Most mornings on "Live," Regis Philbin and his co-host, Kelly Ripa, have something to say about the weather outside.
Regis Philbin holds the record for most hours logged on television.
That kind of talk gives the show immediacy. And establishes Regis as the center of the universe, at least for an hour from his Upper West Side Manhattan studio. (Note: He doesn't make a habit of mentioning the weather in your town.)
Regis Philbin is masterful at framing a particular vision of New York, then setting the scene for his audience.
It's the good life: During one recent off-the-cuff "host chat," he shared details of a night out with wife Joy at a super-exclusive Greenwich Village bistro to which you could never gain entry.
His is also a life full of sundry frustrations, with which any of his viewers can identify. By way of paying homage to the Oreo cookie, Regis will sound off about newfangled Oreos made in different colors and flavors.
One moment, the world is his oyster. The next, he's the little guy against the world.
New York cafe society embraces him, while he keeps the common touch.
This is Regis Philbin, 76, with 20 years flourishing on "Live."
That's not all. For six weeks, he is hosting "Million Dollar Password," which returns him to the quiz-show genre he knocked for a loop with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" a decade ago. It premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS.
And as he approaches a half-century on TV, he will get the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards broadcast June 20.
With each TV appearance, he adds to his record for most hours logged (15,662, as certified by Guinness World Records in 2006).
"EV-ry DAY, you see the RECord SHATtered, pal!" says Regis, his rhythmic rant in full gear. "One more hour!"
It's shortly after 10 a.m., and, with one more edition of "Live" history, he's upstairs in his curio-jammed office. Dean Martin is crooning on the boombox.
"Even I have a little trepidation," he acknowledges when asked how he does a show every day. "You wake up in the morning and you say, 'What did I do last night that I can talk about? What's new in the paper? How are we gonna fill that 20 minutes?'
"I'm not gonna say it always works out brilliantly, but somehow we connect more often than we don't."
He connects with Ripa. He connects with his guests, too.
"It's a specialty, getting the best out of your guests, you know? The time constraints mean you've got to get right to the point, you've got to make it pay off, go to commercial, start again. Play that clip. Say goodbye." He gives his desktop a decisive rap.
"And make it all conversational."
Philbin didn't start out to be a talker, but a singer. Growing up in the Bronx, he loved hearing Bing Crosby on the radio.
"As a little boy I knew all of his songs -- every word!"
Which reminds him: He rummages through his attache case and retrieves a CD.
It contains the audio from a big night in 1967, when Regis was playing sidekick to Joey Bishop on his late-night ABC talk show. Crosby was the guest that night.
"He's sitting between me and Bishop," says Regis, fidgeting with his boom box, "and I just couldn't believe it. Now let's see if I can get this to work. Why can't I get this to work? One of the HIGHLIGHTS of my LIFE, and I CAN'T GET IT TO WORK!"
The next minute it's working, and Joey Bishop is heard saying, "I'm about to reveal Regis' dream."
"Wait a minute," says Regis, startled by this unexpected invitation to sing. "I don't even know what key!"
"You can rest assured," says Crosby. "If (the band) found my key, they can find yours, Regis."
With that, Regis croons "Pennies from Heaven" for an audience of millions -- and his hero.
"... Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven? ..."
As he relives that distant impromptu performance, Philbin shuts his eyes, channeling pleasure, and a trace of anxiety, as if a sour note might still intrude.
His 2 1/2 years as Bishop's second banana were part of an uncertain, often rocky road in the 1960s and '70s. Regis was based on the West Coast and mostly appearing on local TV.
Then he returned to New York, where, by chance, he landed a local morning show in 1983. The ratings grew. Two years later, Kathie Lee Johnson joined him as co-host.
In 1988, he and Kathie Lee (who by then was married to sportscaster Frank Gifford) went national.
Now one of TV's most enduring hits, "Live with Regis and Kelly" airs in more than 200 markets across the country, averaging 4 million viewers each day.
"It's a thrill to come back and make a success in the town where you grew up, and thought about what you were gonna do -- and wondered and worried about it," says Regis. "I guess I just didn't want to lose. I'd been to Notre Dame when (legendary coach) Frank Leahy was there. I heard enough of his football speeches: 'Never give up.' "
Regis has a couple more years on his contract to do "Live."
After that?
"I guess there's gonna have to be a sign somewhere along the way telling me enough's enough," he muses. "But right now, I'm still enjoying it. Right now, I'm very happy."
2008年5月31日 星期六
Portugal: Bridging the past and future
Tribune Media Services) -- With its membership in the European Union, many things are changing in Portugal. Day after day the roads here were messing up my itinerary -- I'd arrive in town hours before I thought I would. I remember a time when there were absolutely no freeways in Portugal. Now, the country has plenty. They build them so fast, even my Michelin map is missing new ones.
The shrine to Our Lady of Fatima near Nazare, Portugal is one of Europe's top pilgrimage destinations.
There are other signs that Portugal is well into its EU upgrade. In the past, open fish stalls lined the streets; now they've been moved into "more hygienic" covered shops. Widows no longer wear black. Rather than crusty old locals doing the hard work, you see lots of immigrant laborers.
Yet, in spite of the EU, Portugal is still a humble and relatively isolated place. Driving into Nazare, you'll still see women squatting on the curb as you enter the town. Their hope: to waylay tourists from reserved hotel rooms with signs saying, "Quartos!" -- meaning rooms for rent ... cheap. (By the way, simple hotels all over Portugal rent decent double rooms for $60. And, even with the weak U.S. dollar, passable dives can be had for $40 per double.)
