BALANCE of CULTURE

Bikini Etiquette for this Fourth of July

If you're heading out to the beach, a pool party or BBQ this weekend for Fourth of July, you might find yourself looking for the perfect American flag bikini (or swimming trunks, speedo, etc. lol...no?) to show off your patriotic spirit. Be warned that a discerning piece over at the Houston Press has taken the liberty to point out how the seemingly nationalistic expression of embracing a red, white and blue piece of cloth (or two) actually violates the U.S. Flag Code.

Boys...that goes for you too: find a way to rearrange as needed!

History, Hypocrisy and the Future in Greece

One of the most chaotic aspects of the conversation on Greece's recent economic and social woes is how so much of the country's situation is being defined by nations other than Greece. Whether or not this is based upon what some say are Greece's past mistakes or its victimization by broader calamities imposed by her neighbors, one thing is certainly clear: the source of a country's woes today are rarely pinpointed to a single perpetrator. This is no longer a simple equation that can be succinctly surmised in a paragraph of a high school history book.

The simplest political answer, which is quoted in reference in the Atlantic (the writer is simply pointing out one perspective):

The Greek population got themselves into this by demanding that the government spend wildly more than they were willing to fund with their taxes; when the euro took away the government's ability to inflate away the value of the resulting debt, the previous government resorted to accounting fraud.  The German people are not going to pay for the Greeks to continue this behavior--not when the German people have been busily living within their means.

A piece from the Guardian points out Germany's blatant hypocrisy in Greece's current matters:

What is truly strange, however, is the brevity of Germany's collective memory. For during much of the 20th century, the situation was radically different: after the first world war and again after the second world war, Germany was the world's largest debtor, and in both cases owed its economic recovery to large-scale debt relief.

And what discourse on global -- or even regional -- economy these days leaves out China? (Yes, even a dialogue about the EU!):

But while the Chinese media will sell any intervention as a grand favour to impoverished Europe, it is worth remembering that Europe remains China’s biggest export market. And with the latest surveys indicating that Chinese factories have slowed to almost flat growth, China needs Europe to keep on buying its goods or face difficulties in what remains one of the key pillars of its economy. China may be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, but it still needs moribund old Europe.

No doubt a wildly complex and emotional situation (thanks to everything from WWII to today's rise of China), but the bottom line is that pinning all blame of a complex economic conundrum to simply the physical location of where the numbers ultimately failed first (in this case, Greece, but next in line will be Ireland and Spain if this isn't remedied logically) is not just an accounting error by the "Greece haters", but more of an indication that the rhetoric originates from hysterical social opinions rather than any solid economic understanding.

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Copious Does Teddy's!

Our friends at Copious Management had their second photography showcase at Teddy's inside the Roosevelt Hotel this past weekend, and it was nothing short of amazing! Images from renowned photographers Brian Bowen Smith, Justin Stephens, Matthew Welch, Pamela Littky, Sheryl Nields and Warwick Saint enhanced the gorgeous and classic Hollywood night spot for guests to enjoy. Add the requisite hip Rony's Photobooth, and we're all set!

Copious was definitely one of the first to exhibit art within the nightclub context--especially in Los Angeles! Our guess is that there will be plenty of imitators in the future...

The Roosevelt's valet was incredibly impacted this Friday night. (You should've seen the mob at Teddy's entrance!)

Teddy's is one of those classic Hollywood spots...I hope they never get rid of their gorgeous chandelier!

It's always so dark inside but the photographs were so well-lit without intruding on the lounge-y vibe:

The place was so packed that we could hardly walk from one end of the bar to the other! Great to see all the love...

Here's Rony doing his thing at the photobooth (more like a portable dramatic set!):

Be sure to check out Copious Management if you want to view an incredible array of some of the best artists in the industry! Congrats to our friends Rick and Megan for another awesome exhibit!!

Whose Anthem?

I've never seen an LA Times article receive so many comments (919 the last time I checked!).

Coming out of the dark ages....

Sorry I haven't been able to post my weekly online derive yet but today has been nothing short of complete chaos!!

However, I have to note that the New York state senate has finally approved same-sex marriage with a 33-29 vote. Yes!

