The Unflat World of Global Food Production

Last week's Economist carried a feature on a recent wave of farmland purchases in poorer parts of the world. The buyers? Cash-rich emerging markets and Arab oil states looking to insure themselves against future food shortages. And if you think that's just a reaction to last year's stunning spike in prices, think again. The new trend speaks to the impact global warming will have on where food will be produced in abundance in coming decades.

Continue reading Tom's 'The New Rules' column this week at WPR

What is in a war?

ARTICLE: New Virus Spurs Experts to Rethink Definition of Pandemic, By David Brown, Washington Post, May 31, 2009

This reminds me of the way we've down-defined wars (1000 deaths over 12 months, which is only 3 deaths a day!)

I'm watching Ken Burns' "The War" and you see these bomber runs over Germany and we'd lose 800 airmen--just that one mission, that one day.

Now we have pandemics where we lose a dozen people a week--worldwide!

And "quagmire" wars where a really catastrophic day is double-digit deaths--for the entire force.

Not complaining. It's a good thing, but fascinating how we cling to terms despite the qualitative changes.

Iranian (American) politics

ARTICLE: Disgruntled Urbanites Could Sway Iran Vote, By Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post, May 30, 2009

All indications are that it's Ahmadinejad trying to buy rural votes versus the two main challengers that will rely more on disgruntled urbanites, students and minorities.

Sounds very American, does it not? GOP v Dems?

Coming gig for Tom in Raleigh

From PR Newswire:

On June 7th the Institute for Defense and Business (IDB) will be welcoming its fourth class of Log21 participants. Log21: Logistics for the 21st Century is a week-long executive education program designed for approximately 30 early-career, high-potential logisticians from the defense industry, the military, and the Department of Defense (DoD). Participant profiles include: private sector personnel three to eight years into their careers; O-3 to O-4 military participants; and GS-12 to GS-13/NSPS pay-band equivalent for government employees.

Getting the New Core going on a huge cancer pool

IN DEPTH: "Philip Morris Unbound: Freed from Altria, CEO Louis Camelleri is racing to boost global sales as tobacco restrictions spread," by Nanette Byrnes and Frederik Balfour, BusinessWeek, 4 May 2009.

Map showing all the big targets where growth has skyrocketed thanks to heavy marketing: Brazil, South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, China and Indonesia.

To join the Core is to smoke yourself to an early grave, it would seem.