Service is friendly in the hole-in-the-wall restaurants where menus come with two columns: half "dose" and full "dose" (4 and 6 euros respectively -- full "dose" designed to be split by two, which means traveling couples can dine for less than $5 each).
I've noticed all over Europe that monks are famous for brewing beer and distilling liquors. But in Portugal, menus are rounded out by a fun selection of nun-inspired pastries called "convent sweets."
Portugal once had access to more sugar than any other European country. Even so, sugar was so expensive that only the aristocracy could afford to enjoy it routinely. Historically, daughters of aristocrats who were unable to marry into noble families ended up in high-class convents. Life there was comfortable, yet carefully controlled. Rather than romance, they could covet and treat themselves with sweets. Over time, the convents became famous as keepers of secret recipes for exquisite pastries generally made from sugar and egg yolks (which were leftovers from egg whites used to starch their habits). "Barrigas de Freiras" (Nuns' Tummies) and "Papos de Ango" (Angel's Breasts) are two such fancies. For a good sampling, I've taken to asking for "mixta dulce" and waiters are happy to bring a nibble of several of their top "sobremesas" (desserts).
Don't Miss
In Depth: Rick Steves' Europe
While they are enthusiastic about sweets from convents, young people don't go to church much in Portugal these days. But the country is remarkably Catholic for the sightseer. The main sights of most towns are the musty, old churches -- those Gothic, stone shells crammed with dusty, gold-leaf Baroque altars. Even my stop for the night, Nazare, was named for Nazareth.
Nearby, Fatima is one of Europe's top pilgrimage destinations. In 1917, three kids encountered the Virgin Mary near the village of Fatima and were asked to return on the 13th of each month for six months. The final apparition was witnessed by thousands of locals. Ever since, Fatima is on the pilgrimage trail -- mobbed on the 13th of each month through the spring and summer.
On my visit, the vast esplanade leading to the basilica and site of the mystical appearance was quiet. A few, solitary pilgrims shuffled on knees slowly down the long, smooth approach. Inside the church, I found a forest of candles dripping their wax into a fiery trench that funnels the hot liquid into a bin to be "resurrected" as new candles.
Huge letters spelling "Queen of the Holy Rosary of Fatima Pray for Us" in Latin ring the ceiling of the basilica. Pope John Paul II loved Fatima and visited it three times. (After the attempted assassination of John Paul, the Vatican revealed that the incident was predicted by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917.)
Wandering around modern Fatima and its commercial zone, I'm impressed by how it mirrors my image of a medieval pilgrim zone: oodles of picnic benches, endless parking, and desolate toilets for the masses. Just beyond the church, 30 stalls lining a mall await the monthly onslaught on the 13th. Even without any business, old ladies still watch over their booths, surrounded by trinkets for pilgrims -- including gaudy, wax body parts and rosaries that will be blessed after Mass and taken home to remember Our Lady of Fatima.
The shrine to Our Lady of Fatima near Nazare, Portugal is one of Europe's top pilgrimage destinations.
There are other signs that Portugal is well into its EU upgrade. In the past, open fish stalls lined the streets; now they've been moved into "more hygienic" covered shops. Widows no longer wear black. Rather than crusty old locals doing the hard work, you see lots of immigrant laborers.
Yet, in spite of the EU, Portugal is still a humble and relatively isolated place. Driving into Nazare, you'll still see women squatting on the curb as you enter the town. Their hope: to waylay tourists from reserved hotel rooms with signs saying, "Quartos!" -- meaning rooms for rent ... cheap. (By the way, simple hotels all over Portugal rent decent double rooms for $60. And, even with the weak U.S. dollar, passable dives can be had for $40 per double.)
Service is friendly in the hole-in-the-wall restaurants where menus come with two columns: half "dose" and full "dose" (4 and 6 euros respectively -- full "dose" designed to be split by two, which means traveling couples can dine for less than $5 each).
I've noticed all over Europe that monks are famous for brewing beer and distilling liquors. But in Portugal, menus are rounded out by a fun selection of nun-inspired pastries called "convent sweets."
Portugal once had access to more sugar than any other European country. Even so, sugar was so expensive that only the aristocracy could afford to enjoy it routinely. Historically, daughters of aristocrats who were unable to marry into noble families ended up in high-class convents. Life there was comfortable, yet carefully controlled. Rather than romance, they could covet and treat themselves with sweets. Over time, the convents became famous as keepers of secret recipes for exquisite pastries generally made from sugar and egg yolks (which were leftovers from egg whites used to starch their habits). "Barrigas de Freiras" (Nuns' Tummies) and "Papos de Ango" (Angel's Breasts) are two such fancies. For a good sampling, I've taken to asking for "mixta dulce" and waiters are happy to bring a nibble of several of their top "sobremesas" (desserts).
Don't Miss
In Depth: Rick Steves' Europe
While they are enthusiastic about sweets from convents, young people don't go to church much in Portugal these days. But the country is remarkably Catholic for the sightseer. The main sights of most towns are the musty, old churches -- those Gothic, stone shells crammed with dusty, gold-leaf Baroque altars. Even my stop for the night, Nazare, was named for Nazareth.