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Panda's Presence

"Once upon a time, Europe colonised bits of China. Today, China colonises bits of Europe."

Quite a statement, but increasingly true...40% of current Chinese investment in the EU lies in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and eastern Europe, and PM Wen Jiabao plus his entourage have also visited Spain, Portugal and Greece in the last year alone. This piece in the Guardian describes China's growing peripheral EU presence in a way that reminds me of basic continental military strategy, but executed in a more au courant economic sense.

I don't think China is alone in this kind of global expansion (though their presence on the African continent is more noticeable than ever); it's the new way to flourish. Key economic relations are starting to replace military strategies in governments more and more, as it's more cost effective and long term to invest in economic strategy than dump resources into large scale physical conflict.

This Summer's Biggest Release

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has finally been released on bail in Beijing because of "his good attitude in confessing his crimes" as well as a chronic disease he suffers from, according to Xinhua.

So what's the status on his four friends and associates? They were also arrested shortly after his April 3, 2011 arrest:

-Wen Tao, journalist

-Zhang Jinsong, driver

-Hu Mingfen, accountant

-Liu Zhenggang, designer

 

Quiet Diplomacy

Women in Saudi Arabia who have defied the ban on driving in their country have just received a quiet shout-out from our own Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While Clinton maintains that this effort is ultimately in the hands of the Saudi women themselves, her verbal support will undoubtedly embolden not only the current undertaking but also the broader concept of gender equality itself in the region.

She may have been engaging in "quiet" diplomacy but her global fanbase just grew exponentially. Just like that.

[Photo by Susan Baaghil/Reuters]

Doing Vegas...

I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but here are some shots from our trip to Sin City for this year's Licensing International Expo. Perhaps I'm in the minority here but Vegas isn't exactly my favorite place to visit -- I would probably never go there without a work-related reason. In fact, the last time I went was a few years ago for my job at the time, aboard a private jet with an entourage of high-level Chinese ministers from Beijing and two RAND directors.

This time, even without the private jet, there was a lot of fun work and meetings involved on top of the expo. But we got some time to hang out at the Cosmopolitan. The hotel was surprisingly comfortable and plush, with contemporary art as well as high-tech amenities throughout the property.

Naturally, one of my favorite booths at the expo:

The Budweiser Clydesdales made an appearance at the back of Mandalay Bay's Convention Center. I was all over their little tails!

Room service. (I hardly ate in Vegas, but that's typical for me when on the road...)

The Cosmopolitan's nightclub, Marquee. Mondays here are one of the city's best, and they boast a crazy lineup of international DJs and all that. It was an utter madhouse, but luckily the hotel set us up really nicely as their guests that night.

One of the Cosmopolitan's 3 pools. This is the Bamboo Pool, located on the 14th floor. Nice views of the city, away from all the riff-raff of the Strip:

The 3rd floor where the restaurants are located. All the simulacra eateries are here: Comme Ca, STK, Blue Ribbon Sushi, etc. as the Vegas versions:

Comme Ca is one of our favorite restaurants in Los Angeles so we decided to try out the Vegas version one night. Though it had a great view of the Strip, it lacked the tight operations of its LA counterpart:

But you can't beat that gorgeous view of the Bellagio's fountains:

Til next year...!

"Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac"

...As Henry Kissinger once said in a 1973 New York Times piece. And he would know -- personal politics aside, since his diplomatic power playing days across foreign nations as well as playing within the inner circles of Hollywood, Kissinger is still one of a few political icons who was always able to see the virtues of understanding the "other." He's still relevant for many reasons, but especially for his interest and ability to undermine social and cultural borders.

Conservative and narrow-minded politicians who never deign to leave the ivory tower of Capitol Hill are a dime a dozen. It isn't everyday that we have a figure who can talk to the leaders of the world one day, and engage A-list creatives the next.

On that note, I obviously can't wait to view the Kissinger Archives at Yale University's newly established Johnson Center for the Study of American Diplomacy. He's donated his papers throughout his career to this center after making a personal contribution to the digitization of his government papers that are currently held at the Library of Congress! Should be nothing short of absolutely fascinating.

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