Friday, May 31, 2013

2013 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports

The 2013 reports were just released.  The  2013 OASDI report says that the combined says that the combined trust funds will be totally depleted in 2033.  "The open group unfunded obligation for the 75-year projection period increased from $8.6 trillion (present value as of January 1, 2012) to $9.6 trillion (present value as of January 1, 2013)."

The 2013 Medicare report says that the HI trust fund will be totally depleted in 2026.  And here is the money quote:
The present value of future expenditures less future tax income, decreased by the amount of HI trust fund assets on hand at the beginning of the projection, amounts to $4.6 trillion. This value is referred to as the 75-year “unfunded obligation” for the HI trust fund, and it is lower than last year’s value of $5.3 trillion.
======================================================
So now, I can do an update on Systemic Debt:

Systemic Debt as of 5/31/2013:

TCMDO                        56,281
Intragov. holdings            4,868
FERS (as of 9/30/2012)        6,274
Soc. Security unfunded        9,600
Medicare unfunded             4,600
                            -------
Total Systemic Debt          81,600
                            =======


This is decrease of 300 (billion) from my previous estimate, mostly due to the lower Medicare unfunded obligation.

So what is the significance of this number?  It is most of the wealth in the US, with the exception of things like equity in real estate, stocks, and gold.  In general, it should probably increase by 3% to 6%/year to allow for growth, inflation and interest.  The number on 12/31/2011 was 79,100 so it has only increased by 3.1% since then.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Could it be magic?





Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Zoot Suit Riot


Nola

Monday, May 27, 2013

Abandoned Bell Labs headquarters



Bell Labs had a huge office complex covering more than 472 acres with more than 2 million square feet of office and laboratory space.

It has been vacant since 2007.  Two of the buildings suffered extensive water damage in October 2012.  A developer was seeking to rezone the land as residential, tear it down and build homes, but this was cancelled due to public outcry.  It has now been labeled an "Endangered Historic Site".  It will likely sit empty for the next 50 years or so until it is finally demolished.

Battle of the hi-tech campuses

See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2331658/Facebooks-hacker-campus-Apples-spaceship-Googles-new-Googleplex-Amazons-Biosphere-battle-hi-tech-offices.html

Facebook has a massive open office (the "largest open office space in the world") with trees on the roof.
Amazon has 3 intersecting biodomes for its new headquarters in Seattle.
Apple has a circular flying saucer.
Google has 9 boomerang-shaped buildings in its Googleplex.

The winner?  I like Amazon's design the best.

Amazon's domes will be built in the shadow of a skyscraper that the online retailer is also planning to build.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Capital of the Middle East

What city would be the capital of the Middle East?  These are the 20 countries covered by the US Central Command: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan, and Yemen.  I'm not sure the former Soviet countries should be here, and Turkey should perhaps be included.

These are the candidates:
1.  Cairo, Egypt.  The Cairo metropolitan area has more than 15 million people and is the 16th largest in the world.  Egypt is too politically unstable to serve as a regional capital, although the Arab League has its capital in Cairo.
2.  Dubai, UAE. The Dubai-Sharjan-Ajman conurbation has more then 3 million people, and has a GDP of more than $100 billion/year.  The tallest building in the world is located here.  Dubai is rated as an Alpha+ global city.  It has the 6th busiest airport in the world.  The nearby port of Jebel Ali is the 9th busiest, and recent expansions will make it the world's largest.
3. Abu Dhabi, UAE. Abu Dhabi has less than 1 million residents, but it is the capital of the UAE, and accounts for more than 50% of its GDP because of its oil wealth.
4. Beirut, Lebanon. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Beirut was "the hub of economic, social, intellectual, and cultural life in the Middle East", and Beirut became an established banking center for Arab wealth. However, it was severely damaged by the Lebanese civil war, which ended in 1990.  It is one of the top 10 cities in the world for tourism.
5. Doha, Qatar.  Qatar has the world's highest GDP per capital.  It hosts the Forward Headquarters of the US Central Command.  It will host the 2022 World Cup (soccer).
6. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council.  Capital of Saudi Arabia, and the largest city.

