| Landmark exhibit traces photography’s evolution in American culture
From daguerreotype to digital image, the medium of photography has captured the artist's imagination and eye.A landmark exhibition, "Icons of American Photography: A Century of Photographs from The Cleveland Museum of Art" is at The Cleveland Museum of Art through Sept. 16. It includes 116 photographs by 60 major photographers, covering the period from 1850 to 1960. This thoroughly satisfying show from the museum's own collection, provides in curator of photography Tom Hinson's words, "a visual record of America: who we were and whom we have become." It also tracks how the genre's technical developments impacted creative expression.Each black-and-white photograph is a masterpiece of the genre by some of the greatest photographers of the age. A number of these important photographers are Jewish, including Aaron Siskind, Alfred Stieglitz, Weegee (born Arthur Felig), Helen Levitt, Andreas Feininger and Ben Shahn.The exhibit begins with the daguerreotype and the earliest examples of portraiture, the first practical photographic process developed by Frenchman Louis-Jacques-Maude Daguerre in 1839.
A few words from an astute observer
Last weekend I attended its curtailed cousin, the West Coast Blues and Roots festival in Fremantle. Some of the featured artists, such as Bo Diddley, predate 1967; most were born long afterwards. That people on either side of this large, remote island can access so many wonderful and different forms of music - and these are just two of many festivals - in such a short period strikes me as a minor modern miracle. The internet allows teenagers to instantly scan every video, study every lyric, discover every obscure detail about their favourite artists. Consequently, the definition of teenager has become absurdly elasticised. One of the most astute political observers in the country - let's call him Dennis - owns a hectic chunk of MySpace in which he alleges to have 164 mainly famous friends including the Pixies, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, the Dixie Chicks, Van Morrison and Tom Waits.
Sundance '08: Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Page, Mischa Barton Flicks Have Us ...
It also sounds like it could be a cross between "The Last Shot" and Keanu Reeves' "Much Ado About Nothing." And it's hard to forget that Coogan's career has stumbled badly with Stateside clunkers like "Around the World in 80 Days." Who'll Be at Sundance: Coogan, Poehler, Shue, Keener, David Arquette and Melonie Diaz 8. "Welcome" Why We Care: Kirsten Dunst makes her writing and directing debut (!) in this short film about a family's complicated arrangement with the unfriendly inhabitant of its ghost-ridden home. Starring Winona Ryder, the flick also features a cover of the Turtles classic "Happy Together," sung as a duet between Dunst and Jason Schwartzman. Could we bear witness to the birth of a new Sofia Coppola? What We Fear: Unfortunately, it's only 13 minutes long.
Teen shark attack victim releases new documentary
Bethany Hamilton, the young teenage girl who made headlines for swiftly resuming her amateur surfing career after losing an arm in a 2003 shark attack in the waters off Hawaii, shares her story to hundreds of teens. The Christian teen was just 13 years old when the 14-foot tiger shark attacked her just over three years ago on the North Shore of Kauai. The shark also took a 16-inch bite out of her surfboard. Bethany new documentary, "Heart of a Soul Surfer," which is being released by Walking on Water, a Christian surf company based in San Diego, chronicles how Bethany refused to walk away from the ocean sport, despite the amputation of her left arm. Instead, the incident compelled Bethany to reach inside herself to discover her purpose in life. Emboldened by her faith, Bethany was back on her board just three weeks later.
Jerome Kerviel: In His Own Words
On his belief that superiors tacitly encouraged his activity: "In July, 2007, I suggested we should bet on a fall in the market, but he (Kerviel's superior) did not want to. My bet proved a winner, a cash generator....I had taken a (trading) position anyway with the consent -- or at least not contested by -- my No. 1 (apparently a higher-level supervisor) who helped record the transaction....The transaction proved fruitful, and thus it was authorized, indeed supported by the hierarchy. After that, I had to take positions every day. Even during my vacation, my manager was calling me to ask what position to take. The incentive to take positions was at a maximum." .
Interview with Tadashi Yanai
But now they're back, and because he's got control, he can realize that vision, no one is going to say no. AR: Welcome to the show, it's wonderful to have you with us today. What kind of person do you have to be to be able to build an empire like this? TY: One should have an ambition, an ideal. It can be applied to anything, but unless you have a strong will to make it happen, or a dream to create a company you wish to see, it is impossible to expand your company. AR: People say that you're not like the typical Japanese CEO and that you're unapologetic. Do you think that those characteristics have perhaps helped to get you where you are today? TY: I don't think the conventional management that Japanese companies had was effective, Japanese companies have to train themselves, starting from now.
Zucker: NBCU will change its program development
The U.S. economy is on the verge of a recession, but that didn't spur much tune-in for President Bush's State of the Union address on Monday night. The speech aired on nine networks – ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Univision, Telemundo, Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC – and averaged a total of 37.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. That's the lowest viewership of Bush's tenure and down nearly 18 percent from the 45.5 million those same networks averaged last year for Bush's State of the Union address. The networks combined to average 27.7 million households and a 24.7 rating, down about 16 percent from 33.0 million homes and a 29.6 combined rating last year. Bush's all-time high in terms of State of the Union viewership came during the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003, when his speech averaged 62.1 million viewers.
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