One of the most cherished beliefs of supply-side zealots is that cuts in capital gains tax rates always increase revenue. To be sure, there are often dramatic upward revenue swings right after the cap gains rate is cut. But that is in part because people can choose when to enter into the transactions that result in capital gains–and …
Broken heart? Take a leave
This link from Reuters via Yahoo! News, sent by my pal Gerry, who writes, “I don’t know which is odder, that heartache leave exists or that it’s only a couple of days.” Get this:
Lovelorn staff at a Japanese marketing company can take paid time off after a bad break-up with a partner, with more “heartache leave” on offer as they get
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A beat worse than mine: commuting
Lately I’ve been complaining about my chosen beat. While my smarter colleagues were picking topics like TV and architecture and national politics, I picked…work. Why? I dunno. Like most of my decisions in life, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Turns out my bosses were questioning my choice, too. I write frequently for the …
One last gratuitous Davos photo album
I’m in the Zurich airport waiting for my flight home, and can’t think of anything better to do than post more thrilling photos of my trip. I might post a little more about Davos on Monday but after that I promise I’ll shut about it.
New techniques in serving champagne at the closing gala
The Google party at the Belvedere hotel
The
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Cherie Blair wants to kill the world’s intestinal worms
I realize that this photo is a blurry mess, but it may be the only visual record of one of the most surreal Davos moments ever. Somewhere behind those backs of people’s heads are Cherie Booth Blair (you know, Tony’s wife), pretending to be an intestinal worm, chasing (while wearing boots with three-inch heels) after a bunch of Davos …
CapitalistCast: Why am I here? When can I sleep?
Here’s my final CapitalistCast from Davos. It’s the most content-free yet! The folks in New York have been bugging me to be more like Ana Marie Cox and Mark Halperin and impart actual information about the day to come. But by the time you watch this, the day in Davos will already be mostly or entirely over. Plus I’m just shallow, and …
Smart ways to recession-proof your job
Lately I’m getting a lot of press releases from career coaches, staffing companies and head hunters advising me to tell you that they know how to “recession-proof your job.” If I were being all analytical and boring, I’d say it’s one indicator of voter jitters about the direction of the economy.
But then I got to thinking. My own …
The Curious Capitalist goes full RSS
In response to the extortionate demands of one Felix Salmon (and because I agreed with Felix that it’s a good idea), this blog now offers a full RSS feed.
If you don’t know what that means, don’t let it trouble you. It’s, like, really really hard technology stuff, and you’re much better off just reading this blog right here at Time.com. …
Dutifully promoting the brand
The view from outside the Panasia Gallery in Davos Thursday night
Yeah, that’s Rick Stengel in the middle of the picture. The event was the Time cocktail party last night. Good crowd. No heads of state that I was aware of. But there was a head of a state (New Jersey Gov. John Corzine). I spent a while talking to Mario Moretti Polegato, …
Nouriel Roubini turns bullish, in a fashion
Last year, when Time‘s Board of Economists gathered for its annual debate in Davos (and no, Time doesn’t really have a Board of Economists on an ongoing basis, we just gather them together every year here at the World Economic Forum), economist and superblogger Nouriel Roubini was the only gloomy voice in the crowd. As Peter Gumbel …
How the KFC Famous Bowl led me to a story
Americans are gluttons. This we know. I have seen the Sunday night buffet at a barbecue joint in Wilson, N.C. I have watched contestants weigh in at 400 lbs.-plus on The Biggest Loser. What’s worse, we pretend we’re not. We gobble up books like Skinny Bitch, a vegan manifesto, and yet 85% of Americans scarf down the fried-meat sandwich …
CapitalistCast: A World Economic Forum in search of a theme
This one was taped in a Davos parking lot. With some camerawork and other excellent assistance from Mrs. Curious Capitalist.