And the winner is ... Dubai.

Edit: What about Istanbul?

Tallest 16 Buildings in the World

There are only 16 buildings on the planet that are 400 meters (1312 ft) or higher.  If you count both Petronas Towers, there are 17.
  1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, 828m (2010) 
  2. Abraj Al Bait, Mekka, 601m (2011) 
  3. One World Trade Center, New York, 541m (2013) 
  4. Taipei 101, Taipei, 509m (2004) 
  5. Shanghai World Financial Center, 492m (2008) 
  6. International Commerce Center, Hongkong, 484m (2010) 
  7. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, 452m (1998) 
  8. Greenland Financial Center (aka Zifeng Tower), Nanjing, 450m (2010) 
  9. Willis Tower (Sears Tower), Chicago, 442m (1974) 
  10. Kinkey 100, Shenzhen, 442m (2011) 
  11. Guangzhou International Finance Center, 440m (2010) 
  12. Trump Tower, Chicago, 423m (2009) 
  13. Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai, 421m (1999) 
  14. Two International Finance Center, Hongkong, 415m (2003) 
  15. Al Hamra Tower, Kuwait, 414m (2011) 
  16. Princess Tower, Dubai, 413m (2012) (Source)
Of these, 8 are in China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan).

What will the next 4 buildings over 400m be?  It's hard to say since there are dozens under construction, but I think these will be the next ones completed.

2014 - Shanghai Tower, 632m.  This will be the 2nd tallest building in the world upon completion.
2015 - Lotte World Tower, Seoul. 556m.  This should be the 4th tallest upon completion.
2015 - World One, Mumbai. 442m.  This will be the tallest residential building in the world.
2015 - Wuhan Center, Wuhan, China. 438m.

Honorable Mention:
2014 - Marina 101, Dubai, 432m.  This has been under construction since 2007, so it may not be completed in the next 2 years.  Also their official website is down.
2014 - Federation Tower "Vostok" (East), Moscow, 506m including a very tall spire.   Under construction since 2003.

See also:  Top 20 Skyscrapers in 2016

The Winner?  I haven't put a lot of thought into this but I think I like the Petronas Towers the best.

Their 16-sided floor plans are very cool.

Update:
432 Park Avenue in NYC will be completed in 2015 with a height of 426m.

Update 2:
CTF Finance Centre in Guangzhou topped out in 2014 at 530m.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Down by the Old Mill Stream



Margin Debt


Source:http://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/NYSE-Margin-Debt-and-the-SPX.php 

NYSE margin debt just hit an all time high of $384,370. This is a real danger sign and could be a warning of a crash in a few months.  In any event, this number must keep going up every month, since when it declines it will decline rapidly.  You know, margin calls.

The previous margin debt high was in July 2007 preceeding the stock market high in October 2007.

See also Margin Debt.

Friday, May 24, 2013

NZD

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Brazilian Real


This is also dropping like a rock against the dollar.

Yen


I've done some other charts about Yen and Gold (see Gold and Yen), but I think I like this the best.  It is easier to think about what 100 yen are worth in dollar terms.  And dividing the price of gold by 1500 matches this quite nicely.

Now to add AU$ to the mix.



AUD



It looks like it will keep dropping.

Rand

Source: xe.com

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Favorite Tax Havens by Country

Almost every major country has a favorite tax haven.  One of the ways to tell is to look at Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).  I could be mistaken on some of these.

