Being Elmo trailer

Being Elmo trailer:
Being Elmo is a documentary about the puppeteer who performs Sesame Street's Elmo. It looks fantastic.



(via unlikely words)
Tags: Being Elmo movies Sesame Street trailers

Malcolm Gladwell on Bruce Ratner and the Barclays Center - Grantland

The NBA lockout fascinates me and Gladwell's article about how the New Jersey Nets used eminent domain to secure a lucrative piece of property in Brooklyn made it even more interesting. I highly recommend reading the whole article.

Another thing not discussed in any of the NBA Lockout articles is how the salaries players receive are subject to advantageous tax depreciation rules - meaning those salaries become huge write-offs and can shield a lot of income from affiliated businesses. This has profound net present value implications for buying a franchise. Buy a franchise and sign a star player to a big contract and between the interest expenses on the acquisition financing and depreciation expenses from the player salaries, you aren't paying much in taxes. It's a great business if you are trying to shield other income and you get an asset for very little cash down that has a long track record of appreciating in value.

Malcolm Gladwell on Bruce Ratner and the Barclays Center - Grantland:

"Bruce Ratner's original plan for the Atlantic Yards site called for 16 separate commercial and residential towers and a basketball arena, all designed by the superstar architect Frank Gehry. The development would be home to roughly 15,000 people, cost in excess of $4 billion, total more than eight million square feet, and make his company — by some calculations — as much as $1 billion in profit. To put that in perspective, the original Rockefeller Center — one of the grandest urban developments in American history — was seven million square feet. Ratner wanted to out-Rockefeller the Rockefellers.

Ratner knew this would not be easy. The 14 acres he wanted to raze was a perfectly functional neighborhood, inhabited by taxpaying businesses and homeowners. He needed a political halo, and Ratner's genius was in understanding how beautifully the Nets could serve that purpose. The minute basketball was involved, Brooklyn's favorite son — Jay-Z — signed up as a part-owner and full-time booster. Brooklyn's borough president began publicly fantasizing about what a professional sports team would mean for his community. The Mayor's office, then actively pursuing an Olympic bid, loved the idea of a new arena in Brooklyn."

Painted Turtle 2011 Benefit at Bimbo's

It's time to buy tickets to the Painted Turtle Benefit, one of the best nights of any year. Tainted Love rocks the house at Bimbo's and it's a total blast. The Painted Turtle is a Camp for Kids with Cancer that can use the dough. I worked at its sister camp called Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut and also Camp Okizu in NorCAL. They are really special places and help kids more than you could ever imagine. Hope you'll join us at Painted Turtle on November 12.

Update on Ben's Friends

We've been busy creating new networks for Ben's Friends and doing more publicity on Facebook.

• If you "Like" our Ben's Friends Facebook Page - you can enter into a promotion to win a beautiful Sugar Paper Print. Also, anyone you invite and who Likes our page gives you another entry into the sweepstakes. We're publicizing our Facebook presence much more because about 25% of the new patient members find us there now, and that % is increasing very quickly.
• We started a Hepatitis C support group recently. One of our ace Moderators, Michael "Bones" Jones is running the group. Bones recovered from the condition and really wants to help others.
• Another new network is the United with Disabilities Support Group - this is a more general group than we have started before, but JC, another ace moderator, felt strongly there was a need.
• Our new ADHD Support Group has been growing nicely with Eric & Larry Becker's help.

Please help us by Liking our Facebook Page and spreading the word!

Sunday Brunch - September 25, 2011

Just the links, ma'am.

• On the Meaning of Moneyball - click through Alex's link.
• Amount Purchased vs Amount Wasted
• Real Artists Ship...Construction Paper
• Gold, Technology and the Death of Currencies
• Old SF
• Musical Spectrum Analysis
• The Great Prosperity vs. the Great Regression
• Talker's Block
• Facebook's Huge Trove of Photos
• Smells Like Teen Disintegration
• Republican's Letter to Bernanke
• Dinosaur Feathers Found
• Humans Reached Asia in Two Waves
• Big Sky (photo)

Other Artistic Liberties Taken by the Moneyball Movie - Hollywood Prospectus Blog

Mark Lisanti is the funniest.

Other Artistic Liberties Taken by the Moneyball Movie - Hollywood Prospectus Blog:

"After budget-conscious owner Steve Schott began charging $1 apiece for formerly free clubhouse sodas, the real-life David Justice never set up a cardboard cut-out of a naked Schott covered in sticky dollar bills, peeling them off one by one to pay for each satisfying, post-victory Coke."

Boycotting...

In general, 59 percent of people have boycotted a company. But among those who have collected unemployment, 76 percent have boycotted a company.

Correlated

Based on a survey of 116 people who have collected unemployment and 506 people in general.

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Scott Orn shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Scott Orn just shared an Instagram photo with you:

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"Bon Iver - Hopmans' Wedding Present :)"
(taken at Greek Ampitheatre Berkeley)

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

The Giants Season

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2011/09/21/postgame-notes-tim-lincecum-lists-a-few-2012-goals-and-yes-beating-kershaw-is-among-them/

This says it all about the Giant's Season:

–
KERSHAW VS. LINCECUM
March 31 @ LA (opening day): Dodgers 2, Giants 1
July 20 @ SF: Dodgers 1, Giants 0
Sept. 9 @SF: Dodgers 2, Giants 1
Sept. 20 @LA: Dodgers 2, Giants 1

A Dozen Things I Learned From Watching Two And A Half Men - Hollywood Reporter

Tim Goodman is the best...

A Dozen Things I Learned From Watching Two And A Half Men - Hollywood Reporter:

"Since there was bound to be a curiosity factor in play as Ashton Kutcher took over from Charlie Sheen as the star of Two and A Half Men, and since CBS's promotions for the "new" show have been ubiquitous, then fine, you win. Here are the 12 things I learned while watching the newly revamped Two and A Half Men:

I’ll never make that mistake again.
It was as predictable and unfunny as ever.
It’s not true that we get the television we deserve. We get the television we choose -- and this series is a fantastic reminder to vote with your remote."