A Little Of The Old In And Out



(image via geographicguide)

In: The Indian Ocean. Did you know that the Indian Ocean region includes all of the Islamic world, from the Sahara Desert to the Indonesian archipelago? Robert D. Kaplan, a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, is writing a book on the Indian Ocean and some of it is excerpted in one of our favorite journals in the March/April 2009 edition on sale now. From Foreign Affairs:

"For better or worse, phrases such 'the Cold War' and 'the clash of civilizations' matter. In a similar way, so do maps. The right map can stimulate foresight by providing a spatial view of critical trends in world politics. Understanding the map of Europe was essential to understanding the twentieth century. Although recent technological advances and economic integration have encouraged global thinking, some places continue to count more than others. And in some of those, such as Iraq and Pakistan, two countries with inherently artificial contours, politics is still at the mercy of geography.

"So in what quarter of the earth today can one best glimpse the future? Because of their own geographic circumstances, Americans, in particular, continue to concentrate on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. World War II and the Cold War shaped this outlook: Nazi Germany, imperial Japan, the Soviet Union, and communist China were all oriented toward one of these two oceans. The bias is even embedded in mapping conventions: Mercator projections tend to place the Western Hemisphere in the middle of the map, splitting the Indian Ocean at its far edges. And yet, as the pirate activity off the coast of Somalia and the terrorist carnage in Mumbai last fall suggest, the Indian Ocean -- the world's third-largest body of water -- already forms center stage for the challenges of the twenty-first century."

Historians of the future looking backwards may regard, ironically, the the 2004 tsunami as the locus point of the rise of the Indian Ocean World (IOW). More here.



(portrait of the douchebag as a young man via timeinc)

Out: Jeremy Piven. The players are all assembled. Actors’ Equity. The Piv. Alleged mercury poisoning (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). It's like surreal theater, or, considering the centrality of sushi -- Kabuki theater. We, and everyone else, calls shenanigans on Pivens' absurd argument that he had to exit Mamet's "Speed the Plow" early because he was felled by some raw fish. Pimp! But even his legendary skills at ad libbing will probably not win him favor with the skeptical cats at Actors' Equity. From The NYTimes:

"Actors’ Equity will hold a hearing Thursday on the grievance filed against the actor Jeremy Piven by the producers of the Broadway play 'Speed-the-Plow,' which Mr. Piven quit suddenly in December because of what his doctor said was mercury poisoning. Both sides are expected to present their cases at the hearing, which is closed to the public. It is not clear if Mr. Piven will attend; his representatives have not responded to phone or e-mail messages seeking comment. A spokeswoman for Mr. Piven has called the grievance 'absurd and outrageous.' A spokeswoman for Actors’ Equity said that its grievance committee could resolve the complaint that day or hold more meetings. The two sides could also pursue arbitration. The production is scheduled to end its limited run on Sunday."

In: The Jonas Brothers. According to the NYTimes, "Over all, multiplexes continued to be jammed, with ticket sales for the weekend 33 percent higher than last year (to $119.8 million) and 23 percent higher in year-to-date results (to $1.65 billion)." And the Jonas Brothers appear to be the beneficiaries of the High School Musical tween boom. Online movie ticket sales, in particular, will benefit from The Jonas Brothers' box office explosion this weekend. From DeadlineHollywoodDaily:

"Films like Disney's Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience are a bonanza for online ticketsellers like MovieTickets and Fandango that cater to younger moviegoers. Here are some stats for you:

"-- Fandango says the movie is scooping up 63% of all online ticket sales today. MovieTickets says 52%.

"-- MovieTickets says the pic sold more tickets yesterday than Monday and Tuesday of last week combined.

"-- Fandango says dozens of show times are already sold out across the country, even though the movie doesn’t open until Thursday night at midnight. MovieTickets is now reporting 700+ sold out performances."

Out: GM. Revenue has collapsed and the scale of GM's losses are just staggering. Will the President once again reaffirm his promise to not let the automotive industry fail on his watch, or have the federal coffers run dry, at least for the world's second largest automaker? From TheStreet:

"General Motors executives were scheduled to talk today with President Barack Obama's auto task force, seeking $22.5 billion in aid after reporting a steep fourth-quarter loss as worldwide vehicle sales collapsed.

"The company needs federal help beyond the $13.4 billion it has already received, CFO Ray Young reiterated Thursday on an earnings conference call. 'The economic situation is having a dramatic impact on our industry,' he said. GM expects domestic vehicle sales of 10.5 million units this year, the lowest since 1982, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

"An auditor's ruling on whether GM remains a 'going concern'[ is also pending, and will be included in the company's 10-K, which will be delayed for 15 days. 'GM and its auditors must determine whether there is substantial doubt about GM's ability to continue as a going concern,' the company said Thursday, underscoring its precarious position while reminding that it requires additional federal funds."