Argentina / Uruguay.
Australia / Hong Kong.  Also Singapore.
Brazil / Netherlands.  The Netherlands has $174 billion invested in Brazil.
Canada / Barbados.  Canada has $53 billion invested in Barbados. (Source).
China / British Virgin Islands.  The BVI is the favorite place for Chinese tycoons to set up holding companies.  The BVI has nearly $300 billion invested in China.  (Source).
France / Monaco.
Germany / Switzerland.  A tax treaty between the two countries would stop this although it may not pass German's parliament.  Also Austria, Luxembourg, Malta and Singapore.
India / Mauritius.  Wealthy Indians stash cash in Mauritius before bringing it back home as a disguised FDI.  Mauritius about $58 billion invested in India.
Malaysia / Singapore.
Netherlands / Luxembourg.
Russia / Bahamas.  The Bahamas was the biggest investor into Russia in 2012, overtaking Cyprus, although the amount was only $2 billion. (Source).  Latvia may be the tax haven of choice in the future.
Spain / Andorra.
United Kingdom / Channel Islands and Isle of Man
United States / Ireland.  This is especially popular with high tech companies. Ireland owns $110 billion of US treasuries (although other countries own more).  Also Bermuda and Cayman Islands.


Copper has bottomed out
























See also:  http://aftermath2022.blogspot.com/2013/05/dr-copper.html

Colorado governor pardons mass murderer



The cowardly Governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper today granted an indefinite reprieve to the execution of convicted murderer Nathan Dunlap.

"It is a legitimate question whether we as a state should be taking lives," the order says. "Because the question is about the use of the death penalty itself, and not about Offender No. 89148, I have opted to grant a reprieve and not clemency in this case." The executive order will remain in effect until it is modified or rescinded by a future executive order.
Read more: Nathan Dunlap granted temporary reprieve by Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper - The Denver Post

Meanwhile mass murderers everywhere are encouraged by the news.






I think its time for Hick to step aside and let a real man with cojones take charge.

Tom Tancredo, official Congressional photo.jpg
Tom Tancredo

Hi-Tech Tax Cheats

See:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-22/google-joins-apple-avoiding-taxes-with-stateless-income.html

Apple, as mentioned before, has a subsidiary in Ireland called AOI, which is controlled from the US and is a tax resident nowhere.  It has about $100 billion "offshore" (actually physically located in New York) on which it has not paid any taxes.

Google has a subsidiary called Google Ireland Holdings which is a tax resident in Bermuda and controlled from there, which does not impose income taxes.

Yahoo has an Irish subsidiary called Overture Search Services (Ireland), which has tax residency in the Cayman Islands, which does not impose income taxes.

Amazon has a unit based in Luxembourg where it is taxed at the rate of about 5%.  This avoids their having to pay income taxes in the UK and elsewhere at much higher rates.

Microsoft has an Irish subsidiary called Round Island One Ltd., controlled out of Bermuda, which has more that $16 billion in untaxed assets.  Another report says that it has more than $60 billion in offshore tax haven countries.

Oracle also has an Irish subsidiary. The details are unclear, but it repatriated $3.3 billion back to the US from Ireland after a 2004 tax holiday.

Facebook is preparing a structure similar to Google's that will send earnings from Ireland to the Cayman Islands.

Hewlett-Packard "has used a series of short-term internal loans that allowed the company to tap its offshore cash for domestic operations without paying taxes".

GE "has stashed $102 billion in offshore tax haven countries to avoid paying income taxes. If this practice was outlawed, it would have paid $35.7 billion more in federal income taxes."  Source: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Tax-Dodge-Report-3.pdf

Cisco "has stashed $41.3 billion in offshore tax havens to avoid paying U.S. income taxes. Cisco would owe an estimated $14.455 billion in federal income taxes if its use of offshore tax avoidance was eliminated."

Merck "has stashed $44.3 billion in offshore tax haven countries to avoid paying income taxes. If this practice was outlawed, it would have paid $15.5 billion more in federal income taxes."

Conclusion:  Almost every Fortune 500 company uses offshore subsidiaries to minimize their tax liabilities.  The only difference with Apple is that it is much more egregious and in-your-face about it.  It doesn't use Bermuda or the Netherlands as intermediaries.

