Wednesday, December 10, 2008

NeoPopRealism Journal: In The News: September-October/2008

News Archives September-October, 2008

October, 2008

USA Election: John McCain or Barack Hussein Obama?

“I guarantee you that two weeks from now, you will see this has been a very close race, and I believe that I'm going to win it,” McCain told interim "Meet" moderator Tom Brokaw. “We're going to do well in this campaign, my friend. We're going to win it, and it's going to be tight, and we're going to be up late.”
McCain was down 5 points in the Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released Sunday, with Barack Hussein Obama leading by 49 percent to 44 percent among voters in the daily tracking poll, which has a margin of error of 2.9 points.
Reuters reported that Barack Hussein Obama's lead has dropped over the last three days after hitting a high of 12 points on Thursday. Pollster John Zogby said that things are trending back for McCain. His numbers are rising and Obama's are dropping on a daily basis. There seems to be a direct correlation between this and McCain talking about the economy.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that inside the McCain campaign the mood remains one of gritty resolve. Top aides know they are behind, but they hold out hope and, like their candidate, stubbornly refuse to give up.

November 4, 2008, you decide: will America bloom or fall down, John McCain or Barack Hussein Obama. Obama 'will say anything to win,' probably because hisIQ is 123... (could be higher: IQ of the NeoPopRealism Journal's Founder is 127.)

USA: National Writers Press: Protecting Moscow from the Soviet

Protecting Moscow from the Soviet
Protecting Moscow from the Soviet and other stories by Peter Baird published by National Writers Press less than one month ago.


Peter Baird is a writer, lawyer, magician and musician. He is an editor of two American Bar Association magazines. Peter's previous novelBeyond Peleliu won national acclaim...
Protecting Moscow from the Soviet and other stories was written over a twenty-five year period, and is about the lives and experiences that Baird's characters and he have had in fact, memory and fiction.
Peter Baird have tried to make the facts as accurate as memory would permit and the fiction as inventive as imagination would allow...
The story Protecting Moscow from the Soviet published as "Moscow Memories" in American Heritage Magazine (June, 1991) and My Brush With History: 95 Americans Who Were There (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2001).
The story My Stupid Mistakes published in Litigation Magazine (Winter, 2005)...
This book is a collection of sometimes funny and sometimes serious stories about life as Peter Baird lived it and as law as he practiced it.
In fall of 2007 the National Writers Press was purchased from its parent company, the National Writers Association. With an eye toward the future of book publishing, the National Writers Press, Inc.™ changed from a self-publishing house to a royalty book publisher.

By Cosmopolitan: Four Guys You Shouldn't Date

Saturday Night Live's fabulous Will Forte brings to life good-on-paper dudes who are really just chumps in disguise. Don't say Cosmopolitan didn't warn you.
#1. The Workaholic Hotshot
This guy is always dressed up, because he's loaded. Simmer down - the cash flow comes at a price. He toils until the wee hours, then loosens his tie and parties like there's no tomorrow. But tomorrow starts in like three hours. What little time he has for you will be shared with his cell. The truth: Money is the love of his life, and you come in second - or third...
#2. The Adrenaline Junkie
This dude skydives, surfs, runs with the bulls - anything for that rush. He has the sick abs. To keep him happy, you need to be in perpetual motion too. This guy does not like to sit around. And it isn't just a phase. In his late 30s, he'll get into marathons, and competitions. During your trip to Hawaii, you'll be cheering him on from the sidelines.
#3.The Nice Guy With a Chip on His Shoulder
He'll ridicule the "tools who're trying too hard" with bold clothing choices to seem down-to-earth. But here's his little secret: He spends just as much time picking out his outfit as his more fashion-conscious counterparts do.He is a calculating killjoy with mom issues. He's so preoccupied with being overlooked that he'd be totally oblivious to your attention.
#4. The Smooth Operator
He rolls up to the club in an Escalade and holds court in the VIP section, ordering bottle service all night. He scores women with entertaining talk and name-dropping. He's a Casanova in a skull cap. And this guy spells trouble. It takes confidence to pull it off with a straight face - too much confidence. He'll shower you with attention, but beware: You may not be the only chick in that shower!
Limited Time Offer - Save up to 71% on Cosmopolitan - Subscribe Now

Fears of a Global Recession 

Signs of a sharp slowdown in Europe and a barrage of profit warnings and job cut announcements from companies around the world raised fears of a deep global recession to new heights on Friday. Stocks markets slid from Japan to Moscow, currencies experienced almost unprecedented volatility. Oil and other commodities tumbled on fears of plummeting demand that will accompany a global economic slowdown. The economic crisis prompted further U.S. government intervention with officials stepping in to help finance the sale of ailing Cleveland-based National City Corp and preparing to announce 20 more banks will receive capital injections. Speculation about a bailout of the U.S. auto industry also increased as people familiar with the talks told Reuters that General Motors has intensified negotiations to buy Chrysler's auto operations but that it intends to seek U.S. government aid to support any deal. Reports showed the euro zone's private sector economy shrinking at the fastest pace in at least a decade and a much deeper-than-expected contraction in Britain's economy in the third quarter, leading many analysts to declare recession... 

