a location in California. Medieval Times, which is privately owned, is seeking an injunction on the infringement and payment from the unionized castle workers for damages, attorney's fees and unjust profits made under the Medieval Times name. Medieval Times Performers United is a subset of a national performers union called the American Guild of Variety Artists. Medieval Times Performers United on Thursday called the complaint a "frivolous lawsuit" and "unlawful thuggery."

☆ ‘Game of Thrones’ Meets ‘Harry Potter’ Inside This Fantasy-Filled Beverly Hills Home
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Katherine Clarke | Photographs Yuri Hasegawa For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Robert and Krystal Rivani posed side-by-side in Medieval attire, she in a gold-trimmed cape and tiara-style headband, he in black fur, armored gloves and a gold crown. Carrying long, embellished swords, they looked stern. The resulting oil painting would hang in the Great Hall of their elaborate California home, Castle Rivani.

☆ A bargain hunter picked up a 700-year-old medieval script for $75 at a yard sale that could be worth $10,000
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A shopper got a surprise when he picked up a 700-year-old script for $75, per the Maine Monitor. Academic Lisa Fagin Davis confirmed the piece was genuine, and could be worth up to $10,000. Will Sideri, who bought the script, told the Maine Monitor he doesn't intend to sell the document. The Maine Monitor reported last week that Will Sideri picked up the 700-year-old document at an estate sale in Maine after noticing the leaf adorned in Latin writing alongside some musical notes. "An estate sale in Maine isn't even the most unexpected place where a Beauvais Missal leaf has turned up.

☆ Mass protests in Iran, sparked by woman's death in police custody, are the regime's biggest challenge in years
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Alleged eyewitnesses say they saw Amini being beaten to death by Iran's feared morality police. Appearing in public as a woman without the head covering is a criminal offense in Iran and carries the consequence of prison time. What this uprising has revealed is the complete illegitimacy of not only the Islamic Republic, but indeed of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, in the eyes of this new generation. Roham AlvandiThe U.S. responded by condemning the Iranian government's actions, and has imposed sanctions on Iran's morality police, who it blames for Amini's death. "Not just has Iran oppressed the women there," she added, "but it has made the world hate us."

☆ CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour declined to wear a head scarf in front of Iran's president, walking away from the interview amid ongoing hijab protests over the death of Mahsa Amini
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

CNN's Christiane Amanpour walked away from a long-anticipated interview with Iran's president. The anchor "politely declined" to wear a head scarf since the interview took place on US soil. Her decision follows a history of women journalists declining to wear the clothing for interviews. On Twitter, Amanpour said that Raisi was late to the interview in New York and received a last-minute request to wear a head scarf from one of the president's aides. Amanpour's case is not the first time a reporter declined to wear clothing that is compulsory for women in Iran.

Goodman told jurors that he’d been with the Capitol Police for 15 years and he previously was deployed to Iraq for the U.S. Army. Footage released during Trump's second impeachment trial showed Goodman directing Romney to turn around just after the mob had breached the building. The Senate chamber itself went through sweeps by K-9s and bomb squads so that Congress could resume its work, Goodman said. He told jurors to expect to see video of Jensen telling officers to do their job throughout the trial. The FBI has arrested more than 850 defendants in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

☆ Last two mourners to see Queen Elizabeth's coffin forged friendship that will 'last forever'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alexander Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — They forged a friendship that will “last forever” while saying farewell to Queen Elizabeth II. Some mourners waited 12 hours or more for the chance to file past her coffin. Heerey and Mansouri found each other just after 1 a.m. Monday, they told Britain's Press Association news agency in a separate interview. “I call this place home and she made me feel like I was home here,” Mansouri said of the queen. Many lined up through the night to pay their final respects to Elizabeth who reigned for 70 years.