Nearby, Fatima is one of Europe's top pilgrimage destinations. In 1917, three kids encountered the Virgin Mary near the village of Fatima and were asked to return on the 13th of each month for six months. The final apparition was witnessed by thousands of locals. Ever since, Fatima is on the pilgrimage trail -- mobbed on the 13th of each month through the spring and summer.
On my visit, the vast esplanade leading to the basilica and site of the mystical appearance was quiet. A few, solitary pilgrims shuffled on knees slowly down the long, smooth approach. Inside the church, I found a forest of candles dripping their wax into a fiery trench that funnels the hot liquid into a bin to be "resurrected" as new candles.
Huge letters spelling "Queen of the Holy Rosary of Fatima Pray for Us" in Latin ring the ceiling of the basilica. Pope John Paul II loved Fatima and visited it three times. (After the attempted assassination of John Paul, the Vatican revealed that the incident was predicted by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917.)
Wandering around modern Fatima and its commercial zone, I'm impressed by how it mirrors my image of a medieval pilgrim zone: oodles of picnic benches, endless parking, and desolate toilets for the masses. Just beyond the church, 30 stalls lining a mall await the monthly onslaught on the 13th. Even without any business, old ladies still watch over their booths, surrounded by trinkets for pilgrims -- including gaudy, wax body parts and rosaries that will be blessed after Mass and taken home to remember Our Lady of Fatima.
Beat Those Airplane Hunger Blues
Fares may be increasing, but airline budgets are shrinking and so are the amenities, especially the snacks. While some airlines continue to offer free peanuts or pretzels, others charge $5 for a fat-laden snack box, or provide nothing to eat at all. So, plan ahead next time you travel and pack security-friendly treats to give you that boost of energy whether you're mid-flight or delayed on the runway. Nutrition PerilsDehydration is probably the most common malady, and it can leave you feeling cranky and fatigued–as if you weren't cranky and fatigued enough already! Drink plenty of water or juice while you're in the terminal waiting to board, or ask for a beverage once you're in the air. Skip the alcoholic and caffeinated beverages because they dehydrate you even more. Fresh fruits can also help keep you hydrated, although you might want to avoid foods that give you gas because a change in altitude can make gas pains worse.Fluid retention often occurs when you're flying due to lack of activity and poor circulation; eating salty snacks can also contribute to puffiness and swelling. To keep fluid retention at a minimum, drink plenty of water and avoid salty snack foods. Low blood sugar can be a problem for people who have diabetes or hypoglycemia, most likely due to not being on a regular meal schedule. Planning ahead and bringing snacks is essential if you are prone to low blood sugar. Food RulesMost of the Transportation Security Administration rules for carry-on foods and beverages focus on liquids and gels: You are permitted to carry on one 1-quart clear zip-top plastic bag holding 3-ounce or smaller containers of liquids or gels. (Medications, breast milk and baby formula are exceptions.) Solid foods are generally fine, but you may not be able to get through with containers of foods that are more "gel-like" such as peanut butter, jelly, and puddings. Single serving packets of condiments are okay, as long as you have put them in your zip-top plastic bag. All food must be wrapped securely or put into a spill-proof container. You can bring the food in an insulated container, but you can't bring a gel pack or ice pack to keep it cold. Store-bought SnacksRather than pay the high prices for high-fat, high-sodium snacks in the airport shops, run by the grocery store before you leave and stock up on some of these healthy items: •Carrots and celery sticks•Cereal in single-serving boxes •Cheese, such as string cheese or individually wrapped 1-ounce bars •Dried fruit•Fresh fruit•Granola bars •Instant oatmeal packets (ask for hot water once you're in flight)•Nuts or seeds•Whole-grain bagel with light cream cheese spread•Whole-grain crackers.
Snag Delays Texas Sect Reunion
(SAN ANGELO, Texas) — Parents' hopes of quick reunions with more than 400 children removed from a polygamist sect's ranch were dashed Friday after their attorneys and a judge clashed over proposed restrictions.
A decision by Texas District Judge Barbara Walther means that to regain custody, the 38 mothers whose filed the complaint that led the Texas Supreme Court to reject the state's massive seizure must personally sign an agreement their attorneys and state child-welfare officials have proposed.
That could add days to the process, attorneys for the mothers said, because the women are scattered across the state to be close to their children in foster care.
"It's not as simple as going across the street and setting up a booth," said attorney Andrea Sloan, who represents several young FLDS women and minors who contend they should be reclassified as adults.
Walther had wanted to add restrictions to the agreement worked out by the parents' attorneys and Texas Child Protective Services, but the parents' attorneys argued that she didn't have the authority.
The judge then said she would sign the initial document, but only after all 38 mothers involved in the case the high court ruled on signed it first.
State officials had said earlier that children could start being returned Monday, but attorneys for the parents said the new requirement could add days to the time frame.
The high court on Thursday affirmed an appeals court ruling ordering Walther to reverse her decision last month putting all children from the Yearning For Zion Ranch into foster case. The Supreme Court and the appeals court rejected the state's argument that all the children were in immediate danger from what it said was a cycle of sexual abuse of teenage girls at the ranch.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which runs the west Texas ranch, denies any abuse of the children, who were seized in a raid nearly two months ago. Church officials say they are being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
A draft agreement released by CPS attorney Gary Banks earlier Friday said the parents could get their children back beginning Monday after showing identification and pledging to take parenting classes and remain in Texas.
