Published on January 26, 2009 - 29 views
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One of the original goals of the Slate 60, now in its 13th year of tracking the largest philanthropic contributions of the year, was to inspire competitiveness among the nation’s superwealthy: to encourage them to outdo one another not in making money but in giving it away. And whether donors were responding to the challenge or had more altruistic intentions, there’s no denying that charitable giving by the wealthy has spiked dramatically in the last decade or so.
A superficial look at the 2008 list might suggest that the troubled economy has had a smaller impact on philanthropy than we might expect. In 2007, the Slate 60 comprised donations totaling $7.79 billion. In 2008, the total is $15.78 billion. (Read our methodology.) But upon closer examination, it’s apparent that the breadth and depth of our economic crisis is such that even the wealthiest Americans are giving cautiously. Most obviously, the great bulk of the giving on this year’s list comes from those who have died. An unprecedented eight of the top 11 gifts are bequests, including the late Leona Helmsley’s $5.2 billion gift at No. 1and the late James LeVoy Sorenson’s $4.5 billion gift at No. 2. In all, 13 of the 61 contributions appearing on our list (we count ties) are bequests, accounting for $11.64 billion of the $15.78 billion total.
click on the picture for information on each donor, and read the whole article at MSN Slate.
Amazing photographs taken from the bottom of the ocean. most of these seem from the same class of marine mollusks, or sea slugs. An amazing array of colors and sensory organs awash these sea creatures.
I noticed much of my traffic is coming from sources looking for holiday items to buy this Christmas season. With some extra time to spare, I took the opportunity to gather a list of hot items this season. Rollover an item to see its name and description.
and as the last picture states, you can always buy gift-cards… I’d strongly advise Visa, MasterCard, and Amex Gift Cards only with the current state of the economy.
Hi there…it is me again… a lot of pictures have been taken so I put together a new album. I hope you enjoy.
This is my uncle Simons. His name isn’t really Simons but he wishes to be called that because he wants to be like the famous fitness man that goes by the same name I think.
Hi there…this is me… Mom said I got all the good looks and no brains. I have a stomach ulcer.
This is my mom. She has lots of boyfriends. One of them has a job. She says with a little luck I could be a garbage man one day.
This is my brother Hank. He is in jail right now. When he gets out he is not allowed to be around animals and kitchen appliances.
My grandmom lives with us in our trailer. Shes smells real bad. She likes to hang out in bars and drink beer. Grandma has sores all over. The flies are terrible.
McCain: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by the flooding throughout the Midwest. Cindy and I would like to extend our sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones, and stand ready to help those in the Midwest to recover and rebuild.”
While one prays for the victims, the other grabs a shovel to fill sandbags. Sure makes surprising photo-ops no? :p Who do you want picking the head of FEMA?
“An indigenous woman holds her child while trying to resist the advance of Amazonas state policemen who were expelling the woman and some 200 other members of the Landless Movement from a privately-owned tract of land on the outskirts of Manaus, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon March 11, 2008. The landless peasants tried in vain to resist the eviction with bows and arrows against police using tear gas and trained dogs. REUTERS/Luiz Vasconcelos-A Critica/AE (BRAZIL)”.
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