New America's Sex Symbol: Palin's Husband Todd

New York based rum company wants to make Alaska's first man America's next supermodel with billboard-ad campaign. The nation's "newest hottie," TODD PALINTodd Palin can become a sex symbol to the millions of women that enjoy rum, as well as become the new face in the advertising world.

Rum company would like to make an offer to Todd Palin about representing their rum products.
Since their product comes from the tropical islands, the Madison Avenue team feels that a possible ad can have Todd Palin revealing his bare chest, dressed in Hawaiian boxer shorts, surrounded by rum...

October 2008: Gibbs Smith: The Power of Influence

Japanese art influenced every design language: tradition, modernism, realism, abstraction, unfettered naturalism and craft. In the late 1800s until 1900, the obsession for all things Japanese enticed everyone from street vendors with its allure to robber barons.
The Influence of Japanese Art on Design by Hannah Sigur published by Gibbs Smith in October 2008. This elegant title explores the Aesthetic movement, the Arts & Crafts, Frank Lloyd Wright's vision...
The "Japan Craze" came at a time of radical change in society. During this time, modern manufactures and traditional arts from Japan became the focus of an international elite of artists and dealers who proselytized Japanese aesthetics as a model.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photographs, this fabulous book contains invaluable information about silver and metal arts, ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture, advertising and packing.
Hannah Sigur is an art historian, editor and writer. She recaded in East and Southeast Asia for seven years. She has lectured at major museums and antique fairs across the United States, and teaches a wide range of courses at University of California-Davis and San Francisco State University...
Gibbs Smith specializes in beautiful illustrated books and covers such topics as architecture, design, home, children's, cooking and many more.

Solo Exhibition: Dawit L. Petros in Alexander Gray Associates

Alexander Gray Associates presents Dawit L. Petros' first New York City solo exhibition: October 15 - November 15, 2008.
Dawit L. Petros was born in Asmara, Eritrea, and received his MFA from the school of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He is a 2008-2009 Artist-in Residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Dawit has exhibited his artwork in group shows in Canada and United States.
The recent exhibition debutes new photographic works created in Eritrea and Kenya. These photographs, of East African landscape, residents, and architecture, are formalized through Dawit's vision and photocamera. His work mounted under darkened Plexiglas, and arranged in grids of multiple sizes. Reflective, dark surfaces negotiate the phisical experience with the viewer, skewing the reveal of information in the photographs.
The artist has received generous support for this exhibition from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Alexander Gray Associates Gallery is located at 526 West 26 Street, # 1019, New York City.

New York: A Fashion Runway Show Charity Event at Prime

Wednesday night October 15, 6-9 pm, New York City Club Prime and Cherkin Preston Foundation welcome you to the Runway Show Charity Event.
Cherkin Preston Foundation provides education for children of Kenia. Programs include building a vocational school and improving conditions in a rural primary school. The Mbumbui children benefit directly from 100% of all donations.
The benefit will feature a sizzling, edgy and entertaining runway and trunk show representing multiple international designers, including wear, cocktail, lingerie, elegant evening and avant-garde couture.
Mix and mingle, dance to DJ MFD's hot sounds. A limited open bar from 6-7 pm and passed hors d'oeuvres and desserts all night.
Prime Address: 511 W 28 Street, New York City. Tickets $50 in advance, $60 at the door. To purchase tickets, visit www.cherkinpreston.org

New York: Fight for Charity

Fight For Charity Founder Jeff Cohen and Boxing officials have announced today that the Humanitarian Hitman, aka Computer Icon, Bob Venero, President and CEO of Future Tech Enterprise www.ftei.com will take on Lindsay Lohan's Father Michael in a Boxing Match that has received world-wide attention. Lohan put himself up for auction to the highest bidder to fight him for a match to assist the charities of that were hurt due to government funding cuts. Lohan served as a former trader on Wall Street. The Hitman, which owns a 100 million dollar New York computer company with offices in Dallas, Baltimore, Manhattan and Virgina has vowed to knock out M. Lohan in the ring: ''As a fellow New Yorker and a humanitarian, I feel I'm doing the nation a favor by getting in the ring with him...'' According to J. Cohen "We never realized the amount of people in the world that wanted to challenge Mr. Lohan.'' The Fight for Charity is taking place on November 24, 2008 at the Hilton Long Island in Melville. Thousands attend the annual sporting event which consists of ten boxing matches that are regulated by USA Amateur Boxing Association. For more info:

International Competition of Painting: Women’s and Men’s Legs in the Art of the Beginning of the Third Millennium – FRANCE 

Deadline: 1 November 2008; typology: oil painting. In the framework of preparation to celebrate the 600th anniversary of a French castle, its owner welcomes participants to create a Modern Art Gallery in the castle with the topic of “Women’s and Men’s Legs in the Art of the Beginning of the Third Millennium.”.The exhibition topic is developed in the following subtopics: - Classical Delightful Woman’s Legs of the Third Millennium; - Humoristic or Satirical View on Modern Legs; - Man’s Legs Evolved till Present; - Your View on Four Legs of Two Persons in one work. Works should be obligatorily painted by oil - on canvas or any other material. The dimensions are starting from 12 M (61 x 38) or more (of any shape as artist desires – a rectangular shape, a circle, etc.) Artist’s works should be dated and signed. A brief biography attached to the canvas is desirable. Each work should be original, copies are not accepted. The acceptance of works is done by jury, the members of which are art and literature figures. Each sent work corresponding to one of the topics (A, B, C, and D) will be surely bought by the gallery. However the organizer reserves his right to make a final choice. The work’s price is a token one, for those who accept it, of 305 Euros / 219 GBP, with the transfer of author’s rights and will be included into the composition of the constantly operating exhibition in the castle or other places as well as its reproduction will appear in the catalogue of exhibition. Not selected paintings will be returned to their authors. All works accepted till 01.11.08 will then participate in the competition with five Prizes in each category (A, B, C, D): 1st Prize – award in the amount of 4,000 euros 2nd Prize – award in the amount of 2,200 euros 3rd Prize – award in the amount of 1,800 euros 4th Prize – award in the amount of 1,200 euros 5th Prize – award in the amount of 800 euros For detailed information on how to participate ( integral announcement with required documentation and contact address), please visit the web site: www.callforart.com at the section "Opportunities.”

Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle

October 10, at 7 pm Hosfelt Gallery (New York) was screening Naomie Kremer's video animation backdrop for Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. Commissioned by the Berkeley Opera and performed to great acclaim in May 2008, this one-hour video brings together layered and animated imagery in a way that is deeply integrated with her past work, while pointing toward explorations she will pursue in work to come...

PH - Power House: 25 Under 25

25 Under 25First Edition of 25 Under 25: Up-And-Coming American Photographers (volume two, selected by Sylvia Plachy, edited by Iris Tillman Hill) published by powerHouse Cultural Entertainment in 2008.
Too often photographs (in a service of politics) are inadequate or false. But in this volume, viewers can project ourselves into these images that contain compassion, and enter their collective memory as a continuation in the history of photography. These photographs document our life honestly and objective, each photograph is a representation of something that no longer exists.
25 Under 25 is a unique journey into the fast-changing world of wars and disasters, with many cultures and lives that torn apart... All photographers did their works with high energy and passion, with an optimism for a better life and happy future...
This book contains photographs of the following photographers: Will Stelacy, Irina Rozovsky, Brian Lesteberg, Kim Badawi, Adam Kuehl, Ami Howard, Lissa Rivera, Gina Brocker, Sean Donnelly, Elizabeth Looke-Stewart, Rose Cromwell, Kitra Cahana, Rick Gershon, Nick Freeman, Greg Mrotek, Ashley Poole, Eleanor G. Oakes, Tamara Rosenblum, Cary Dolan, Michael Harlan Turkell, Futoshi Miyagi, Kathryn Parker Almanas, Elizabeth Clair Rose, Beatriz Wallace, Peter van Agtmael.

Samsung Powerful Function

Finally, a phone that's as high-fashion as it is high-tech. The Samsung™ offers a stylish way to keep in touch. It's flawlessly en vogue and will never slow you down—a centerpiece accessory to even the most fashion-forward trendsetters. See how the Sway SCH-u650 will move you.