Apple's claim that its Irish subsidiary doesn't owe income tax anywhere is so blatant that it can't be ignored.  But if you go after Apple, don't you have to go after the rest of them too?

I'm forever blowing bubbles


I'm forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air,
They fly so high,
Nearly reach the sky,
Then like my dreams, 
They fade and die. 
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Poor homeless corporation

Poor AOI (pronounced "ow-ee") doesn't have a home anywhere. On the bright side, it doesn't have to pay taxes anywhere either.  Is it that simple?
Apple has found the secret to not paying taxes. You just avoid taxes by not declaring a tax residency for the company that oversees the entirety of your international income. 

Apple Operations International (AOI) is the company's primary offshore holding company. It was registered in Cork, Ireland in 1980, and its purpose is to serve as a cash consolidator for most of Apple's offshore affiliates. It receives dividends from those affiliates and makes contributions as needed.  Shockingly, AOI doesn't pay taxes. Anywhere. The holding company had a net income of $30 billion from 2009 to 2012, but has not declared tax residency in any jurisdiction.  AOI's income made up 30% of Apple's total world profits from 2009- 2011.
A key quote from the report explains why AOI exists:
Apple explained that, although AOI has been incorporated in Ireland since 1980, it has not declared a tax residency in Ireland or any other country and so has not paid any corporate income tax to any national government in the past 5 years. Apple has exploited a difference between Irish and U.S. tax residency rules. Ireland uses a management and control test to determine tax residency, while the United States determines tax residency based upon the entity’s place of formation. Apple explained that, although AOI is incorporated in Ireland, it is not tax resident in Ireland, because AOI is neither managed nor controlled in Ireland. Apple also maintained that, because AOI was not incorporated in the United States, AOI is not a U.S. tax resident under U.S. tax law either. 

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-apple-reduces-what-it-pays-in-taxes-2013-5

The baldness of the Apple strategy surprises me more than anything else," said University of Southern California Law Professor Edward Kleinbard. "European member states are going to be very angry with Apple and very angry with Ireland."
http://news.yahoo.com/apple-congress-spar-over-taxes-ahead-tuesday-hearing-114056185.html

=================================================================
"Apple told the Subcommittee that AOI’s assets are managed by employees at an Apple Inc. subsidiary, Braeburn Capital, which is located in Nevada. Apple indicated that the assets themselves are held in bank accounts in New York. Apple also indicated that AOI’s general ledger – its primary accounting record – is maintained at Apple’s U.S. shared service center in Austin, Texas. Apple indicated that no AOI bank accounts or management personnel are located in Ireland.
For more than thirty years, Apple has taken the position that AOI has no tax residency,and AOI has not filed a corporate tax return in the past 5 years. Although the United States generally determines tax residency based upon the place of incorporation, a shell entity incorporated in a foreign tax jurisdiction could be disregarded for U.S. tax purposes if that entity is controlled by its parent to such a degree that the shell entity is nothing more than an instrumentality of its parent. While the IRS and the courts have shown reluctance to apply that test, disregard the corporate form, and attribute the income of one corporation to another, the facts here warrant examination."
--http://www.scribd.com/doc/142660268/Subcommittee-Memo-on-Offshore-Profit-Shifting-Apple

Our legal system has a preference to respect the corporate form. But the facts here present this issue:  Are these offshore corporations so totally controlled by Apple Inc. that their identity as separate companies is a sham and a mere instrumentality of the parent, and if so, whether Apple’s claim that AOI and ASI owe no U.S. taxes is a sham as well.
--http://www.levin.senate.gov/newsroom/speeches/speech/opening-statement-of-sen-carl-levin-offshore-profit-shifting-and-the-us-tax-code-part-2-apple-inc

Busted. This is going to be good.  Bring the popcorn!

