Slavenka & Obi: June 2019

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Friday, June 28, 2019

Just Don't

You know it’s gonna end up bad. And that’s part of the attraction.

Personal Message

Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber (collaborations)

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Balenciaga and Spanish painting

Before Balenciaga was known for chunky sneakers and ironic renditions of IKEA bags, there was its namesake, Cristóbal Balenciaga – one of the world’s greatest couturiers, affectionately named “el Maestro”. He was the designer that fashion luminaries, like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, tipped their hats to. Although his creations have been trusted go-tos for high-profile women of the 20th century, not that much is known about the man himself – as he only gave a handful of interviews during his relatively short, yet immensely influential, 30-year reign over the fashion world from Paris. Lead by curator Eloy Martinez de la Pera, Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in collaboration with Las Rozas Villages — the Madrid location of the 11 Bicester Villages luxury destination shopping group, who also created at Fashion Route guide through the Madrid museum — is tracing the master couturier’s inspirations back to Spanish paintings from the 16th through to the 20th century, in a new exhibition entitled, Balenciaga and Spanish painting.

89-Year-Old Woman Has Knitted 450 Blankets For Shelter Dogs

Maisie Green from the UK has knitted over 450 blankets to help dogs at the shelter stay warm during the cold nights they spend in kennels.
more

Croatian elected new head of Council of Europe

Croatia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić has been elected the new Secretary-General of the Council of Europe for a five-year term on Wednesday night.
Pejčinović Burić was elected the 14th Secretary-General of the Council of Europe by secret ballot held in the CoE Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg last night. The Croatian obtained 159 votes, an absolute majority out of the 264 votes cast, in the first round of the election. Didier Reynders (Belgium) received 105 votes. Pejčinović Burić, who is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, will begin her position on 18 September 2019 and will be formally sworn in on 15 October 2019.

more

Why are temperatures on the continent soaring?

The heatwave has already caused flash floods and forest fires, grounded planes and buckled train tracks and led to school closures and warnings over air quality. France has set up temporary water fountains in built-up areas and is allowing public pools to open late into the night. In Germany, people are filling hot water bottles, placing them in freezers and then taking them to bed.
As the mercury continues to rise - with potentially deadly consequences - experts tell the BBC what is behind the heatwave.