ArtPrice: ARTSingapore

ARTSingapore10 - 13 October 2008, Suntec Singapore Level 4, SINGAPORE. ARTSingapore 2008 presents a spcial collector's show.
Jogen Chowdhury:
Enigmatic visions from The Glenbarra Art Museum.
This solo exhibition is a key highlight of ARTSingapore 2008. It has been curated by Masanori Fukuoka, the art director of Glenbarra Art Museum. With a collection of over 5000 pieces, Fukuoka is one of the world's top art collectors for Indian modern and contemporary art. Guests can enjoy this special exhibition of eighteen rare art pieces by world-renowned Indian artist Jogen Chowdhury.
Masanori Fukuoka built up his exceptional and comprehensive collection during the last two decades. His artworks are now exhibited in his own museum, the Glenbarra Art Museum in Jihoji Himeji near Kobe, Japan.
ARTSingapore is a much sought - after contemporary art fair held annually in Asia. It is both a trade fair and the place for art collectors to discover and acquire new artworks under one roof.
Since the first fair in 2000, ARTSingapore has established a reputation as the place to see contemporary art and museum-quality pieces in Asia.
Here, leading art galleries launch new pieces by young artists that will set the trend for the next few years.
As it is the only major art fair in Southeast Asia , ARTSingapore is the platform where gallery owners, collectors, artists and art aficionados gather to forge business alliance, acquire new contemporary artworks, share ideas and exchange information - all under one roof.

Paris: Monet, The Impressionist Eye

From October 16, 2008 to February 15, 2009. Monet’s eye deciphered through 60 chosen works.
MUSÉE MARMOTTAN MONET, 2, Rue Louis Boilly 75016 Paris. 
Information: Tel: 01 44 96 50 33. Website:www.marmottan.com.
Opening hours: Every day, except on Mondays, from 11 AM to 6 PM (tickets sold until 5:30 PM). Open Tuesday evenings until 9 PM (tickets sold until 8:30 PM). 
Closed on 1st January, 1st May and 25 December. 
Admisson price: Full price: 9 €. Reduced price: 5€. Under 8: free. Group reservation: 01 44 96 50 31 
Email: reservation@marmottan.com 
Press contact: Agence Catherine Dantan 43 rue de la Roquette 75011 Paris Tel: 01 40 21 05 15 
Email: cdantan@yahoo.fr 

Based on the most advanced scientific knowledge on vision, the Marmottan Monet Museum, with the largest collection in the world of the Monet’s work (among them the paintings of Giverny) wishes to grasp what best resumes the work of an artist and his originality: his look on things. He had his cataract...
Be it in form of clichés such as the astigmatism of the Greco or Claude Monet’s cataract, have given a brief glance on how a painter can adapt to a handicap, and even benefit from it. The ophthalmologists have been focused in this problem for a long time. We are aware that in medicine like in psychology, the definition of «normal» is only understood in a negative way. It is what is not dysfunctional. C. Monet sought to set on the canvas the precise instances in those conditions of vision. As a result we can seek, looking at each one of his works, the aspect of the privileged visual processes...

USA: Charity Boxing Match... 

Due to the dramatic downturn of the U.S. economy, non-profit organizations are feeling the sting of lost fund-raising revenue more than ever before. Michael Lohan
is planning to change that on Fight for Charity by putting himself on auction to highest bidder to box three rounds in the annual Long Island Fight For Charity.
The Fight For Charity is being held on November 24,2008 at the Hilton Long Island in Melville. The event consists of 10 boxing matches of amateur fighters. Charities such as the Long Island Community Chest and Family Residence and Essential Enterprises benefit from the money raised from the event. Thousands of spectators and fans from across the tri-state region attend this annual sporting Gala.
Any one wishing to fight Michael Lohan in three rounds of boxing, can submit an offer to boxing@lifightforcharity.com. Bids to get in the ring with Lohan are starting at $5,000. Certain rules and regulations apply based on height, age and weight and the guidelines of USA Boxing as well as the Long Island Fight for Charity. An interview process will take place after the bid is made.
One of the founders of the fight "Organizations like Family Residence and Essential Enterprises which benefits more than 3,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness or
traumatic brain injury depend on the money raised from events such as the Fight for Charity. Even before the recent Wall Street meltdown and government budget cuts, every dollar made a difference and now the fund-raising dollar is even more vital than agencies such as Family Residences & Essential
Enterprises.''
Each of the 10 fighters that enter the ring must raise over 5,000 in sponsorships.That's the reason the match up with Michael was changed to the highest bidder. Offers from around the World have been coming in since the
announcement was made. 