Palladium rising
















Source: http://www.kitco.com/charts/livepalladium.html

Palladium is going up, unlike gold, silver and platinum.  I have no idea why.

"In contrast to most metals—indeed, most commodities—palladium has held up pretty well. It is the only major metal showing a gain, 18 per cent, over the past six months. It is also the only metal to have bounced back from April's selloff, up 6 per cent in May to $US740 an ounce.
Much is going palladium's way. Catalytic converters used for vehicle emissions control account for two-thirds of the metal's demand, weighted heavily to gasoline engines. That is important, because gas-powered vehicles constitute about 80 per cent of the global fleet, and the two biggest markets—the U.S. and China—heavily favour gasoline vehicles and are expanding."

Commodities plunging

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/commodities-sell-off-continues-2013-5

Commodities are plunging again except for natural gas, soybeans, and sugar.
Soybeans?

See also The Almighty US Dollar

Monday, May 20, 2013

Capital of Africa

If one city is to be called the "Capital of Africa", what would it be?  Here are the candidates:

1.  Nairobi, Keyna.  The United Nations has its regional headquarters there and the UN and other international agencies contribute more than $350 million to the Kenyan economy.  English is an official language (along with Swahili).

2. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Often referred to as the "political capital of Africa".  The headquarters of the African Union is there, along with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

3. Midrand, South Africa (suburb of Johannesburg).  Seat of the Pan-African Parliament and of the NEPAD Secretariat (an economic development program).

4.  Cairo, Egypt.  With almost 15 million people in its metropolitan area, it is the largest city in Africa, and the largest in the Arab-speaking world.  Negatives: it is too tied to Egypt and the Arab-speaking world, and being a big city has its negatives - overcrowding and pollution.

5. Abuja, Nigeria.  Planned city which is the capital of Nigeria as well as the Economic Community of West  African States (ECOWAS).  The site of the Abuja Treaty, which created the African Economic Community, with the goal of a single currency.  Probably the future headquarters of the African Central Bank.

6. Port Louis, Mauritius.  This is a tiny island country 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa, but one of the most economically free countries on earth and has a high Human Development Index (HDI).  It is called the "Switzerland of Africa".  It serves as the headquarters for Chinese investment in Africa.

7. Arusha, Tanzania.  The "judicial capital" of Africa.  Home of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.  One of the branches of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (the other branch is in The Hague, Netherlands).  Future home of the African Court of Justice.  Also the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC).

8. Cape Town, South Africa.  The best place in Africa for a business conference.  The seat of the South African National Parliament.  A center for information technology, and home of the University of Cape Town, probably the top university in Africa.

9. Gaborone, Botswana.  Planned city which is the capital of Botswana.  Also has the headquarters of the South African Development Community, which consists of 14 states.

===============================
I think it should be in Johannesburg, whether in Midrand or elsewhere in the area. This is because Johannesburg is the financial capital.  It is the home of the largest stock exchange in Africa and the Rand is the strongest currency.

Debt Limit





Source:www.treasurydirect.gov

The Debt Limit is now $16.737 trillion.  I had thought it would be more than $17 trillion.  There is enough cash flow to last at least until Labor Day, and maybe even October 1.

10 year interest rates



Interest rates peaked at more 15% in 1981.  Since then they have almost continuously fallen, until they reached a low of 1.43% on 7/25/2012.  Now they are rising again.

=============================================
Update 5/29:


Platinum
















Source: http://www.kitco.com/charts/liveplatinum.html

Caterpillar Sales


Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-20/caterpillar-north-america-sales-collapse-suggests-us-economy-back-2010-levels


Saturday, May 18, 2013

How to Lose Friends and Demotivate People


Jack "S" Lew

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Friday urged congressional leaders to raise the debt limit and insisted that the White House is not going to negotiate over the increase because lawmakers have "no choice." "We will not negotiate over the debt limit," Lew wrote. "The creditworthiness of the United States is non-negotiable. The question of whether the country must pay obligations it has already incurred is not open to debate."
--http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/300463-treasury-asks-congress-for-debt-increase-says-its-not-open-to-debate

Of course it's open to debate, Cracker Jack.  You've been Secretary of the Treasury less than 3 months and now you think you are a dictator?  You've just set back any possibility of the debt ceiling being raised for at least 3 months.  And when it is raised it will be despite you not because of you.


