voa.docx
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voa.docx
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voa
1
AnexhibitattheSmithsonian'sRenwickGalleryinWashingtonD.C.isfeaturingturnedandcarvedwoodbysomeofAmerica'sbestknowncraftsmen.Theexhibit,donatedtothemuseumbyhusbandandwifecollectors,isconsideredoneofthemostimportantcollectionsofitstypeintheUnitedStates.
Historyofwoodart
Forcenturieswoodturnersaroundtheworldhavebeenusingblocksofwoodtomakecommonhouseholdobjectslikecandlesticks,bowlsanddrinkingvessels.
Theyuseamachinecalledalathetospinthewood,andspecialcuttingtoolstoshapeit.
Formoverfunction
Butstartingabout40yearsago,innovativewoodartistsbegantousethelatheinamoresophisticatedway,creatingobjectsthatweresculpturalratherthanfunctional.
NowanexhibitattheSmithsonian'sRenwickGalleryinWashington,D.C.isshowcasingmorethan60piecesofturnedandcarvedwoodbysomeofthefinestartistsintheU.S.
CuratorNicolasBellsaystheexhibitreflectstheenergythat'scomeoutofthatmovement,andshowshowithasevolvedoverthelastfewdecades.
"Itdevelopedonthegroundwithpeoplecomingtogetherandsaying,'I'minterestedinthismaterial;I'minterestedinexploringsomethingnewthathasn'tbeendonebeforeandreallydoingitatacommunitylevel.'"
VOA-J.Taboh
AnewexhibitattheRenwickGalleryinWashington,D.C.isshowcasesoneofthelargestcollectionsofwoodarteverdonatedtoanAmericanmuseum.
Feel-goodqualitiesofnaturalwood
ThepiecesintheexhibitweredonatedtothemuseumbycollectorsFleurBreslerandherlatehusband,Charles.
Breslersaysherloveofwoodartbeganinthissamegallerywhenshesawasimilarexhibitdecadesearlier.Iftherehadn'tbeenguardsonduty,saysBresler,she"probablywouldhavetakenthetopsoffthecases,pickedthemthingsupandtouchedthem."
"Itisalivebecauseitcomesfromsomethingthatisliving.Andyoucanpickitup,youcanholdit,youcanfeelit,"shesays.
Breslerwasfurtherinspiredbythewiderangeofcolorsthatshediscoveredwhilecollectingherwoodart.
"Ihadneverseenwoodinthatmanycolorswiththatmanypatternsinit,"shesays."Iwashooked."
VOA-J.Taboh
CuratorNicolasBellsaysabouttwotothreedozenexoticwoods,includingAfricanBlackwood,pinkivoryandebony,arerepresentedintheexhibit.
Exoticwoods
NicolasBellsaysabouttwotothreedozenexoticwoodsarerepresentedintheexhibit.
"EverythingfromAfricanBlackwoodtopinkivorywoodtoebonytowonderfuldomesticwoodssuchaspine,oak,maple,cherryandtheincrediblearrayofcolorsthatcomesoutofthosematerials,"hesays.
BellandBreslersaythataswoodasanartformcontinuestoevolve,therewillbeashiftawayfromthelatheandmoretowardscarvingandsculpture,ashasbeenthetrendforthepast20years.ObjectsbyrenownedartistslikeRonFlemingandMichelleHolzapfel,mayappearfunctionalsaysBresler,butarereallysculptures.
FleurBreslerhopesherdecisiontosharehercollectionwillinspireanewgenerationofbothartistsandcollectors.
2
ThePopehassignedintolawnewrulesaimedatmakingthefinancialdealingsoftheVaticanBankmoretransparent.Themovecomesasthebankisbeinginvestigatedovermoneylaunderingclaims.
TheVaticanissettingupafinancialwatchdogtomonitorsuspiciousfinancialtransactions.ItsaimistobringmoreoversighttofinancesattheVaticanBank,alongwithallotherdepartmentsattheHolySee.
TheVaticanhasaspecialstatusasanindependentstatewithinItalyandupuntilnowhasbeenexemptedfrominternationalbankingregulations.Ithaduntilthe31stofDecember,however,tobringitsrulesinlinewiththerestofEurope.
SpeakingThursday,VaticanspokespersonFatherFedericoLombardisaidtheVaticanwantstomakethesystemtransparentsothatcriminalscan'texploitthefinancialsector."Thesenewlawshavethefinalitytoenforcetheinternationalsystemofcontrolstoavoidmoneylaunderingandthefinancingofterrorism."
ThemovecomesonlyafewmonthsafterprosecutorsinRomelaunchedacriminalinvestigationintoallegedmoneylaunderingbytheVaticanBank'sdirectorandhisdeputy.TheItalianauthoritiesseized$30millionthattheVaticanhaddepositedatabankinItalywithoutidentifyingwhowasdepositingthemoneyorwhoitwasfor.Thatinvestigationisstillongoing.Neithermanhasbeenchargedandbothmendenywrongdoing.
TheVaticansaidthenewfinancialauthoritywillstartitsoperationsonApril1.ThechairmanwillbenamedbythePope.
3
AreviewoftheguidelinesforHIVtreatmentinpoorcountriesfindspriorityshouldgotostartingthattreatmentearly.
