Struck by the catastrophe in Japan following the recent tsunami, countries around the globe have been coming to Japan's aide. Supplies, money, and assistance are arriving daily. The scope and depth of the destruction that followed the earthquake has moved the world. Now, the fashion industry is seeking to be of assistance.
The fashion industry has decided to take a little time out of its busy schedule to hold the Fashion and Friends for Japan Auction. Many of those attending the auction won't even open their own car doors. The industry will put up for bids delights such as a week long stay at Dianne Furstenburg's Harbor Island beach house along with a complimentary shopping spree. (It is unlikely Dianne will be there to host her guests.) The opening bid for that treat is $16,000. Also up for bids is the opportunity to meet Anna Windsor and attend a Vogue Magazine photo shoot, opening bid $6,750. Other prizes on the block include a style consultation with Rachel Zoe, opening bid $3,250. Money raised from the auction will go to help Japan.
Like their colleagues in Hollywood, the fashion industry desires a sheen of compassion. Also like their colleagues in Hollywood, they want it without having to actually do anything but make an appearance or a gesture and look fabulous while doing so. This arrangement is perfectly natural to those who expect something from their giving. If you are going to shell out a few thousand dollars to help a worthy cause you should at least get a style consultation or a shopping spree out of it. I would love to know what becomes of the losing bids. Do the checkbooks stay open or are they closed and put away?
Dianne Furstenburg has decided to let people stay at her house for a week. Rachel Zoe has agreed to give some fashion advice. What are you doing to help people in Japan? If anyone is still on the fence and needs a little extra incentive to give, my schedule is wide open. I'd be happy to give you some fashion advice. For a good enough donation you can stay at my apartment.
3 comments:
There are quite a few practical problems legalized bigamy and/or polygamy bring. From a practical standpoint bigamy and polygamy should be banned as a matter of public policy for the extraordinary additional costs and problems they would cause society.
Marriage confers upon its parties certain benefits and privileges. A married spouse is entitled to social security survivor benefits and pension survivor benefits which unless re-written would allow bigamists/polygamists to game the system. Social Security rules would have to be re-written.
IRS rules and forms would have to geometrically increase to keep up with all the situations polygamy would produce. In addition to married filing jointly, you would have to add a category of married filing severally, married filing jointly and separately, married filing severally and separately, ect. All IRS computers and tax software would have to be re-written to include multiple spouses and/or combination of spouses filing severally and/or separately.
Community property laws would be thrown into disarray as well.
Virtually every insurance contract from auto insurance to life insurance would have to be re-written to accommodate multiple marriage partners, and would enable polygamists to game insurance contracts as well.
Federal and Estate tax laws would have to be re-written and again would be subject to being gamed to the detriment of society.
Finally the costs and emotional toll which would be suffered in a polygamist divorce would inevitably be staggering especially to the children.
Ultimately, I believe the primary beneficiaries of legalized bigamy and/or polygamy would be the lawyers who would see an economic windfall. For the greater society, it would be costly and destructive.
Cost, economic or otherwise, has rarely been a concern when it comes to social engineering. In the eyes of many progressives, doing the "right" thing is priceless, national health care being a case in point. In any event, I was not seriously trying to make a case for polygamy. I was just trying to make a point.
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