Chronicle Books: New Titles

Chronicle Books is one of the most admired publishing companies in the United States. Chronicle Books was founded in 1967 and over the years, has developed a reputation of award-winning, innovative books and quality merchandise.
Shall We Dance?Shall We Dance - photographs by Brian Lanker, foreword by Maya Angelou - published by Chronicle Books in September, 2008.
Brian Lanker is an award-winning photojournalist and a documentary film director. His photographs have appeared in Life, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and other national publications. Brian Lanker traveled across the United States for a year documenting the manifestations of dance, one of the most fascinating accomplishments of the human body.
In this remarkable book, Brian Lanker has captured the unique art of dance; he celebrates its beauty, charm and emotion - sorrow and joy... This entertaining and educational title includes interviews with Judith Jamison, Maxim Beloserkovsky, Irina Dvorenko, principal dancers of the American Ballet Theater, Intercourseand dancers and enthusiasts from around the United States...
This fully illustrated book contains invaluable information about the dance that have come to US from every culture: waltz, tango, ballet, hip-hop, swing, jazz, chorus line...
Intercourse by Robert Olen Butler, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, published by Chronicle Books in June 2008.
This unique title explores what goes through people's minds while they're having sex... This book reveals the most intimate thoughts of famous and infamous couples while they're having intercourse: Robert Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, Adam and Eve, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir, George and Laura Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton... In this fascinating title Robert O. Butler explores his subject with humour, sadness, dark imagination and eroticism...

Sotheby's: Jaque Brel 
A private collection devoted to Jacques Brel who, thirty years after his death, remains one of the world's most admired singers. An exceptional ensemble has no known equivalent.
This sale brings to life the greatest moments in the career of this towering artist (1929-1978), via 94 lots including around thirty manuscripts, 7 records, 5 lots devoted to photographs, and around 50 other items. It is estimated between €340,000 to 470,000.
Details: SOTHEBY’S Galerie Charpentier 76 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris.
VIEWINGS: Saturday, 4 October, Nuit blanche, 10AM-midnight.
Monday, 6 and Tuesday, 7 October 10AM-6PM.
Wednesday, 8 October 10AM-2PM.
INFORMATION: Tel. 01 53 05 53 05
CATALOGUE : On line : www.sothebys.com
PURCHASE ORDERS/RESULTS : Absentee bids: Tel. +33 (0)1 53 05 52 96 /94
Phone bids: Tel. +33 (0)53 05 53 48
Sales results: www.sothebys.com
PRESS CONTACT: Sophie Dufresne, tel. 01 53 05 53 66 sophie.dufresne@Sothebys.com

Janet Jackson Had to be Rushed to the Hospital...
Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson, 42, is on a North American tour.
She has been hospitalized after falling ill shortly before a concert.
Janet canceled her concert in Montreal on Monday after she "got suddenly ill" during her sound check and had to be rushed to the hospital just before show time.
Janet Jackson is being monitored at the hospital and hopes to reschedule the show.


The First Modern Biography of an Iconic Figure of the American Revolution

The Drillmaster of Valey ForgeThe Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army, by Paul Lockhart, is first biography since 1937 of a founding father, a self-invented Prussian immigrant, who whipped the Continental Army into shape and thus did more than any other military leader - save Washington - to make victory against the British...
Paul Lockhart gives an entirely fresh understanding of Steuben's importance.
Steuben's life is the story of immigrant with a failure in midlife. In America he reinvented himself, making his background more glamorous than it was the reality. But he redeemed himself by his exceptional service. He became the man he claimed to be.
This biography with colorful details and deep research is a fabulous story about life of remarkable man.
The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army, by Paul Lockhart published September 9, 2008 by HarperCollins(Smithsonian Books). Paul Lockhart is an expert in European military history. He is Professor of History at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Paul teaches European and military history.

September, 2008

Paris, Hôtel-Drouot

Charles Catteau (1880-1966) had his time of glory at the International Exhibition of the decorative arts of 1925 in Paris, by winning a great prize. The latter honored a quarter of a century of to quality ceramic creations, first in Sèvres - there he was born - then at La Louvière, in Belgium, where he was active up to his retirement. His decors, on stoneware or earthenware containers of all sorts, varnished, cracked, glazed, with a silk finish, are full of animals – does, penguins, bears, monkeys, pelicans and varied birds – framed with stylised lines. The collection that is offered for sale on 1st October allow us to get a full view of his production, with very modest estimates - fine earthenware vases starting with a few hundred euros - that go up for exceptional pieces such as this stoneware vase in the form of a three-tiered collared barrel, 26 centimeters tall - lot 107, estimated 50 000 to 55 000 €.
Next to Cezanne's bathers or the accordeon players from the Tyrol region, we can note a strange vase with spokes with four football players - lot 128,
estimated at 5500 €.
Welcome to Hôtel-Drouot - Massol SVV - Wednesday, 1st October, 2008 at 2:30 PM.

London: Mark Rothko at the Tate Modern, from 26 September 2008 to 1st February 2009

We all know now that Mark Rotko is one of the most expensive artists in the world. Some of his works have sold for more than 70 million dollars in auctions.
If this speculation had taken place while Rotko was alive, would it have helped relieve the ill-being that pushed Mark Rothko (1903-1970) to commit suicide?
The super-power of the market would probably only have confirmed his general disappointment with the human world…
We recently saw a very well-supplied retrospective in Rome. The British one has a different base: the Seagram Paintings, the mural decorations he carried out as of 1958 for a New York restaurant, in the skyscraper designed by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. Nine of these large canvases are in permanent residence at the Tate. Seven others have exceptionally joined them, from Japan and USA. The remaining works document the painter's activity during his last years, from «Black Form» up to the last series of «Black on Grey». Mark Rothko at the Tate Modern, from 26 September 2008 to 1st February 2009.