Thursday, May 16, 2013

In the afterlife



In the afterlife 
You could be headed for the serious strife 
Now you make the scene all day 
But tomorrow there'll be hell to pay 

People listen attentively 
I mean about future calamity 
I used to think the idea was obsolete 
Until I heard the old man stamping his feet. 

This is a place where eternally 
Fire is applied to the body 
Teeth are extruded and bones are ground 
Then baked into cakes which are passed around. 

Beauty, talent, fame, money, refinement 
Top skill and brain 
But all the things you try to hide 
Will be revealed on the other side. 

Now the d and the a and the m 
And the n and the a 
And the t and the i-o-n 
Lose your face, lose your name 
Then get fitted for a suit of flame

Fly Me to the Moon

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Put a lid on it

St. Louis Blues

You're the cream in my coffee



Valentino

The Sheik of Araby




Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres

"And, if you think today's Euro-American feminists are pretty submissive in the face of Islamist theocrats, well, at the very dawn of female emancipation, millions of women apparently wanted nothing more than to be forcibly seized by some Bedouin chieftain, trussed up over his Arab stallion and ridden into the desert to be his bride."
--http://www.steynonline.com/5545/the-sheik-of-araby

If you are the Sheik of Araby, here is the way to get the ladies:  "At night when you're asleep,
Into your tent I'll creep..."

Here is the modern day Sheik of Araby, kicked out of Saudi Arabia for being too handsome.

Omar Borkan Al Gala

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The Final Countdown



We're leaving together
But still it's farewell 
And maybe we'll come back, 
To earth, who can tell? 

I guess there is no one to blame
We're leaving ground (leaving ground)
Will things ever be the same again?
It's the final countdown.

The final countdown.

Oh, We're heading for Venus (Venus)
And still we stand tall 
Cause maybe they've seen us
And welcome us all, yeah
With so many light years to go
And things to be found (to be found) 
I'm sure that we'll all miss her so
It's the final countdown.

Hugh Ferris


Hugh Ferris at work

Hugh Ferris was a "delineator" (who draws buildings) rather than an architect. "By 1920, Ferriss had begun to develop his own style, frequently presenting the building at night, lit up by spotlights, or in a fog, as if photographed with a soft focus."

His drawings look very futuristic, from the perspective of the 1920s.



For more Ferris illustrations see:  http://decoarchitecture.tumblr.com/tagged/hugh-ferriss

Timber


Source:  http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-14/lumber-new-baltic-dry

Monday, May 13, 2013

The Joint is Really Jumpin

Air on the G String


See also: http://aftermath2022.blogspot.com/2013/03/everythings-gonna-be-alright.html

Major Tom

Space Oddity

Filmed on the International Space Station.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue

The Best Things in Life are Free

Some of These Days


San Francisco PacBell Building


The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. Building also known as the PacBell Building or just "140", was built in 1925.  It is another neo-Gothic palace.  It is 435 feet tall, not including an antenna, and was the tallest building in San Francisco until 1964.  Today it is being remodeled into office space.

Eagles at the Top of the Abandoned Skyscraper
Source:  http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/pac-bell-san-francisco

Carved Eagles keep a careful watch over the city.

Video about PacBell circa 1928.

Denver Telephone Building

Source: http://www.telcomhistory.org/vm/ACInUse.shtml














The Denver Telephone Building, today called the Denver ATT Building, had a grand opening in August 1929, just two months before the stock market crash.  It is 312 feet tall and was the tallest building in Denver at the time it opened.  It only has 15 stories because of tall ceilings for telephone equipment.