State officials had reached the tentative agreement with the 38 mothers, who have 124 children in custody, and had agreed that the order would be extended to all but a few specific children.
The last-minute snag was a blow to parents who had thought hundreds of happy reunions were imminent.
"There was an opportunity today for relief in this, and it was not granted," said Willie Jessop, an FLDS elder.
Laura Shockley, an attorney for several children and mothers not part of the original appellate court case, predicted more filings Monday in the court that originally ruled against the state's action, the Third District Court of Appeals in Austin. That court ordered Walther to allow the children to return to their parents in a reasonable time.
Under the deal CPS released, the families won't be able to leave Texas until Aug. 31 but would be allowed to move back to the ranch. It also calls for parenting classes and visits by CPS to interview children and parents in the child abuse investigation.
Walther wanted to remove the August deadline and provide for psychological evaluations of the children. She also wanted it specified that parents can't travel more than 60 miles from their residence without 48 hours' notice. She also wanted CPS to have access to the ranch and the children at all times necessary for any investigation.
Walther ruled last month that the children should be placed in foster care after a chaotic custody hearing involving hundreds of lawyers representing the individual children and parents.
The Third Court of Appeals last week that the state failed to show that any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and had offered no evidence of sexual or physical abuse against the other children.
Texas officials claimed at one point that there were 31 teenage girls at the ranch who were pregnant or had been pregnant, but later conceded that about half of those mothers, if not more, were adults. One was 27.
Roughly 430 children from the ranch are in foster care after two births, numerous reclassifications of adult women initially held as minors and a handful of agreements allowing parents to keep custody while the Supreme Court considered the case.
The FLDS, which teaches that polygamy brings glorification in heaven, is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.
In an ongoing criminal investigation separate from the custody dispute, Texas authorities collected DNA swabs Thursday from sect leader Warren Jeffs. A search warrant for the DNA alleges that Jeffs had "spiritual" marriages with four girls, ages 12 to 15.
Jeffs, who is revered as a prophet, is serving a prison sentence for a Utah conviction of being accomplice to rape in the marriage of a 14- year-old girl to a 19-year-old sect member. He awaits trial in Arizona on similar charges.
A decision by Texas District Judge Barbara Walther means that to regain custody, the 38 mothers whose filed the complaint that led the Texas Supreme Court to reject the state's massive seizure must personally sign an agreement their attorneys and state child-welfare officials have proposed.
That could add days to the process, attorneys for the mothers said, because the women are scattered across the state to be close to their children in foster care.
"It's not as simple as going across the street and setting up a booth," said attorney Andrea Sloan, who represents several young FLDS women and minors who contend they should be reclassified as adults.
Walther had wanted to add restrictions to the agreement worked out by the parents' attorneys and Texas Child Protective Services, but the parents' attorneys argued that she didn't have the authority.
The judge then said she would sign the initial document, but only after all 38 mothers involved in the case the high court ruled on signed it first.
State officials had said earlier that children could start being returned Monday, but attorneys for the parents said the new requirement could add days to the time frame.
The high court on Thursday affirmed an appeals court ruling ordering Walther to reverse her decision last month putting all children from the Yearning For Zion Ranch into foster case. The Supreme Court and the appeals court rejected the state's argument that all the children were in immediate danger from what it said was a cycle of sexual abuse of teenage girls at the ranch.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which runs the west Texas ranch, denies any abuse of the children, who were seized in a raid nearly two months ago. Church officials say they are being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
A draft agreement released by CPS attorney Gary Banks earlier Friday said the parents could get their children back beginning Monday after showing identification and pledging to take parenting classes and remain in Texas.
State officials had reached the tentative agreement with the 38 mothers, who have 124 children in custody, and had agreed that the order would be extended to all but a few specific children.
The last-minute snag was a blow to parents who had thought hundreds of happy reunions were imminent.
"There was an opportunity today for relief in this, and it was not granted," said Willie Jessop, an FLDS elder.
Laura Shockley, an attorney for several children and mothers not part of the original appellate court case, predicted more filings Monday in the court that originally ruled against the state's action, the Third District Court of Appeals in Austin. That court ordered Walther to allow the children to return to their parents in a reasonable time.
Under the deal CPS released, the families won't be able to leave Texas until Aug. 31 but would be allowed to move back to the ranch. It also calls for parenting classes and visits by CPS to interview children and parents in the child abuse investigation.
Walther wanted to remove the August deadline and provide for psychological evaluations of the children. She also wanted it specified that parents can't travel more than 60 miles from their residence without 48 hours' notice. She also wanted CPS to have access to the ranch and the children at all times necessary for any investigation.
Walther ruled last month that the children should be placed in foster care after a chaotic custody hearing involving hundreds of lawyers representing the individual children and parents.
The Third Court of Appeals last week that the state failed to show that any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and had offered no evidence of sexual or physical abuse against the other children.
Texas officials claimed at one point that there were 31 teenage girls at the ranch who were pregnant or had been pregnant, but later conceded that about half of those mothers, if not more, were adults. One was 27.
Roughly 430 children from the ranch are in foster care after two births, numerous reclassifications of adult women initially held as minors and a handful of agreements allowing parents to keep custody while the Supreme Court considered the case.
The FLDS, which teaches that polygamy brings glorification in heaven, is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.
In an ongoing criminal investigation separate from the custody dispute, Texas authorities collected DNA swabs Thursday from sect leader Warren Jeffs. A search warrant for the DNA alleges that Jeffs had "spiritual" marriages with four girls, ages 12 to 15.