A woman stands in a queue to pay her respects to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, following her death, in London, Britain, September 15, 2022. They had come together to mark a moment in history - the passing of Britain's longest reigning monarch. "Sierra Leone, where I come from, was a colony under the British Empire so she means a lot to us." "Part of being British I guess is just having a queen or having Queen Elizabeth II on the throne." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Kate Holton and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trove of ancient gold rings buried with 'extremely rich' woman who lived 6,500 years ago discovered in Romania
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-28 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Archaeologists have discovered a trove of Copper Age gold rings, beads, and a bracelet in Romania. Museum director Gabriel Moisa said that the jewelry was laid to rest alongside a burial of an "extremely rich" woman. 169 ultra-rare gold rings were designed to be worn in a women's hair, archaeologists say. The trove in a Copper Age grave includes 169 gold rings, 800 bone beads, and an ornate spiraled copper bracelet discovered by a team from the Ţării Crişurilor museum in Oradea, Romania. The jewelry was laid to rest alongside a burial of an "extremely rich" woman, museum director Gabriel Moisa said, Romanian outlet Agerpres reports.

☆ See Europe's less-crowded destinations as Americans flood the hot spots
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-18 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

North Jutland, DenmarkSouthern Europe swells with crowds during summer, and it can also get hot to the point of extremely uncomfortable in July and August. Temperatures in Seville and other spots in southern Spain recently exceeded the 110˚ Fahrenheit mark (43.3 Celsius). MontenegroLeave Croatia’s jam-packed Dubrovnik to the hordes of “Game of Thrones” hangers-on and make for less-trampled spots in neighboring Montenegro instead. It’s just 40 minutes from the popular beaches of Taormina, which are flooded with “White Lotus” fans this summer. There are beaches all around the peninsula, but if you only hit two, Mylopotamos and Fakistra on the Aegean side are the can’t-miss spots.

Persons: ”, Tania Swasbrook, Swasbrook, it’s, Jack Ezon, he’s, “, ” Ezon, you’ve, Mads Østergaard, Moritz, St, Du, Marianne Fabre, Lanvin, Vin de Bonté, ” Fabre, Arlindo Serrão, Serrão, ” Serrão, Dolev Azaria, Azaria, Portonovi, Spain Spain’s Costa, Spain Spain’s Costa de la Luz, Manni Coe of, TOMA, ” Coe, El Rompido, Italy Lipari, Diego Fiore, Dario Ferrante, Absolute, Ferrante, ” Ferrante, Andreas Heide, Barba, Alan Mandic, ” Mandic, Andria Mitsakos, Mitsakos Organizations: CNN, Allianz Partners, Vgari, CNN Travel, Croatia, Michelin, Tri, Villa, –, SAS, France International, gravitate, Cannes, Lodging, Le, Adobe, Alentejo ‘, “, New, UNESCO, Costa de la, Spain Spain’s Costa de la, del Sol, Albanian Locations: Europe, Tuscany, Slovenia, Croatia, Kotor, Montenegro, Italy, France, Pantelleria, Paros, Spain, Portugal, North Jutland, Denmark Southern Europe, Seville, Denmark, Cold Hawaii, ”, Jutland, Aalborg, Denmark’s, “, Newark, United States, Moritz, Switzerland, St, Engadin, Badrutt’s, Swiss, Nice, Montpellier, l’Espiguette, L’Oyat Plage, Alentejo, Lisbon, Algarve, Comporta, Dubrovnik, “ Montenegro, New York City, Como, Costa de, Costa de la Luz, Spain Spain’s Costa de, Barcelona, del, Manni Coe of Andalusia, Tarifa, El, Cadiz, Huelva, Mazagón, Aeolian, Sicily, Amalfi, Caribbean, Salina, Filicudi, Mount Etna, It’s, Taormina, Senja, Norway, Svalbard, Lofoten, Northern Norway, Zadar, Split, Hvar, Silba, Pelion, Greece, Mykonos, Albania, Ksamil . Albania's, Balkan