Debate the Debate with CNN

CNN invites you to debate the upcoming presidential and vice presidential debates with your friends. To get started, go to CNN.com/Forum and build your badge to show your support for a candidate and your stance on the issues. Then start debating with your friends tonight while Barack Obama and John McCain face off, and continue the discussion until the final showdown on November 4.

Ronald Wright: What Is America?
What is America?

The internationally best-selling author, Ronald Wright was born in England. His nonfiction books include the bestselling Stolen Continents andTime Among the Maya.
In 2004 he gave the prestigious CBC Massey Lectures, published as the number-one Canadian bestseller (now Ronald lives in Canada.)
In his book What Is America? Ronald Wright seeks to understand the rise of the U.S. from a small colony to a world power. He explores many fascinating subjects, such as how did marginal society, in a mere two centuries, become the ruler of the world...
Even U.S. prestige has never been lower, the country remains the lone superpower.
What Is America? is a look at the past and feature of the United States, the only major nation with the death penalty, where one person in 130 is imprisoned, guns are readily accessible, without universal health care... with great achievements in democracy and prosperity.
This provocative and very relevant title will re-frame the debates about U.S. society this election year. Ronald Write explores the following subjects: religious extremism, an universal mission, capitalism,
faith, and militarism...
First Da Capo Press Edition of What Is America? published September 1, 2008.

President Yushchenko's Meeting with TopU.S. Business Leaders in NYC Suddenly Cancelled

Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko will leave for the United States on September 22 to take part in the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly. Yuschenko will present the position of Ukraine on vital issues of the modern world during the general debates of the 63rd session.
Bilateral meetings are also scheduled with the heads of delegations of other states, with representatives of the Ukrainian community in the United States, representatives of business circles of the United States, and members of the Atlantic Council of the United States.

Twenty-seven top U.S. business leaders, whose companies have hundreds of millions of dollars invested in Ukraine and who have created thousands of jobs in Ukraine, were scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko, at a working luncheon next Tuesday in New York City.
The leaders of U.S. business were invited to have a discussion with the Ukrainian President about expanding their trade, business and investment in Ukraine. The top U.S. business leaders were suddenly informed this week that their working luncheon with Yushchenko has been cancelled by the Presidential Administration.

New Books: Works of Fiction: Novels

MatrimonyThe Matrimony by Joshua Henkins first time in paperback published by Vintage Contemporaries, Vintage Books, a Division of Random House in August 26, 2008.
This critically acclaimed from coast to coast new Joshua's novel is an evocative exploration in depth of the human life: marriage, love and the passing of time. It is the well-written "old-fashion" prose, contemporary characters and modern relationships.
The Matrimony nationwide tour dates in September: 9/18/08 - Brooklyn, New York, Congregation Beth Elohim; 9/25/08 - Greenwich, CT, Greenwich Art Council. In October: 10/05/08 Newton, MA, Newtonville Books; 10/24/08 - 10/26/08 - San Jose, CA, Book Group Expo; 10/27/08 - New York, NY, Tenement Museum.
Off SeasonsThe Off Seasons by Anne Rivers Siddons published by Grand Central, a Division of Hachette Book Groups in August, 2008.
In Off Seasons, the New York Times bestselling author Anne Rivers Siddons tells the tragic and redemptive story of a woman who searches for meaning of life after her husband dies...
This is Anne Rivers Siddons debut on the Grand Central Publishing list with a fabulous tale of loss, love and life. This title also is available from Hachette Audio and in large print.
Ann Rivers Siddons has written seventeen novels, she is one of the America's favorite novelists. Ann lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and Maine.


Rome: Knowing Right From Wrong

Knowing Wron From RightFirst Edition of Knowing Right From Wrong: A Cristian Guide to Conscience by Thomas D. Williams Faith Words (a division of Hachette Book Group USA) will publish September 18, 2008.
In T. D. Williams personal life as a spiritual guide, people often ask him for help resolving doubts of conscience. People want to know how to form their conscience, whether to obey it. Thomas D. Williams realized that conscience was being involved in every possible context...
In this book, Father Thomas D. Williams writes that the moral life is about more than the struggle to choose between right and wrong. It means striving for moral excellence, means becoming the truly good people.
This informative and deep title redefines conscience as a helpful, ambitious "coach" rather than a nagging "referee."
This very relevant book will teach how to appreciate this gift. Thomas D. Williams, LC, ThD, teaches theology at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University in Rome. He is Vatican Analyst for CBS News.

