EVERY SUMMER, there's always a picnic or two to look forward to. There is just something about the anticipation of preparing for a summer afternoon picnic―the wicker baskets and vintage tartan wool blanks, stopping by the bakery for a loaf of olive boule or sourdough; cakes and pastries from the bakery or smoked salmon and dill sandwiches from the larder, and of course, a bottle of cava or white wine―it's a bit of a production, and one we relish ...
THERE ARE AT LEAST three more weeks of lockdown here in the UK, so to make the best of it, here are a few cosy images of being at home―homebody inspiration for the introverts and extroverts alike.
The deserted streets will fill again, and we will leave our screen-lit burrows blinking with relief. But the world will be different from how we imagined it in what we thought were normal times. This is not a temporary rupture in an otherwise stable equilibrium: the crisis through which we are living is a turning point in history.
One of the few mercies during this crisis is that, by their nature, individual coronaviruses are easily destroyed. Each virus particle consists of a small set of genes, enclosed by a sphere of fatty lipid molecules, and because lipid shells are easily torn apart by soap, 20 seconds of thorough hand-washing can take one down.
Clairo (aka Claire Cottrill) is getting ready to release her debut album Immunity next week. We’ve already heard two excellent singles from the ascendant pop star, “Bags” and “Closer To You.” Today, we’re hearing our third and final taste of the record before its release.
IT’S FUNNY HOW one can see the humour in a debacle after it is over. On Monday, after a comedy of errors, managed to lock us out of the cottage after having only been there for three days. Neither of us had our keys, wallets and phones, but at least had the the rental car, so all was not completely lost…
EVERY YEAR around this time, when the holidays are over (the memories of fairy lights and sequins fading) we're back at work and it's a brand new year, we become hopelessly drawn to winter white.
NOVEMBER IS ALWAYS a bittersweet time, for it was on a chilly morning in early November in a city far away that we lost our sweet Dalmatian. She was a rescue whom we adopted when she was just three months old and was a grand old fifteen when she died. It’s a very long time for a Dalmatian to live, we were told, but forever would not have been long enough. That was two cities and six years ago this month. We say bittersweet, because she lived a long, happy life and we had the privilege of knowing her for most of it. And it’s also bittersweet because the year is coming to an end, but there are still so many things to look forward to and so many beautiful reasons to be happy. Hope you had a wonderful weekend and that your week is off to a perfect start.
The last few days I have been watching the beauty of fall from my cosy rustic cabin back in my home town. Being back in Paris now, my mind keeps drifting to the emerald lake we visited and the colourful forests I have seen during the time I’ve spent there. Here there is no crackling fire, but certainly these two places are a perfect choice for a cosy lunch or dinner with some incredible Parisian views between the working days ...
The world needs to get ready for Little Simz. The British MC continues her rollout of edgy singles with her latest entitled “Boss.” Following in the footsteps of her previous release “Offence,” which was her first since her last album in 2016, “Boss” not only continues a new musical aesthetic with live instruments, but it also shows her with a more fiery attitude as she forges new musical ground.
The computer you’re reading this article on right now runs on a binary — strings of zeros and ones. Without zero, modern electronics wouldn’t exist. Without zero, there’s no calculus, which means no modern engineering or automation. Without zero, much of our modern world literally falls apart.
And it's no wonder: the city, which has been one of Europe's major centres of finance, commerce, fashion, science, music and art since the 17th century, has continued to capture the imaginations of travellers around the world despite travel trends.
Call this their couples’ therapy trilogy. From Lemonade to 4:44 to Everything Is Love, Beyoncé and JAY-Z have taken us through their (apparent) conflict, resolution, and reconciliation as lovers. Though their narrative has been carefully curated and packaged for our consumption, the themes are nonetheless universal: Love and marriage are not easy, a bond between lovers will be tested, and the reward for surviving those turbulent moments is a stronger union.
Three years ago, at a conference on transatlantic issues, the subject of artificial intelligence appeared on the agenda. I was on the verge of skipping that session—it lay outside my usual concerns—but the beginning of the presentation held me in my seat.