Jeffs, who is revered as a prophet, is serving a prison sentence for a Utah conviction of being accomplice to rape in the marriage of a 14- year-old girl to a 19-year-old sect member. He awaits trial in Arizona on similar charges.
2008年4月30日 星期三
New art wriggles into the Louvre
Some may find Jan Fabre’s work interesting — but placed among the Old Masters, it just looks silly
By Lynn Barber
THE GUARDIAN, LONDON
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008, Page 15
Apparently, the Louvre has a new policy of showing bits of contemporary art but, until now, they have been small, mixed shows taking not much space. Now, for its first solo show by a living artist, it has chosen a Belgian, Jan Fabre, and given him the whole of the Northern School wing — 40 rooms containing top-notch van Eycks, Bruegels, Rembrandts, Rubenses, Vermeers — to play with. He was allowed to move pictures and rearrange rooms to place his work among the Old Masters — i.e. he was given just about the most flattering commission any artist could receive and the big question is: why Jan Fabre?
The catalogue informs us that he was born in 1958 in Antwerp, where he has lived ever since, and that he was one of the pioneers of the Flemish New Wave of the 1980s, which I admit passed me by. He first came to public attention with his “Bic Art” drawings in blue ballpoint. He has his own theater troupe in Antwerp and describes himself as “dessinateur, plasticien, performeur, auteur, homme de theatre, choregraphe, editeur” which I think translates as jack of all trades.
He also claims to be a descendant of the famous entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915), which he likes to advertise by including insects and beetles in his work. Several of his large objects — I hesitate to call them sculptures — are completely covered with iridescent, blue-green scarabs — an eye-catching conceit the first time you see it and very, very boring thereafter.
Beetles are just one medium he favors — he also works in Biro, bone, gold sequins, drawing pins, skulls, vertebrae, synthetic hair, armor, feathers, stuffed birds and animals. He claims the bone is human bone, but this is probably one of his “jokes.” A typical work is Nature morte avec artiste, a full-size coffin covered with blue-green beetles with a peacock’s head, tail and wings sticking out, which he describes as “a reflection on death, night, absence and the materiality of the body.” The largest and mercifully last work takes up the entire floor of the vast Rubens Medici gallery and consists of 470 granite tombstones lying higgledy-piggledy on plastic grass surmounted by a giant worm with a human face vaguely resembling Fabre’s. The title is Self-Portrait as the Biggest Worm in the World or, more excitingly in Flemish, Zelfportret als grootste worm van de Wereld. But couldn’t he have at least made a decent worm? I would have thought any first-year art student would leap at the chance of making a giant worm for the Louvre, but Fabre gives us the sort of standard-issue, beige draught-excluder you could find at any craft fair.
In the evening, he gives a performance in which he supposedly demonstrates his skill as a “master of disguise,” i.e. he dons a cloth cap or a stuck-on beard and wig. This is held in the galerie Daru, which has some fabulous Etruscan sarcophagi and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. When the audience enters, Fabre is hiding behind one of the sarcophagi shouting: “Art kept me out of jail!” Then he runs around for a bit shouting: “Lord protect me from my friends — my enemies I will take care of them!” Finally, he runs up the stairs to the Winged Victory of Samothrace shouting: “Art kept me out of jail” and disappears. I hope I haven’t spoiled the plot.
Seriously, what is the Louvre thinking of? The commissioner in charge, Marie-Laure Bernadac, explained that they want to use contemporary art to attract younger people, and also to liven up some of the less-visited galleries. In this I suppose they might be successful — I’ve been to the Louvre dozens of times but never set foot in the galerie Daru before. But the effect of Fabre’s gimcrack installations in the Dutch and Flemish Old Master rooms is less benign. The whole place begins to feel like some dusty theatrical props storeroom and the great paintings on the walls are reduced to just another form of prop. It is sad. And what is really sad is that in a few years time, the Louvre will probably say: “Oh, we tried having contemporary art and it didn’t work.” Whereas what they should really say is: “Why on earth did we choose Jan Fabre?”
1. Louvre: It is a famous art museum in Frence.
2. wriggle: squirm.
3. commissioner: It means an officer that work in politic apartment.
This article is about the new art in Louvre.
By Lynn Barber
THE GUARDIAN, LONDON
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008, Page 15
Apparently, the Louvre has a new policy of showing bits of contemporary art but, until now, they have been small, mixed shows taking not much space. Now, for its first solo show by a living artist, it has chosen a Belgian, Jan Fabre, and given him the whole of the Northern School wing — 40 rooms containing top-notch van Eycks, Bruegels, Rembrandts, Rubenses, Vermeers — to play with. He was allowed to move pictures and rearrange rooms to place his work among the Old Masters — i.e. he was given just about the most flattering commission any artist could receive and the big question is: why Jan Fabre?
The catalogue informs us that he was born in 1958 in Antwerp, where he has lived ever since, and that he was one of the pioneers of the Flemish New Wave of the 1980s, which I admit passed me by. He first came to public attention with his “Bic Art” drawings in blue ballpoint. He has his own theater troupe in Antwerp and describes himself as “dessinateur, plasticien, performeur, auteur, homme de theatre, choregraphe, editeur” which I think translates as jack of all trades.