Master of Kitsch

Today (September 10) the Palace of Versailles will be staging a 3-month exhibition of the works of the American "master of kitsch", Jeff Koons. Some works will even be installed in the very heart if the royal apartments. Aside from the aesthetic clash and the associated controversy, the exhibition represents an opportunity for France to host the work of the highest paid living contemporary artist in the world today. Among the works to be exposed, Koons' monumental Balloon Dog -to be placed opposite the Repas de Véronèse- and Hanging Heart -to be hung above the Queen's staircase- remind us of the two works presented by François Pinault, the artist's principal collector, at his Venetian Palazzo Grassi. One naturally assumes that Mr Pinault appreciates the reference, particularly at a time when Jeff KOONS is the number 1 in the market… Jeff Koons is currently the most sought after artist born after 1945. On 30 June 2008, his Ballon Flower (Magenta), a work from the Howard and Cindy Rachofsky collection, sold for GBP 11.5m (USD 23m). The Rachovskys apparently bought the work for USD 1,1m in 2001. Koons had already set a new record in November 2007 when his Hanging Heart (Magenta/Gold) fetched USD 21m at Sotheby’s. A version of this work was one of the centrepieces of Mr Pinault's collection when it opened to the public at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice in 2006! The 3-metre high red heart sold in November 2007 was so fresh off the Koons production line that its owner, Adam Lindemann had it sent straight from the warehouse without ever having exposed it. These sales, together with the sale of three other major pieces from the Celebration series (started in in 1994), have put Jeff Koons at the top of the annual auction revenue ranking with a total of €81,3m (vs €46.2m for Jean Michel Basquiat, his predecessor at the top of the 2006/2007 list). (For additional info visitwww.artprice.com).

Sotheby's: Damien Hirst

In September, for the start of the new season, Sotheby’s is making a big impact by opening the ball with a well-publicised sale of contemporary art. Called “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever”, the sale on September 15 and 16 will be exclusively devoted to Damien HIRST, one of the most talked-about stars of today’s art market. The Golden Calf, estimated at GBP8-12m, a monumental installation featuring a bull submerged in a formaldehyde aquarium, with a head crowned by a solid-gold disc, is the star item in a sale focused essentially on the artist’s most recent work. It is the sort of work that could well send his price levels one notch higher. 
The sale on September 15 comprises 56 lots, all straight from the workshop with some, like a small painting made from ashtray waste, going on sale for GBP30,000-40,000. Among the artist’s most recent projects to be auctioned for the first time is one of a brand new series of Spot Paintings, with a gilded base, or an anatomical sculpture in Carrara marble. The following day will feature works aimed at new generations of collectors as 40% of the 156 works will be offered for less then GBP 40,000. At these prices, enthusiasts will essentially be fighting it out over small Butterfly Paintings and preparatory sketches (
 www.Artprice.com).


Dream in Color
Dream in Color: How the Sanchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress by Linda and Loretta Sanchez with Richard Buskin (foreword by Nancy Pelosy) first published by Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Books Group USA in September 2008. The story of Loretta and Linda Sanchez renews an optimism in America's future.
The daughters of two Mexican immigrants became the first sisters in U.S. Congress
together. Loretta is the first woman and minority person to represent a district in Orange County, California, the first Head Start to be elected to Congress, and the first woman to reach the highest position on the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees in the House. Linda is the first Latina to serve on the House Judiciary Committee and the first woman ever to chair its Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
The Sanchez sisters tell their fascinating story of how they triumphed over obstacles. This fabulous title about Linda and Loretta Sanchez history-making life will inspire all women of color, and will give them faith in the power of family, love, and believing in yourself. Today sisters Sanchez are two the most dynamic women in Congress. Their stories are motivating and funny...
The RevolutionThe Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul first published by Grand Central Publishing in 2008.
Ron Paul, a ten-term congressman from Texas has devoted his political career to the defense of individual liberty, sound money, and a non-interventionist foreign policy. In this informative title Ron Paul has exposed the truths behind everything threatening USA, from terrorism to the loss of U.S. precious civil liberties, from the real reasons behind the collapse of the dollar to looming financial crisis. This unique book provides great answers to those questions that few even dare to ask. Ron Paul sparked a movement that attracted young and dedicated supporters...
"There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few," said a congressional colleague.
"There is an alternative to national bankruptcy, a bigger police state, trillion-dollar wars, and a government that draws ever more parasitically on the productive energies of the American people. It's called freedom..." Ron Paul wrote in The Revolution's preface...

