Archives. April-May, 2007
Crisis
The Smithsonian Institution in Washingtom D.C. is contempting with a series of external & internal investigetions of its governance of its secretary, lLwrence M. Small. Small's decision to step down followed congressional criticism of his lavish spending habits & a report by 7 outside museum officials that faulted the state of the Smithsonian's art museums. Scrutiny of the secretary's leadership began in earnest in January...
Sharp Goes Big
The biggest television screen in the world, 108 inches on the diagonal, are rolling off the production line at Sharp Corporation's factory in Kameyama, Japan. Robots use gentle suction to lift & move these fragile sheets of glass, which're as broad as a king-size beds, & as thin as a credit card... And 2,000 times as smoth as window glass. Other robots cover their surface with dollops of milky liquid cristal, lay on top a matching piece of glass & cut them up into small panels for assembly. You can not buy the 108-inches TV yet. Sharp has produced only 8 exhibition models. It takes 6 people to lug one around & cost the company as much as $40,000 just to ready one for public viewing.
The fight ended a colorful 8-month tenure for Rosie O'Donnell that lifted the show's ratings but no doubt caused heartburn for show creator Barbara Walters. Rosie feuded with D. Trump & frequently had snippy exchanges with the more conservative Hasselbeck...
Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon at 100
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Pablo Picasso epoch-making painting, MoMA presents Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon at 100. This installation examines the complex & fascinating genesis of the works through paintings, sketches, & preparatory studies from public & private collections. This exhibit is made possible by BNP Paribas. 
The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine was born out of a vision of intellectual light & leadership. Founded as a house of prayer for all people, its doors are open to all & it is profoundly connected to the life of New York & the nation.There's nowhere in new York more festive than the Cathedral on New year's eve; no place spookier than the great nave on Halloween, no place elsse in town where penguins, eagles, llamas & lambs help celebrate the Fest of St. Francis... At the same time Cathedral faces the critical task of maintaining & preserving self. The Cathedral depends upon contribution from Friends to preserve its unique urban mission, especially now...Small Art Auction at J.N. Bartfield Galleries. May 22.
For more than 5 decades Clark Hulings has been a seeker of beauty.Giving up careers in portraiture Hulings chose instead to find beauty in his encounters with people engaged in everyday activities. Not surprisinggly, many western art collections proudly include hulings' paintings. Today almost all his paintings were sold at J.N. Bartfield Galleries at 57 Str., NYC. Prices: $12,000 - $68,000 for the middle & small sizes artwork. Next auction will take place June 2, 2007 at Morris & Whiteside Galleries, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
NBC: Donald Trump, you're fired!
Britney Spears performed her 5th live show Saturday night in Orlando dealing with a few minor technical difficulties. Spears performed a 14-minute set before a sold-out crowd at the House of Blues Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Saturday night. It was another highly-anticipated show: Fans waited for hours outside in a line to see the pop star.
The first thing you see as you enter the hushed is dead alligator's skin, spayed gold serving as a table cover. Designer Tom Ford's new menswear emporium located on Madison Avenue. He offers shirts in no fewer than 340 colours, 35 fabrics, seven collars and three cuffs. You can spend even more money on an umbrella or the walking stick, both of which have been trimmed in 18-karat gold. Tom Ford has been famous since the early' 90s for the sexed-up women's fashion he offered as head designer for Gucci & Yves St. Laurent. There're no stilettos in this black-and-gold crypt, & the only slits on display're the vents in the back of the ultra-traditional suits, which retail from $3,2000. $5,000 if you want yours custom made....
An Internet parody of "The Simpsons" has drawn the ire of 20th Century Fox. The studio's pressuring video hub Broadcaster.com to remove 3 animated clips "The O.J. Simpsons," that reimagine the Fox series starring the former football star O. J. Simpson. After receiving notices from lawyers, Broadcaster Inc. is reviewing their demand but noted Friday that fair-use doctrine protects parodies. Broadcaster CEO Martin Wade III said, that they respect the rights of content owners, & they're examining all the issues raised by the Fox request. He said, that their goal is to be a respecter of content rights & at the same time find legal ways to bring our community members the content they enjoy. Fox has been aggressive about protecting perceived copyright infringements.
