Tax Law: Eagle Art

Interesting tax question: Should art be valued what it is technically worth (in this case, the appraisers are right in my opinion: It is worth zero dollars since any sale of it is illegal) or what it would be valued at on the open, non-law influenced market? Several important folks came to my same decision: "Since the artwork couldn't be sold, logic dictated that it be listed as having zero value, which is what the Sonnabend family's three appraisers, one of them Christie's auction house, did."

RPG Types

Here's something that I've been wondering for awhile. Which type of RPG do I like more? There are games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, where your hero is a poorly sketched persona that you give meaning and voice to, within certain constraints. Then, there is the Final Fantasy/JRPG type hero, who has a growth arc throughout the story. What I think people like about the Mass Effect/Dragon Age type characters is ownership, so you can play the character how you want, both in the drama of the game and the mechanics of the game. I've been tinkering around, for awhile, with a game to test that. At the outset, you would be given all of your party members as a blank canvass.

You could apply background traits to them, define relationships, set up their class/type and focus, etc. So, the up front part of building your party dynamic is all done at the beginning. Each party member has a defined story arc, but their progression through that story arc changes based on how you answer questions about their background, etc. The only issue, of course, is that you need the decisions to matter and have weight.

Either way, it is always good to get a better feel for "what sort of things do I like?" If, for no other reason, than so you have a better idea what to spend money on.

----

P.S.,

If you haven't played the Phoenix Wright games, you can fix that this Fall. Also: Yes. This got the law tag.

I'm Not Suggesting EVERYONE...

"And I’m not suggesting that all stressed-out fathers should just get baked. ... But for me, at least, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks." I just don't like the reasoning that goes into this sort statement. I'm not suggesting EVERYONE act in this way, but it totally works for me."

Is the Filibuster Unconstitutional?

That is the question the Washington Post asks, and which the subject of their article answers in the affirmative. Now, I have some questions. Asking questions is good. First, let's sit down and read the article. Come back after the jump when you are done.