“Entertainment bootlegging is sweeping the globe, but nowhere has the landscape changed more quickly than in Mexico. An estimated six out of every 10 CDs sold are believed to be bootlegs, vaulting Mexico to the No. 3 spot worldwide, behind China and Russia. But unlike those nations, Mexico has a long-established commercial industry that is getting pummeled in the process.”
Tag: 07.06.04
France’s Cerebral Star
Bernard-Henri Levy is a true French celebrity – a philosopher, author, journalist, filmmaker, diplomatic envoy, world traveler, political activist and all-around celebrity intellectual. “Levy’s omnipresence here reaffirms a French tradition that may seem odd in countries where philosophers don’t exactly dominate prime time. The French revere intellectual achievement and celebrate “grandeur,” a concept that combines excellence and glory. Not only do certain French authors and academics become institutions, Levy is the latest to show that they can be stars too.”
First Antarctic Painting On Display
“The first painting of Antarctica, which has been hidden under another painting for the last 200 years, is going on public view in London. The painting was the work of artist William Hodges, who joined Captain Cook’s second epic voyage in 1772.”
Irish “Devil” Magazine Provokes Protests
“The publication of alleged ‘devil worshipping’ articles in the current issue of the arty-and-alternative magazine The Vacuum has caused a stir within Belfast City Council. The magazine features an interview with an exorcist and an article called I peed in church, and has been deemed blasphemous by certain city councillors. The fact that The Vacuum was granted £5,000 of Belfast Coluncil Arts Committee funding has no doubt added more fuel to the controversial ‘hell’ fire.”
Wanted: The Very Model Of A Major Music Director
With Daniel Barenboim on his way out as music director of the Chicago Symphony, the orchestra searches for its next leader. But what kind of maestro fits the bill for a modern music institution?