It is a Bell System "palace" and is similar to palaces built about the same time in New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, Cleveland, Newark, and Montreal.



The lobby has murals painted by Alan True depicting telephone linemen.

Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning

A 42-story Gothic Revival skyscraper
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Learning

The Gothic-style Cathedral of Learning was built in Pittsburgh between 1926 and 1936.  At 42 floors and 535 feet, it is still the second tallest university building in the world. (The first is Moscow State University).



It is one of a handful of Gothic skyscrapers worldwide.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Instrumental Theme Songs Per Decade

I have a theory that each decade can be defined by an instrumental song.  Here is my list:

1890s - "Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa
1900s - "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin
1910s - none
1920s - "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin
1930s - "Sing Sing Sing" by Benny Goodman
1940s - "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller
1950s - "Where Is Your Heart" by Moulin Rouge
1960s - "Theme From a Summer Place" by Percy Faith
1970s - "Love's Theme" by Barry White and Love Unlimited Orchestra
1980s - "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer
1990s - "Forever In Love"/"Careless Whisper" by Kenny G
2000s - none

Stardust by Rod Stewart

This is actually pretty good. 

Stardust


Original version


by Sinatra

Blue Skies


After You've Gone



After Youve Gone cover.jpg

I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise



I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise first became popular in 1923.  I think Irving Berlin is the composer.

What'll I Do?

What'll I Do?

Composed by Irving Berlin in 1923.  This is the best version sang by Sinatra.

American Radiator Building



The American Radiator Building has to be one of the most unique, or even strangest skyscaper in the world. It is built of black and gold brick.  It was completed in 1924 and is 23 stories and 338 feet tall. Today it is called the Bryant Park Hotel.




Gargoyles on the American Radiator Building

See also: Historic New York in the 20th Century

Chicago Tribune Tower


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribune_Tower

Completed in 1925, it is 462 feet tall.  It is one of the few neo-Gothic skyscrapers in the world. "The top of the tower is designed after the Tour de beurre (″butter tower″) of the Rouen Cathedral in France, which is characteristic of the late gothic style, that is to say, without a spire but with a crown-shaped top."

The future in 1920

Driving Around New York City

Friday, May 10, 2013

Six Degrees of Three Movies



Carey Mulligan, who plays Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby (Leonardio DiCaprio) 's crush, also played the part of


Winnie Gekko, Gordan Gekko's (Michael Douglas) daughter, in Wall Street Never Sleeps, the sequel to Wall Street.


Paul Rudd played the part of Nick Carroway, in the 2000 TV version of "The Great Gatsby".  The part of Daisy Buchanan was played by Mira Sorvino.


Paul Rudd also plays the part of Dave Paris, the intended husband of Juliet (Claire Danes), in the 1996 version of Romeo + Juliet.


Romeo and Juliet.


Baz Luhrmann is the director of both Romeo+Juliet (1996) and the Great Gatsby (2013).


Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare.  As was Hamlet.


In the 1996 version of Hamlet, the part of Ophelia was played by Kate Winslet.  Ophelia commits suicide by  jumping in a pond when she finds out that Hamlet doesn't love her.


In the 1997 movie Titanic, Kate Winslet plays the part of "Rose", who is unhappy with her fiance Cal (Billy Zane), and who would rather be with Jack Dawson (Leonardio DeCaprio).

Conclusion:  The Great Gatsby is a remake of Romeo+Juliet and the Titanic. All 3 are about really rich people throwing grand parties.  In all 3 there is a love triangle where the hero wants the girl, but can't have her, and dies instead.

Jay Gatsby == Romeo Montague == Jack Dawson
Daisy Buchanan == Juliet Capulet == Rose Dewitt Bukater

What about the villians?

Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), Daisy Buchanan's husband


Dave Paris (Paul Rudd), Juliet Capulet's fiance.


Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), Rose' fiance.