He also claims to be a descendant of the famous entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915), which he likes to advertise by including insects and beetles in his work. Several of his large objects — I hesitate to call them sculptures — are completely covered with iridescent, blue-green scarabs — an eye-catching conceit the first time you see it and very, very boring thereafter.
Beetles are just one medium he favors — he also works in Biro, bone, gold sequins, drawing pins, skulls, vertebrae, synthetic hair, armor, feathers, stuffed birds and animals. He claims the bone is human bone, but this is probably one of his “jokes.” A typical work is Nature morte avec artiste, a full-size coffin covered with blue-green beetles with a peacock’s head, tail and wings sticking out, which he describes as “a reflection on death, night, absence and the materiality of the body.” The largest and mercifully last work takes up the entire floor of the vast Rubens Medici gallery and consists of 470 granite tombstones lying higgledy-piggledy on plastic grass surmounted by a giant worm with a human face vaguely resembling Fabre’s. The title is Self-Portrait as the Biggest Worm in the World or, more excitingly in Flemish, Zelfportret als grootste worm van de Wereld. But couldn’t he have at least made a decent worm? I would have thought any first-year art student would leap at the chance of making a giant worm for the Louvre, but Fabre gives us the sort of standard-issue, beige draught-excluder you could find at any craft fair.
In the evening, he gives a performance in which he supposedly demonstrates his skill as a “master of disguise,” i.e. he dons a cloth cap or a stuck-on beard and wig. This is held in the galerie Daru, which has some fabulous Etruscan sarcophagi and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. When the audience enters, Fabre is hiding behind one of the sarcophagi shouting: “Art kept me out of jail!” Then he runs around for a bit shouting: “Lord protect me from my friends — my enemies I will take care of them!” Finally, he runs up the stairs to the Winged Victory of Samothrace shouting: “Art kept me out of jail” and disappears. I hope I haven’t spoiled the plot.
Seriously, what is the Louvre thinking of? The commissioner in charge, Marie-Laure Bernadac, explained that they want to use contemporary art to attract younger people, and also to liven up some of the less-visited galleries. In this I suppose they might be successful — I’ve been to the Louvre dozens of times but never set foot in the galerie Daru before. But the effect of Fabre’s gimcrack installations in the Dutch and Flemish Old Master rooms is less benign. The whole place begins to feel like some dusty theatrical props storeroom and the great paintings on the walls are reduced to just another form of prop. It is sad. And what is really sad is that in a few years time, the Louvre will probably say: “Oh, we tried having contemporary art and it didn’t work.” Whereas what they should really say is: “Why on earth did we choose Jan Fabre?”
1. Louvre: It is a famous art museum in Frence.
2. wriggle: squirm.
3. commissioner: It means an officer that work in politic apartment.
This article is about the new art in Louvre.
Give Taiwan credit for democracy
By Charles tannock
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008, Page 8
While protests over China’s crackdown in Tibet and the debate about Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence continue to fester, the injustice of Taiwan’s ongoing international isolation has barely stirred a flicker of interest despite Taiwan’s recent presidential election and referendums on UN membership. This neglect is not only shortsighted, but may also prove dangerous.
This seeming double standard can be explained partly by a sense of guilt: The West has, for the most part, embraced Kosovo’s independence in an effort to assuage its own culpability for not preventing late Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic’s campaign of ethnic cleansing there. Similarly, much of the world is protesting on behalf of Tibet because countless millions have witnessed China’s brutal suppression of Tibetan culture.
Taiwan, on the other hand, does not grab our attention, because it is stable and flourishing economically. But it has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan is an unrecognized independent state with a vigorous democracy and high standards of human rights. Because Taiwan has not allowed itself to become a victim, the world simply does not feel guilty about it, and so ignores it.
But perhaps we should feel some guilt. Taiwan deserves great credit for standing on its own two feet, despite the international isolation imposed. China blocks it from participating fully in the international arena, whether through the WTO, the Olympics, or UN agencies, including the WHO. To its shame, China allows its political goal of excluding Taiwan from membership in all international organizations to trump even urgent public health concerns.
The small number of countries that recognize Taiwan diplomatically has dwindled owing to a mixture of Chinese pressure and blandishments. On top of all this, Taiwan’s nearly 23 million people go about their daily business knowing that about 1,400 Chinese missiles are ready to be launched at them at a moment’s notice.
It is not for me to say that Taiwan should be recognized as an independent country. To all intents and purposes, Taiwan is already independent, albeit without formal recognition. Equally, there are plenty of Taiwanese who would like the island eventually to reunify with China, particularly if China democratizes and ceases to be a one-party communist dictatorship. However, we cannot deny that Taiwanese are unjustly being refused their place in the wider world.
The global community should do more to usher Taiwan into the international mainstream. Western powers have helped champion human rights and self-determination within the bounds of international law. The campaigns that the West waged throughout the 1980s in solidarity with democratic forces in Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe helped bring about the end of communist domination. A similar commitment to the democratic rights of Taiwanese could have salutary effects in China. Moreover, Taiwan is a natural ally of any party that espouses the values of pluralist politics, free markets and human rights.
It seems particularly shortsighted, indeed hypocritical, for the US and Britain to seek to spread democracy and human rights throughout the world while failing to recognize and reward the Taiwanese, a people who have embraced these concepts wholeheartedly.
Unquestioning recognition of the “one China” policy sends the message that we appreciate more a country that is a big, communist dictatorship rather than a small, multiparty democracy. For the record, there are clear precedents for divided countries to enter the UN as separate states and then eventually to reunify: West and East Germany, North and South Yemen, and perhaps one day, the two Koreas.
