“At Obama’s First State Dinner, the First Crashers”

“At Obama’s First State Dinner, the First Crashers”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/us/politics/27party.html?ref=politics



There was a middle-aged couple who pretended to be an invited guest to the official dinner that U.S. President Obama sponsored. The couple was Michaele Salahi and her husband, Tareq. They are Virginians who have been auditioning for a possible role in a different housewives TV franchise: “The Real Housewives of Washington.”

A White House official confirmed that the Salahis had not been invited nor seated for dinner. Edwin M. Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said Wednesday night that “initial findings identified a Secret Service checkpoint which did not follow proper procedures,” allowing the couple to gain access to the festivities, even though their names were not on the invitation list.

The surprising thing is that the Salahis posted photographs of themselves at the dinner on their Facebook page, and said: “Honored to be at the White House for the state dinner in honor of India with President Obama and our First Lady!”

I was just relieved that affair such as president’s assassination had not occurred. However, I just want to say that they are bad for carrying his trick too far. Also, recently in Colorado, “the balloon boy hoax incident” had occurred and it also related to the reality program on TV, and that case has just developed into a criminal case. People, such as Michaele Salahi and her husband, Tareq, should know the importance of the thing and should feel deep regret.

In addition, the security will be strengthened, and a further tax will be poured by such a case. In other words, by the action of the people who are some fools, society bears a burden. I feel that this structure is much the same in any case and in country.

“China Approves Disney Theme Park in Shanghai”

“China Approves Disney Theme Park in Shanghai”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/business/global/04disney.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=China%20Disney&st=cse

The Walt Disney Company has won approval from the central government of China to build a Disneyland-style theme park in Shanghai. It would be a little bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and on par with the parks in Paris and Tokyo. Shanghai Disneyland will be a Magic Kingdom-style theme park which has a mix of shopping areas, hotels. Also it will sprawl across 1,000 acres of the city’s Pudong district and the theme park occupying about 100 of those acres. Analysts estimate the initial park, Shanghai Disneyland, - not including hotels and resort infrastructure – will cost $3.5 billion. The new Disneyland in Shanghai is expected to open in five or six years, around 2014.

The reason that Disney tried to make a Disneyland in Shanghai is to expand the consumption in Shanghai. Because China has been changed from the world's factory to the market, Disney appreciate the potential of consumption which center of consumption, China, have.

Mr. Iger, the president of Disney, called the approval “a very significant milestone” in a statement, taking care to praise China as “one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world.”

However, interesting is that the timing of China approves Disneyland in Shanghai. It is speculated that the timing involved President Obama’s inaugural visit to China later this month. In my opinion, this approval may be politically motivated.

One more interesting point is that Disney has opened a chain of language schools in Shanghai, taking care to promise that the goal is to teach children to speak English. This fact looks very interesting. Because China has advanced rapidly in the field of economy and has been changed to the world’s market, the capability of using Chinese is the key to success in recent times when we see the world of business. In spite of this fact, Disney is still trying to expand the power of English.
However, I think this approval and building the new theme park is good for Asian economy and I hope that good influence would come to Japanese economy.

Thanks for the Memories, Andy Warhol

“Thanks for the Memories, Andy Warhol”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/arts/design/30vogel.html?pagewanted=1&sq=Cathy%20Naso&st=cse&scp=1

There was a lady who called Cathy Naso from Brooklyn. When she was a college student in 1965, she worked at Andy Warhol’s legendary Factory as a receptionist. She worked there for two years after school, on weekends, and during vacations. Because she worked hard in this Fatory, Warhol gave her the biggest present. The most important souvenir Ms. Naso has from those years is a 1965 self-portrait that Warhol gave her as a reward for her hard work. But now, more than 40 years later, she has decided to part with the painting. Sotheby’s is selling it on Nov. 11 at its evening sale of contemporary art, where experts there estimate it will fetch $1 million to $1.5 million.

She had been kept for a time in her kitchen in Connecticut. But then she grew afraid that it might be stolen, so she carefully secreted it away in a closet. “I didn’t put it in the closet because I’m a crazy person, but because I’ve treasured it,” Ms. Naso said. “It was Andy and it was his portrait.” However, if so, why did she make up her mind to part with it? Answer to this question is in Ms.Naso’s words on the article. She said; “I would love to keep it forever, but it really belongs to the art world,” and also she said, “I’ve treasured it. And I want whoever ends up owning it to treasure it too.”

I like her idea that she wants to keep it forever and also wants to convey Warhol’s grand achievement in history. However, on the other hand, the self-portrait was a personal present to her. If I were Andy Warhol, it would be sad and shocking that the present which I give will be sold. In addition, if the seller get vast property, I think that it is still more a shock.