New York Fashion Week: Spring 2009 Preview:
Hess Natur Is the New Miguel Adrover

Hess NaturMiguel Adrover, ahead-of-his-time designer (remember his idea about seasonless dressing?) and enfant terrible, is back from Majorca to stir up the New York fashion scene once again. Hess Natur, the German mail-order company that sells ecologically sound clothing where he now works, is on the calendar, but don't go looking for a traditional show. Adrover won't be taking a bow in a T-shirt that reads "Anyone see a backer?" as he did at his Spring 2005 collection, because now that he has one, he's not showing anything that's for sale. That's right, his show is strictly "look, don't buy." Plus ça chang.

...Unfortunately last couple years New York Fashion Weeks are not as fascinating as it was before... 


The Faith Words: Pope John Paul II: An Intimate Life

Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II: An Intimate Life: The Pope I Knew So Well by Caroline Pigozzi first published by Nils, Paris in 2000. Faith Words (a division of Hachette Book Group USA) published first English edition of Pope John Paul II: An Intimate Life in September, 2008. English language translation: Lagardere (2007).
In Pope John Paul II: An Intimate Life, Caroline Pigozzi reveals the details of pope's daily life. Journalist C. Pigozzi was granted unique access to and time with Pope John Paul II. She discovered a man who was generous and warm, who was unimpressed by pomp and celebrity, who was a people's pope, .
This informative title is a fabulous story about the most popular pope, with his philosophies and revolutionary desire for accessibility to ordinary people...
Caroline Pigozzi studied in Italy and New York. She is an international reporter for Paris Match magazine. Caroline lives in France.

The U.S. Will Send an Extra $1 Billion to Georgia 

President Bush said Wednesday the U.S. will send an extra $1 billion to Georgia to help the pro-Western former Soviet republic in the wake of Russia's invasion.
 
"Our additional economic assistance will help the people of Georgia recover from the assault on their country, and continue to build a prosperous and competitive economy," G.W. Bush said.
Also in tandem with Bush, the International Monetary Fund announced it has agreed to lend Georgia $750 million for economic recovery.
The dollar total is half the $2 billion a year the U.S. gives Israel, its largest aid recipient. But the sizable amount still shows the strategic importance the U.S. places on both supporting Saakashvili's Western-leaning government and countering the desire by a newly resurgent and energy-rich Moscow for greater regional influence.

'Golden Girl' Receives $100,000 Cash

Olympic medalist in Beijing swimmer Kirsty Coventry smashed the world record to win gold in the women's 200 meters backstroke. K. Coventry also captured three silver medals. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Friday handed the U.S-based swimmer a $100,000 cash at a ceremony in Harare carried live on state TV.
"Our national spirit must exude joy and pleasure and say you have done well, daughter of Zimbabwe. We are proud of you, we wish you well. She's our golden girl ... take care of her," Mudabe said at the ceremony.
The U.S. dollars, scarce in a country struggling with an economic crisis marked by a severe shortage of foreign currency, were carried in a briefcase by Zimbabwe's central bank governor.
Other members of Zimbabwe's Olympic team received between $2,000 and $10,000 each.
 

5th International Art Competition 'Artists Emerge'

5th International Art Competition Artists Emerge is now accepting entries. Theme is "Expression." Eligibility includes two dimensional works. Entries are to be submitted in JPEG format.
Jurors: Nadia Russ (U.S.), Adelaide Bannerman (U.K.), and Charlie Levine (U.K.).
Awards: 1st: $500, 2nd: $100, and 3rd: $50. All winners will have work displayed on the home page for 3 months and in Artists Emerge's 
Gallery of Honored Artists section for the life of the website. The deadline is September 28th, 2008.
 For more information and to submit artwork visitwww.artistsemerge.org. 

Reprint: oPtion$: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs

Home - NeoPopRealism JournaloPtion$: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs, A Parody by Daniel Lyons (a.k.a. Fake Steve Jobs) reprinted by Da Capo Press and now available in paperback.
Last year, the New York Times ran an article on the front page of their business section, outing Forbes reporter Daniel Lyons as Fake Steve Jobs. Who is Fake Steve Jobs? He is the fellow who started his famous blog "The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs." Amongst its readers was Real Steve Jobs...
Last month, the New York Times ran another article about Fake Steve. It was article about the end of fakesteve.blogspot.com. With this paperback edition of oPtion$, FSJ will live on in book form - drinking his smoothies, whipping his 'ars' with money, just being his brilliant self...
Humorous, funny and witty, this fabulous title written by a senior editor for Forbes and the author of a novel Dog Days and a collection of storiesThe Lost Good Man
Daniel Lyons lives in Boston.