Ultimately, it is for Taiwan and China to regulate and resolve their relations. There are already some positive signs of a bilateral thaw as a new administration prepares to take office in Taiwan, with high-level talks taking place between Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and vice president-elect Vincent Siew (蕭萬長). The democratic world has an obligation to support this process — not only because Taiwan deserves its support, but also because engaging more with Taiwan could potentially be a powerful instrument of leverage for broader change in China.
Charles Tannock is the British Conservative Party’s foreign affairs spokesman and the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the eastern dimension of the European Neighborhood Policy.
1. declaration: To announce.
2. isolation: To separate.
This article is talk about Taiwan's democracy, and the relationshipbetween Taiwan and China. And a little of European Neighborhood policy. It is a very important issue to us.
Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008, Page 8
While protests over China’s crackdown in Tibet and the debate about Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence continue to fester, the injustice of Taiwan’s ongoing international isolation has barely stirred a flicker of interest despite Taiwan’s recent presidential election and referendums on UN membership. This neglect is not only shortsighted, but may also prove dangerous.
This seeming double standard can be explained partly by a sense of guilt: The West has, for the most part, embraced Kosovo’s independence in an effort to assuage its own culpability for not preventing late Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic’s campaign of ethnic cleansing there. Similarly, much of the world is protesting on behalf of Tibet because countless millions have witnessed China’s brutal suppression of Tibetan culture.
Taiwan, on the other hand, does not grab our attention, because it is stable and flourishing economically. But it has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan is an unrecognized independent state with a vigorous democracy and high standards of human rights. Because Taiwan has not allowed itself to become a victim, the world simply does not feel guilty about it, and so ignores it.
But perhaps we should feel some guilt. Taiwan deserves great credit for standing on its own two feet, despite the international isolation imposed. China blocks it from participating fully in the international arena, whether through the WTO, the Olympics, or UN agencies, including the WHO. To its shame, China allows its political goal of excluding Taiwan from membership in all international organizations to trump even urgent public health concerns.
The small number of countries that recognize Taiwan diplomatically has dwindled owing to a mixture of Chinese pressure and blandishments. On top of all this, Taiwan’s nearly 23 million people go about their daily business knowing that about 1,400 Chinese missiles are ready to be launched at them at a moment’s notice.
It is not for me to say that Taiwan should be recognized as an independent country. To all intents and purposes, Taiwan is already independent, albeit without formal recognition. Equally, there are plenty of Taiwanese who would like the island eventually to reunify with China, particularly if China democratizes and ceases to be a one-party communist dictatorship. However, we cannot deny that Taiwanese are unjustly being refused their place in the wider world.
The global community should do more to usher Taiwan into the international mainstream. Western powers have helped champion human rights and self-determination within the bounds of international law. The campaigns that the West waged throughout the 1980s in solidarity with democratic forces in Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe helped bring about the end of communist domination. A similar commitment to the democratic rights of Taiwanese could have salutary effects in China. Moreover, Taiwan is a natural ally of any party that espouses the values of pluralist politics, free markets and human rights.
It seems particularly shortsighted, indeed hypocritical, for the US and Britain to seek to spread democracy and human rights throughout the world while failing to recognize and reward the Taiwanese, a people who have embraced these concepts wholeheartedly.
Unquestioning recognition of the “one China” policy sends the message that we appreciate more a country that is a big, communist dictatorship rather than a small, multiparty democracy. For the record, there are clear precedents for divided countries to enter the UN as separate states and then eventually to reunify: West and East Germany, North and South Yemen, and perhaps one day, the two Koreas.
Ultimately, it is for Taiwan and China to regulate and resolve their relations. There are already some positive signs of a bilateral thaw as a new administration prepares to take office in Taiwan, with high-level talks taking place between Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and vice president-elect Vincent Siew (蕭萬長). The democratic world has an obligation to support this process — not only because Taiwan deserves its support, but also because engaging more with Taiwan could potentially be a powerful instrument of leverage for broader change in China.
Charles Tannock is the British Conservative Party’s foreign affairs spokesman and the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the eastern dimension of the European Neighborhood Policy.
1. declaration: To announce.
2. isolation: To separate.
This article is talk about Taiwan's democracy, and the relationshipbetween Taiwan and China. And a little of European Neighborhood policy. It is a very important issue to us.
TSMC’s net income up 50 percent
Revenues will likely stagnate or drop slightly, but the depreciation of the US dollar means that the company’s bottom line is likely to perform well
By Lisa WangSTAFF REPORTER Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008, Page 12
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest chipmaker on a contract basis, said yesterday that net income had increased almost 50 percent after demand recovered from an inventory-driven slowdown.
TSMC said messages from customers helped it get a clearer picture of the second quarter.
“We are seeing a steady increase in demand,” chief executive Rick Tsai (蔡力行) told an investor’s conference, adding that demand mostly came from the consumer segment.
Net income grew 49.4 percent to NT$28.1 billion (US$924 million), or NT$1.1 per share in the first quarter after deducting employee bonuses, compared with NT$18.8 billion, or NT$0.71 a share, the previous year.
“The first quarter was a good quarter. The results were in line with [our] goals,” chief financial officer Lora Ho (何麗梅) said.
She said that the results were achieved despite the faster-than-expected appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar against the US dollar and a lower gross margin resulting from employee profit sharing.
