at least per this New Yorker article.
Tree, Cordoba, Argentina
Photo and caption by Marcos Furer
A lonely tree. Landscape of Northern Cordoba, Argentina. Very few trees are left in an extended area where soybean crops and farming are destroying the natural habitat of the algarrobo tree.
NatGeo’s Best Photos of 2010 are out. This wasn’t one of the winners, but is my favorite. Scroll through to check out the finalists in each category. If you want your mind blown.
From Bob Cringley’s Motivating Miss Daisy
“It’s ass-backward, I know, but it would work. Give rich people a short term incentive to spend like poor people, then phase it out over time.”
“I no longer needed a reason for my existence, just a reason to live. And imagination, free will, love, humor, fun, music, sports, beer and pizza are all good enough reasons for living.”
UPDATE: He follows up with a Q&A.
(Source: nickdouglas)
Last week, Mark Zuckerberg and 17 more of America’s wealthiest individuals pledged to donate a majority of their wealth to charity over their lifetimes, as part of The Giving Pledge. The Giving Pledge is just that - a campaign, spearheaded this year by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, to invite America’s wealthiest to pledge to give over 50% of their wealth to philanthropy. It now has 58 pledges, with donations estimated at $139 billion. You can view them all here.
Now don’t get me wrong. I really think that’s awesome. But.. it can be argued that Mark just cost me (and you!) $10. Well, $8.53 to be more exact. And these 58 pledges could cost us $50 billion, or $350 each. And if The Giving Pledge succeeds in getting all of the Forbes 400 wealthiest individuals to pledge a majority of their wealth, that could cost America $210 billion, or about $1500 each.
That’s because charitable contributions aren’t taxed. As economist Richard Thaler in his recent NYT article describes, the contribution is deducted from the contributor’s taxable income, and, therefore, tax revenue is lost. Thaler argues that lost revenue is effectively subsidized by the government. So if the estimated donations of the 58 pledges is $139 billion, that means we are losing out on $50 billion in tax revenue (assuming a 35% tax bracket). That $50 billion is, thus, put on the rest of us 141.5 million taxpayers. For about $350 each.
(Similar calculations follow for the $10 for Zuckerberg and $1500 for the Forbes 400.. the estimated net worth of the Forbes 400 in 2009 was $1.2 trillion. If they give away 50% of their wealth, that is $600 billion in charitable contributions. Taxed at 35% = $210 billion in lost revenue. And divided among each of us, that’s about $1500.)
Now, they’re obviously not directly “costing” me that money (it’s for effect!). And the “lost tax revenue” cited is based on cumulative net worth and is overstated due to limits of what can be deducted (50% of adjusted gross income in a year). And despite my hyperbole, again, I totally laud the pledges. But seriously… Mark? Can I get that ten spot?
the inspiration for Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ came from the last words of murderer Gary Gilmore before he was executed by firing squad in 1977. When asked if he had any last words he replied, “Let’s do it.” That phrase became a meme at the time, with references in movies, SNL, later on Seinfeld, even hit songs. Dan Wieden of ad agency Wieden+Kennedy tweaked it to be the iconic ‘Just Do It’ slogan for a Nike campaign that launched in 1988.
I learned that while watching Art & Copy, a pretty decent documentary about advertising.
Magic!!
My college roommate and bff Michelle has this great blog of her adventures in home cooking. Complete with recipes and photos and funnies. Check it.
Adding them to the queue. (via onlineclasses.org)