Fashion designer Carlos Miele has a store in New York & a global client base but it's the shantytowns of his native Brazil that're also reaping benefits from his work.
Auction
Chaplin's 35 movies at Keystone established him as a major film comedian and afforded him the chance to adapt his stage routines to the screen. The camera used by Charlie Chaplin to film movies, including “The Gold Rush” (1925) and “The Kid” (1921), will be offered at auction by Christie’s in London on July 25. Chaplin bought the camera, a Bell and Howell 2709, considered a classic of the silent era, for his Chaplin Studios in Hollywood. The camera is expected to fetch $140,000 to $180,000.
With the crowd chanting "Britney! Britney! Britney," a Spears, clad in a hot-pink bustier top, a pleated white micro-mini & torn fishnet stockings, took the stage with her backup dancers at 9:31 p.m. to the music of "...Baby One More Time."
Like the series of concerts Britney performed at other House of Blues clubs in Southern California & Las Vegas. She proceeded to lip-synch a medley of older hits – but this time Britney experience a glitch. At one point the background track skipped, forcing Spears to improvise by turning her head away from the audience as the song got back on track.
Despite the music mishap, Britney Spears was in good spirits throughout her performance, making eye contact with several audience members & smiling as she responded to audience members yelling out her name.
Despite the music mishap, Britney Spears was in good spirits throughout her performance, making eye contact with several audience members & smiling as she responded to audience members yelling out her name.
After the show, concertgoers gave Spears solid reviews. Judy Jensen, 25, told PEOPLE, that if Britney's going to make a comeback, it's going to be the best one yet. She looked amazing. Another audience member, Maggie Rood, 25, said, that Britney looked sexy, definitely not like a baby's mama.
Spears is set to perform a second show in Miami today, Sunday night.
Welcome to Cannes, France. May 18, 2007
Every year, this festival gives moviegoers a “gimme” bag to facilitate the schlepping of its sundry guides, catalogs, promotional materials. This year’s version is colorfully printed with dozens of names of past winners of the Palme d’Or, including luminaries of world cinema like Roman Polanski, Akira Kurosava, Mikelangelo Antonioni. But Cannes's traditionally a place of controversy as well as adulation. Mr. Antonioni was booed when he presented "L'Avventura"(1960), & a gaudy piece of swag can provoke argumentative passion as surely as a jury’s vote or an auteur’s vision. Mr. Rissient said, that Roland Joffe should not be here!
The festival's marking its 60th incarnation with a burst of nostalgic self-congratulation, evident not only in that bag but also in the equally ubiquitous publicity poster, which shows a collection of stars & cinéastes leaping exuberantly in the air & is described in the official program as “an ecstasy of the pleasure of acting and creation!” In between cold showers and new contenders for the Palme, audiences can sample ecstasies like John Farrow's 1953 western "Hondo," (starring Jahn Wayne); 3 Shakespeare adaptations directed by & starring Laurence Oliver; and a collection of documentaries on filmmaking whose subjects include Lindsay Anderson, marlon Brando and Mr. Rissient himself..
An Internet parody of "The Simpsons" has drawn the ire of 20th Century Fox. The studio's pressuring video hub Broadcaster.com to remove 3 animated clips "The O.J. Simpsons," that reimagine the Fox series starring the former football star O. J. Simpson. After receiving notices from lawyers, Broadcaster Inc. is reviewing their demand but noted Friday that fair-use doctrine protects parodies. Broadcaster CEO Martin Wade III said, that they respect the rights of content owners, & they're examining all the issues raised by the Fox request. He said, that their goal is to be a respecter of content rights & at the same time find legal ways to bring our community members the content they enjoy. Fox has been aggressive about protecting perceived copyright infringements.