"Whatwelearnedfromaclinicalstandpoint,aswellasacost-effectivestandpoint,isthatearlieranti-retroviraltherapyimprovedfive-yearsurvivaldramaticallyandresultedinalongerlifeexpectancy,"saysRochelleWalensky,aninfectiousdiseaseresearcherfromHarvard.
TreatmentforHIVhasbecomemorewidespread,especiallyinpoorercountries.It'salsobecomecheaper,aspharmaceuticalcompanieshaveloweredtheirpricesforlife-savinganti-retroviraldrugs.Butthesedrugregimensarestillexpensiveandmanycountriesarelookingtocreatethebiggestimpactwithscarceresources.That'swhereWorldHealthOrganizationguidelinescomein.
"Ifyoureadtheguidelines,theytalkabouthowyoucanprioritizebytheneedtomakesurethateverybodygetsthesamething,"Walenskysays,"bytheinterventionthat'sgoingtosaveusthemostlives.Weneedtoprioritizebytheinterventionisgoingtogiveusthemostbangforthebuckorbemostcost-effective."
Walenskyandhercolleaguesusedcomputerprogramstomodelthemostcost-effectivediseaseinterventions,aswellascollecteddatafromclinicsinAfricaandIndiaaboutwhatworksbest.Butcost-effectivedoesn'talwaysmeanaffordable,especiallyforgovernmentsinpoorcountries.Countriesstillhavetomakedifficultchoicesabouthowmuchtreatmenttheycanafford.
However,Walenskynotesthatfirst-lineanti-retrovirals-thosemedicinegiventonewlydiagnosedpatientsthatcanstaveoffsymptomsforyears-aremuchcheaperthantheywereadecadeago."Second-lineregimenshavecomedownquiteabitbutnottotheleveloffirst-lineandcountriesarehavingahardtimeaffordingthemandincreasinglyovertime,peoplearegoingtofailfirst-linetherapyandthey'regoingsecond-linetherapyandthen,eventually,they'regoingtoneedthird-linetherapy,someofthem."
AccordingtoWalensky,historyhasshownthatdrugpricescancomedownwheninternationalpressureisappliedtodrugmakers.Thatwouldchangethecalculusforgovernments.Butfornow,shesays,countriesshouldfocusontreatingasmanypeopleastheycan,asearlyaspossible.
HerpaperispublishedintheonlinejournalPLoSMedicine.
4
OnewaysomeAmericansavoidedsteeplossesinthestockmarketinrecentyearswasbymakingunusualalternativeinvestmentsinsmallfarmsandfoodbusinesses.Theseso-calledangelinvestorsareorganizingloosenetworkstomatchtheirmoneywithcash-hungrylocalproducers.
FarmersCrystieandKeithKislerproudlypoursamplesoftheirhardciderandfruitliquorsinthetastingroomofthenewcideryontheirsmallorganicfarm.Justfouryearsago,theKislersweren'tsuretheycouldkeeptheirfarmwhole,letalonelaunchanewventure.
"Wedidn'thavetheincome,ortheassetsortheconfidenceperhapseventoapproachabankatthattime,"saysCrystie,whodidn'tevenbothertryingtoborrowmoneyfromthebank.
Investinglocally
Atthatsametime,SteveMoore-who'dretiredaftermakingmoneyinthesoftwarebusiness-waslookingforinvestmentalternatives."IstartedthinkingaboutwhereelsecanIgetsomekindofreasonablerateofreturnwherereturncanactuallybedefinedmorefullythanjusthowmuchmoneydidImake."
Thetwopartieswereintroducedbyamutualacquaintance.Theysatdownatthefarmhouse'skitchentableandnegotiatedthetermsofa$205,000privateloan.Moorechargednointerest,butinsteadreceivedaminorityshareofthenewciderybusiness.
FortheKislers,thenotionofanangelinvestorseemedmiraculousbutMooreseesitdifferently.
"Thisisn'tcharity.I'mnotgivingthemmoney.It'snotaboutataxdeduction,"hesays."IamactuallygettingreturninfullofwhatIoriginallyputforward,plusaparticipationinthecidery,plusconsumablesasdividends."
AndtheKislersarehappytowriteachecktopeoplewhosenamestheyknowwhohaveactuallybeentothefarm.
LION'sclub
MooreisoneofthefoundingmembersofagroupinwesternWashingtonstatedubbedtheLocalInvestingOpportunitiesNetworkorLION.Hesaysthewell-to-domembershavevariousreasonsforjoining.
"TheywantedoutofWallStreet.Theywantedtodiversify.Theyjustwantedtohelpstrengthenthecommunityfabric."
ThemembersofLIONscreeninvestmentrequeststogether,butit'suptoeachindividualtodecidewhetherornottoputuptheirmoney.RetiredpediatricianKeesKolffalsoinvestedintheKisler'sFinnriverFarm.Inaddition,he'sloanedmoneytoandtakenanequitystakeinalocalartisancheesemaker,thePortTownsendCreamery.Hegetssomeunusualdividends.
"Thoseofuswhohaveinvestedgetsevenpercentreturnperyearincheese,"Kolffsays."Wegetacheesecard.Icanshowyoumycheesecard,righthere."
Thereareriskstoconsider.Mostoftheloansareunsecured,meaningthere'snocollateral.Theequityinvestmentsarelongtermandliquid,meaninginvestorscan'tpulltheirmoneyoutquickly.Thereisalsonoregulatoryoversightbecausetheseareallprivatetransacti
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