04.17.06
Map of Country Population, Density & Area
Found this cool java applet comparing the population, density and area of all the countries in the world.
04.11.06
Making Money Inventing Diseases
I found this article on timesonline.co.uk titled: Drugs companies ‘inventing diseases to boost their profits’. Its a short article talking about “diseasemongering” by the drug industry for promoting non-existent illnesses or exaggerating minor ones in order to make money.
For example, how many drugs and medications are being sold to help fight against osteoporosis. Osteoperosis is not really a disease, but rather a risk factor for broken bones. Shyness is also interpreted as a social anxiety disorder, that is treated with antidepressants.
Typically these drugs are marketed as a type of pancea to woe aspects of the human condition. This dehumanizes people- people are not solely their strengths and their aspirations, but also their fraility and weaknesses. The knowledge that “all things that begin must end” causes us to make the most of the journey inbetween, its ups and its downs.
04.06.06
Living in the Country
I was doing some research on property taxes in the country (Texas countryside). I started my search with terms like “Living in the country Texas Taxes” and “Property Taxes Texas Farms”. I didnt find much information aside from the Texas Property Tax Code 2006. The code states two points of information useful for individual land owners in the country (in otherwords, not a charity organization, religious organization, etc). First, depending on where you live, it is advisable to have your land classified, or if possible re-classified for agricultural use. In this case tax is not based on the value of the land, but on the value based on the land’s capacity to produce agricultural products. The second, which applies to all properties, is of course to apply for homestead exemption and each year you can, haggle the appraised value lower. Also, if you are over the age of 65 or a disabled person there are further exemptions. (You still have to fill out some forms). For a easier to read Q&A about homestead exemptions click here.
I later searched for subsistence farming. This took me to the wrong country- this term is more appropriate for small families in undeveloped, third world countries.
The last major search I did was for “earthship”, which are simply put, “green homes”. This article was at the top of the search results. The article states that unless you have an absolute allodial title(more on this below) you have to pay taxes, which of course can always be mitigate/offset/reduce. The article does mention reclassifying the land for agriculture use:
Or, if you have sufficient land to grow timber, you could have your property reclassified as a tree farm, which drastically reduces your property tax, but when timber is harvested you pay income tax on profits of the sale.
Now I am a bit curious what happens if you never harvest your trees.
The most interesting idea in the previous article concerns “allodial titles”. It was a term I was unfamiliar with. Basically it means you own the land and nobody has a claim on it. This is in constrast to feudal claims where ownership can be “feud”-ed. The wikipedia aticle states that Nevada and Texas have/had limited allodial title. Nevada allows a single family residence to pay the property tax in advance (present value of future property taxes) based on your age. I couldn’t find the info for Texas though.
So what do we really have when we own a property? The property can still be accessed for creditors, taxes, and emminent domain. Furthermore, there are zoning laws and building codes the land owner must adhere to.
Black hole + black hole = ?
A supermassive black hole.
This article talks about a pair of supermassive black holes in a distant universe spirialing toward each other. In the end, there will be an even bigger black hole.
“Black holes are the ultimate garbage disposals,” Sarazin said. “The material they swallow disappears without any trace, except for the gravity of the black hole.”