By Foster Kamer 4/10 1:30pm

RADVERTISING

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The Buffett Rule: A Slice of Advertising and Marketing Genius

President Barack Obama is set to roll out his backing of The Buffett Rule, which will be at the center of his campaign, reports the Financial Times. The Buffett Rule is being pitched as a “simple principle” of American tax codes inspired by Warren Buffet’s now-famous claim that his secretary pays a higher tax rate than himself because of the voodoo implicit in capital gains tax rates and the like that benefit the country’s top earners. It is brilliant, if only for already being one of the most well-branded pieces of politics in the history of legislation. Think about this less as a political play, or a piece of propaganda, and more one of brilliant advertising work.

Consider: Read More

By Matt Chaban 1/17 7:17pm

Cloudbusters

Downtown_Midtown_Skyline

Uncanny Valley: The Real Reason There Are No Skyscrapers in the Middle of Manhattan

Among the reasons New York has the finest skyline in the world—consider that a statement of fact, not opinion—is not simply the skyscrapers bounding up the island of Manhattan but also their unusual arrangement. Like a great mountain range, the city is arrayed around the twin peaks of Downtown and Midtown.

Perhaps the appeal is Freudian.

It has long been believed that New Yorkers could thank God for their unusual agglomeration of buildings (or, for those on the Upper West Side not believing in His good work, eons of geological development). It turns out that Manhattan has a bedrock unusually suited to the construction of very tall buildings, in many cases just a few meters below the surface. But that solid land drops away in the gooey middle of the island, long limiting the heights of buildings in the city.

Or so the aphocraphists have been passing down for decades, at least since noted geologist Christopher J. Schuberth released his seminal The Geology of New York City and Environs in 1968. Therein, he posited his belief in a correlation between bedrock and big buildings, and like the Empire State Building, it has stood the test of time. But like a bad retaining wall, it all came tumbling down last month. Read More

By Foster Kamer 8/29/11 3:57pm

JOB CREATION?

Alan B. Kreuger

Who is Alan Krueger, Obama’s Newest Economic Advisor Pick?

New hires involving mere mortals handling the nation’s money problems emerged today; the one you didn’t hear of was Kathleen Weiss Hanley, who was named to the deputy post over at the SEC’s moderately shiny RiskFin division. It is both less important and shiny than that other announcement, wherein President Obama named Alan Krueger as his pick to chair the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Who is he, and what will he do? Read More