☆ Dramatic photos cast Europe’s ancient castles in a new light
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-07 | by ( Allyssia Alleyne | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But in his latest book, “Stone Age: Ancient Castles of Europe,” writer and photographer Frédéric Chaubin set out to disrupt the familiar stereotypes, using prose and photography to link the medieval with the Modernist. Frédéric Chaubin/Courtesy of TASCHENWhen castles first emerged in the 10th century as an alternative to wooden structures, they were envisaged as fortified dwellings for the ruling class. Frédéric Chaubin/Courtesy of TASCHENWhen making his final selection, Chaubin prioritized the impressiveness of a castle’s location and its architectural simplicity – in keeping with his overarching theme – rather than its historical significance. Dividing the castles by location seemed equally futile, given that Europe’s borders were in constant flux during the centuries covered in the book. “The very large typology of those castles made the subject more difficult to deal with, but at the same time, more interesting.”“Stone Age: Ancient Castles of Europe,” published by Taschen, is available now.

Persons: Frédéric Chaubin, Adolf Loos, Le, ”, Chaubin, “, TASCHEN, Quéribus Organizations: CNN, Templars, Taschen Locations: Europe, Almourol, Portugal, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Baltics, Scotland, Avila, Wales, England

☆ Japan's best castles to visit at least once
▼ + stars: | 2022-01-20 | by ( David Mcelhenney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —During Japan’s Sengoku “Warring States” era (1467-1615), castles were constructed, bolstered and fortified all across the Japanese archipelago, resulting in approximately 5,000 individual keeps. Here are some of Japan’s best castles that you can still visit. Edo CastleEdo Castle, bearing the former name of Tokyo, has one of the longest lineages of all Japan’s castles. Edo Castle was huge in its prime, surrounded by a 15-kilometer outer moat crossed by over 30 gates and bridges. Bicchu Matsuyama CastleThe 13th-century Bicchu Matsuyama Castle, perched above quiet Takahashi City in Okayama prefecture, is thought to be Japan’s original yamajiro (mountain castle).

☆ Meet the Ghanaian Canadian Lego sculptor building a Black universe
▼ + stars: | 2022-01-11 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —For 42-year-old Ghanaian Canadian artist Ekow Nimako, Lego is more than just a kids’ toy. “I started realizing that not only did I enjoy making art with Lego, but it was important that I made Black art very specifically,” he said. Nimako uses black Lego bricks specifically for three main reasons. Nimako is a futurist who used approximately 100,000 Lego pieces to construct a reimagining of the medieval kingdom of Ghana, titled "Kumbi Saleh 3020 CE." Sam EngelkingIn his “Building Black: Civilizations” series, Nimako reimagines medieval sub-Saharan African narratives.

Persons: Ekow, “, ”, It’s, it’s, there’s, Sam Engelking, they’ll, Nimako, didn’t, ’ Nimako, Africanfuturism, Kumbi Saleh, ” Nimako Organizations: CNN, Museum, Lego Locations: Ghanaian, Canada, Ghana, Toronto, West Africa

☆ Povestea castelului din România pentru care „se bat" regizorii de la Hollywood; În jurul lui va fi construit un sat medieval
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-14 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaPovestea castelului din România pentru care „se bat" regizorii de la Hollywood; În jurul lui va fi construit un sat medievalCastelul Corvinilor, unul dintre cele mai vizitate obiective din România, atrage tot mai mulți turiști. Clădirea, care arată ca un castel din povești, a fost readusă la viață cu ajutorul fondurilor europene. 5 milioane de euro, bani de la Bruxelles, au contribuit la renașterea sa. Autoritățile locale vor să construiască în jurul castelului un sat medieval, tot cu ajutorul fondurilor europene, în valoare de 21 de milioane de euro. Tocmai de aceea a atras atenția producătorilor de film.

Persons: Sorin Tincu, Vlad Țepeș Locations: România, Hollywood, Castelul Corvinilor, Bruxelles, Corvinilor, Hunedoara, Europa

Search resuls for: "medieval"

25 mentions found