The three "O.J. Simpsons" clips're titled "Black & White Christmas," "Warzone" & "If I Did It," which directly references Fox & its decision to withdraw publication of O.J. Simpson's proposed book about the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman.
Fashion
Miele maintains a strong affinity with his culture. He grew up in a very poor neighborhood. There're homeless people on the streets... He thinks it's easy for someone who came from that sort of background to understand social problems. Miele not only understands the social problems, he tries to alleviate them. Many find it hard to get work, there're vast social problems: poverty, drugs crime & despair. At the heart of Miele work's empowering women - from those who make his designs, to those who wear them. He said, that the first city that I exported his product to was to London. He bring self-esteem to the people in Brazil, Miele says. He could reach very rich clients. They wanted to buy his luxurious products. Then he start to understand that fashion's not something for elites. It can be like something that a bridge between elites & people who need jobs. Miele says labor in China is a lot cheaper, but he is determined to give something back to his homeland. He said, that those who work for him don't work in slave conditions. He gives them dignity, pay as much as he can, 10 or 20 times more then in China. It is nice to know that all this work & the price of these dresses're supporting families so that's what makes the whole thing about fashion so beautiful, he said.
Auction
Terminator is Back!
The Terminator will be back in a new trilogy. The deal is to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Hopefully that trilogy will be ready for release in the first half of 2009. The script written by Michael Ferris and John Brancato. The rights to "Terminator" have changed hands several times. Kassar was an executive producer for 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," and he and Vajna acquired interests from Gale Anne Hurd, who produced the first one in 1984 and executive produced the second - when the duo made 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines..."
New York. School Of Visual Arts Presents
Bahamas. Welcome Back, FNM!
Archive, 1999. NeoPopRealist Artist Nadia Russ and Prime Minister of the Bahamas Mr. Ingraham, Grand Bahama. The Free National Movement won the May 2, 2007 General Election. The FNM wrested control from the Progressive Liberal Party which held power for the past five years. Based on the unofficial results, Prime Minister the Right Hon. Perry Christie telephoned Mr. Ingraham at about 10:30 p.m. on May 2 to say he conceded the election to Mr. Ingraham, his former law partner. Mr. Ingraham, in turn, thanked Mr. Christie for his service to The Bahamas as Prime Minister and wished him well. Mr. Ingraham, 59, becomes the first prime minister in Bahamian history to have retired and then return to head a government. Mr. Christie becomes the first prime minister to be unseated after only one term in office.April, 2007
Clemens said, "He's put a lot into it, and it's all very tasteful, except the stripper poles."
Front-runner R. Giuliani broke with the other nine Republicans in the party's first debate of the presidential campaign, saying that it would be OK if the Supreme Court overturned its ruling on abortion rights but that he respected a woman's right to choose. The former New York City mayor said later in the debate "I hate abortion" and encourage adoption. But he added he "would respect a woman's right to make a different choice."
KYIV Ukrainian Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has assured U.S. business figures that Ukraine's internal political situation'll not affect the government's decisions to strengthen national investment infrastructure. Yatseniuk was addressing the members of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council during his visit to the US, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Andriy Deschytsia told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday. The minister stressed that Ukraine's accession to the WTO and passing all the necessary amendments to the legislation remains the country's foreign priority.The parties discussed the current issues of European security, relations with the EU and NATO, and Ukraine-U.S. cooperation.
Something expensive to put on their walls...
Along with Chineese billionaires and Russian oligarchs hedge-fund guyes are cited whenever people try to explain the current art-market madness.The most prominent of them is Steven Cohen, the owner of Damien Hirst's shark - for which he paid either $8 million or $12 million, depending on whom to believe. Hedge-funders often prefer high-profile art acquisitions, because they can boost value - that of particular artist and his work. As Amy Cappellazzo of Christie's pointed out during Art Basel Miami Beach, there's a "permission -giving" quality to a deal like Citadel's Ken Griffin's paying $80 million for Jasper Johns, almost five times the artist's auction record. For everything in New York, hedge-funders are the high bidders...