Starting this year and to comply with new accounting rules that recognize employee bonuses as spending, TSMC is allocating 15 percent of its quarterly earnings for employee profit-sharing.
PROSPECTS
Looking ahead, Tsai said: “After talking with our customers and ascertaining our billing situation, the outlook for the second quarter appears quite good.”
Revenues are expected to remain flat, or to increase by 2 percent to between NT$87 billion and NT$89 billion in the current quarter, from NT$87.5 billion in the January to March quarter, the company said.
Aside from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, TSMC revenues would grow 4 percent to 6 percent quarter-on-quarter, Tsai said.
“Both [first quarter results and the outlook for the second quarter] are very impressive. Margin is increasing,” said Steven Pelayo, a senior analyst at HSBC, on the sideline of an investor conference.
Gross margin may remain unchanged or improve mildly to between 43 percent and 45 percent this quarter, with a possible 1.7 percentage point erosion resulting from a stronger NT dollar, from 43.7 percent last quarter, the chipmaker said.
DOLLAR FACTOR
Pelayo said that revenue would either be flat or drop slightly, but that once the depreciation of the US dollar was factored in, the tendency would likely remain positive.
“I think [TSMC] is really weathering the currency pressures … [and doing] better than expected,” Pelayo said.
He said, however, that rising inflation in some areas could have a negative impact on demand for consumer electronics.
Echoing comments by analysts such as Citigroup’s Andrew Lu (陸行之), Pelayo said he would keep an eye on inventory levels for TSMC’s major markets, including handset chip suppliers Texas Instruments Inc and Qualcomm Inc, which have accumulated substantial stockpiles.
Pelayo had an “outperform” rating on TSMC, with a target price of NT$72 for the next 12 months, an 11 percent upside from the stock’s closing price of NT$64.7 yesterday.
Separately, Tsai said the company would not rule out the possibility of tapping into the light-emitting diode (LED) industry in search of new growth.
“If we see applications that have opportunities to drive revenue and profit growth by leveraging our current resources, then TSMC will look into it seriously,” Tsai said.
The LED industry is “one of the possible areas” for expansion, he said.
1. revenue: It means tax income.
2. gross= total.
3. margin= the money that you earn from a business.
This article is talk about TSMC's net income. It is more than last year.
By Lisa WangSTAFF REPORTER Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008, Page 12
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest chipmaker on a contract basis, said yesterday that net income had increased almost 50 percent after demand recovered from an inventory-driven slowdown.
TSMC said messages from customers helped it get a clearer picture of the second quarter.
“We are seeing a steady increase in demand,” chief executive Rick Tsai (蔡力行) told an investor’s conference, adding that demand mostly came from the consumer segment.
Net income grew 49.4 percent to NT$28.1 billion (US$924 million), or NT$1.1 per share in the first quarter after deducting employee bonuses, compared with NT$18.8 billion, or NT$0.71 a share, the previous year.
“The first quarter was a good quarter. The results were in line with [our] goals,” chief financial officer Lora Ho (何麗梅) said.
She said that the results were achieved despite the faster-than-expected appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar against the US dollar and a lower gross margin resulting from employee profit sharing.
Starting this year and to comply with new accounting rules that recognize employee bonuses as spending, TSMC is allocating 15 percent of its quarterly earnings for employee profit-sharing.
PROSPECTS
Looking ahead, Tsai said: “After talking with our customers and ascertaining our billing situation, the outlook for the second quarter appears quite good.”
Revenues are expected to remain flat, or to increase by 2 percent to between NT$87 billion and NT$89 billion in the current quarter, from NT$87.5 billion in the January to March quarter, the company said.
Aside from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, TSMC revenues would grow 4 percent to 6 percent quarter-on-quarter, Tsai said.
“Both [first quarter results and the outlook for the second quarter] are very impressive. Margin is increasing,” said Steven Pelayo, a senior analyst at HSBC, on the sideline of an investor conference.
Gross margin may remain unchanged or improve mildly to between 43 percent and 45 percent this quarter, with a possible 1.7 percentage point erosion resulting from a stronger NT dollar, from 43.7 percent last quarter, the chipmaker said.
DOLLAR FACTOR
Pelayo said that revenue would either be flat or drop slightly, but that once the depreciation of the US dollar was factored in, the tendency would likely remain positive.
“I think [TSMC] is really weathering the currency pressures … [and doing] better than expected,” Pelayo said.
He said, however, that rising inflation in some areas could have a negative impact on demand for consumer electronics.
Echoing comments by analysts such as Citigroup’s Andrew Lu (陸行之), Pelayo said he would keep an eye on inventory levels for TSMC’s major markets, including handset chip suppliers Texas Instruments Inc and Qualcomm Inc, which have accumulated substantial stockpiles.
Pelayo had an “outperform” rating on TSMC, with a target price of NT$72 for the next 12 months, an 11 percent upside from the stock’s closing price of NT$64.7 yesterday.
Separately, Tsai said the company would not rule out the possibility of tapping into the light-emitting diode (LED) industry in search of new growth.
“If we see applications that have opportunities to drive revenue and profit growth by leveraging our current resources, then TSMC will look into it seriously,” Tsai said.
The LED industry is “one of the possible areas” for expansion, he said.
1. revenue: It means tax income.
2. gross= total.
3. margin= the money that you earn from a business.
This article is talk about TSMC's net income. It is more than last year.
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