The economic relationship between Venezuela and the United States is centered around oil. Venezuela produces 3.8% of the world’s oil and the U.S. imports 10% of its oil from Venezuela. Of the amount of crude oil that the country exports, the U.S. purchases 44% of it. In 1998, Venezuela democratically elected Hugo Chavez as its President. In 2002, a political coup forced Chavez to lose power for nearly 48 hours; massive protests and a lack of military support for the coup’s leaders assisted Chavez’s return to power. The political relationship between Venezuela and the U.S. has been contentious. President Chavez recently denounced the Bush administration at a United Nations meeting. The relationship has been on a collision course for many years, with increasing oil profits fueling Venezuela’s growing political power in the South American region.

Black and White takes a look at recent massive South Korean political protests over a U.S.-South Korea beef import deal. The protests, highly effective and organized with the tools of text messaging on the populous 3G internet networks, have prompted public apologies by President Lee Myung-bak to South Korean citizens.

Wachovia Capital Partners, the private equity investing arm of Wachovia Corporation and fourth largest bank holding company in the U.S., has acquired web hosting firm HostMySite.com. In this recent transaction industry executives Art Zeile and Joel Daly, former founders of Inflow, are installed in the roles of CEO and COO respectively. Black and White talks with the new CEO Art Zeile about how the transaction developed, what the future holds for the firm, and what other potential acquisitions may be forthcoming.

When all is said and done, 130 million Americans will receive more than $100 billion in tax-stimulus checks from the federal government. The theory is that once people start spending that money, the economy will start to rebound. But it’s unclear how this theory translates into practice.

At the urging of a friend, I have cautiously entered the world of cell phone text messaging. Email and voice are still my communication methods of choice, and I have yet to become fluent in text messaging. I cannot bring myself to use messaging abbreviations like “u” for “you”, “ruok” for “are you […]

Sharon Lockhart is a photographer and filmmaker that was born in Norwood, MA and lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Since 1992 she has exhibited her work in Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, and across the U.S. Her film ‘Pine Flat’ was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. The intimate photographs from her series of the same name capture the emotional portraits of the children that she came to know while living in a cabin in the foothills of the Californian Sierra Nevada Mountains. Black and White discusses her influences, her approach to her subjects, and her upcoming work.

Ranjani Shettar’s sculpture “Just a Bit More” at the 55th Carnegie International features a room-sized netted sculpture made out of uniquely formed organic materials. The work, the fourth in a series of her beeswax pieces, is at once both joyful and serene. The colorful palette of the skillfully netted hanging material draws the viewer and entrances them.

Mr. Akhilesh K. Verma is a citizen of India and a Senior Advocate, practicing for over 15 years in New Delhi, India. Black and White talks to him about the current happenings, U.S.-India relations, and issues of global concern.