Something expensive to put on their walls...
Global Economy
Coming 29-31 October in New Delhi, the Fortune Global Forum will bring together the world's leading chief executives to share insignts on "Mastering the Global Economy." Drawn by the opportunity to talk candidly with colleagues about the shared chalenges of running the world's largest companies, these business chiefs bring a diversity of perspectives to the intense, interractive discussions that characterize this Forum.Confirmed participants to date include Vindi Banga, Unilever; Carol Barz, Autodesk; John Chambers, Cisco Systems; Michael Cherkasky, MMC; etc.
Marc Anthony is a Kid
Marc Anthony has agreed to pay $2.5 million for five years' worth of back taxes (fines and unpaid interest included), but upon hearing the news last week, one ex-employee wasn't surprised. "He's a kid, teenager," says one. "He's the guy who play video games all night. He looks like the kind of person that needs to be fed. Food is not a priority. When he eats, he eats pizza..." Anthony failed to file taxes on over $15 million in income from 2000 to 2004. He was not charged.
Synonymous with Cuba, cigars're revered by connoisseurs and part of the country's political landscape.
Since the U.S. trade embargo was imposed more than 40 years ago as part of President Kennedy's stand against the communist government, Americans have been banned from purchasing cigars from Cuba. Habanos is the arm of the Cuban state tobacco monopoly, Cubatabaco, which controls the distribution, promotion, and exportation of Cuban cigars worldwide. It's impossible tomake a cigar like a Cuban cigar in another country because there is the combination of soil, climate, a legendary long tradition, the workers in the field, the tobacco leaf that's totally different from other ones.Cubatobaco works with Altadis of Spain and markets in 120 countries. Sales in 2006 rose almost 10 percent to $370 million. As for the Cuban economy, it's estimated the entire cigar industry brings in $200 million dollars.
April 23, 2007
MOSCOW, Russia
Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin has died at the age of 76.Kremlin spokesman Alexander Smirnov confirmed Yeltsin's death, but gave no further details.Yeltsin had been rarely seen in public since resigning from office on December 31, 1999. He became the first democratically elected president of Russia in 1991.One of the images most associated with Yeltsin is that of him sitting on a tank during the raucous street rallies that marked the coup attempt. "I think that is the image that he would like people to have forever," former Yeltsin adviser Alexander Nekrassov told CNN Monday.But just two years later, he ordered tanks to storm the Russian White House to oust barricaded deputies who dug in after Yeltsin dissolved parliament, accusing it of blocking reforms...Yeltsin was both loved and hated by fellow Russians, said Matthew Chance, CNN's senior international correspondent in Moscow."[Many] Russians who lived under his power didn't think much of him," Chance said. Yeltsin had promoted democratic reform in Russia. While he was an ideological man who took positive steps to reform his country, Chance said Yeltsin was an inconsistent reformer. "He was a totally imperfect statesman and certainly hadmany failings," Chance said.Yeltsin favored privatization but sweeping corruption put the vast majority of wealth in the hands of a few individuals who "wielded enormous political power." Chance said this upset and angered many Russians who were left with nothing. Yeltsin's image on the international stage was verydifferent, former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, now CNN's U.S. affairs editor in Washington, said. Dougherty said everything about Yeltsin was larger than life. "He was oversized, he was huge, everything about him -- hewas physically a giant, a big-barrel chest of complete charisma... When you met him or were around him he was absolutely charismatic. ... He was an intensely sophisticated politician." You Play, You Pay
Frequent Long Flights Lead to Health Problems
NeoPopRealism art by Nadia Russ on view in Manhattan Motorcars
Artwork by Nadia Russ "Luxury Cars" (series of 4), ink/lipstick/nail polish/paper, 11"x17" now (2006-2007) on view at New York City exotic cars showroom Manhattan Motorcars, located at 270 Eleven Ave. (between 27 & 28 Street). It open Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
