Culture

“Aroosake ghashange man.” I rolled over from a deep sleep. Shauna was quietly singing Persian nursery rhymes to comfort newborn daugther. I knew Cyra would be OK.

Shauna wasn’t performing for anyone or trying to look like an impressive mom, as it was 4 a.m. and there was no one else there. A private moment between mother and daughter.

Thank you for taking our daughter to music class, singing to her, reading books to her while she’s on the potty, teaching her Farsi, watching her closely as she climbs onto objects she shouldn’t be on, reading every book on parenting to become a better mom, and inspiring me to a better father.

Happy Mother’s Day!

A reader who asked to remain anonymous writes:

My 28th birthday was barely a couple of months ago, and I’ve noticed a couple of very faint wrinkles starting to form in my forehead. They’re barely visible right now, but I know that the problem is only going to get worse, and I don’t have any visible other signs of aging at the moment (no crow’s feet, smile/frown lines or lines in my neck etc.). My question is this: what skincare regimen would you recommend to minimize (if not eliminate) aging?

I’d appreciate it if you left my name out if you decide to make a post out of this.

Beauty privilege is real. People will judge you based on how you look. Better looking people earn more money for doing the same job. This is unfair. Welcome to life.

You should therefore have no shame in trying to look younger.

Most skin aging is due to not wearing sunscreen. Always wear sunscreen.

What most people consider aging is really just sun damage. Losing skin tonality, in other words, is not an internal natural process as much as it’s the result of external damage.

Compare a 40-year-old school teacher’s face to a working man’s face. The teacher’s face, unexposed to sun light, will have few lines. The skin will remain taught. The skin will slightly glow.

The man’s face will have deep line carved across his forehead. His facial skin will be dull and starting to sag.

The first rule of skincare for men is to wear sunscreen. If all a man did to his skin was apply a moisturizing sunscreen in the morning, he would look five years younger. (With a proper skincare routine, he’ll look ten years younger.)

There are hundreds of sunscreens on the market, leaving most men confused. There’s no need to be confused if you keep four things in mind:

• The sunscreen must offer UVA and UVB protection;
• The sunscreen must no clog your pores;
• The sunscreen must moisturize;
• The sunscreen should be paraben-free, as parabens are estrogenic.

You need two different sunscreens – one for daily office use, and one for serious outdoor use.

I use Vanicream sunscreen, and consider it among the best in breed. It’s titanium and zinc oxides provide full protection against skin-destroying UVA and UVB rays.

However, Vanicream is thick and can leave some white patches on your skin if, like most guys, you don’t spend several minutes working it into the skin. That’s fine for heavy outdoor use, but can look weird in the office.

Most guys want a “glob and move” sunscreen. Get a blog into your hands, smear it on your face, and get away from the bathroom mirror.

Neutrogena is a great daily-use sunscreen. It’s non-oily, so it won’t clog your pores or make your nose look like a greasy pizza. It’s also affordable.

If you have dry skin, Cetaphil Fragrance Free Daily Facial Moisturizer will be right for you. Cetaphil has extra moisturizing properties. Where as it might make a person with oily skin look greasy, it will make a person with dry skin have a moist face.

Once you’re wearing sunscreen daily, use these advanced skincare tips.

If you’re not wearing sunscreen before sun exposure, nothing else you do will matter. Once you’ve started wearing daily sunscreen, you’ll be ready for more advanced skincare tactics.

To answer your question, we can take one of three approaches. In order of ease and cost effectiveness, here you go:

1. Vaseline on your forehead.
2. Serums.
3. Retin-A.
4. Dysport.

Vaseline. If it won’t make you break out, put a small (smaller than you think, I’m talking not even a dime-sized blob) amount of Vaseline on your forehead before going to bed. That will keep the forehead skin lubricated and prevent wrinkles. You can also put some Vaseline on your forehead during the day. Just wipe it off before going out so you don’t look like a teenage grease ball.

By Vaseline, I don’t mean the fancy lotion they sell. Stick with the pure petroleum jelly.

Retin-A. Retinols (sold over the counter) are a scam. You need full, prescription-strength Retin-A. Retin-A works by encouraging cellular turnover in your skin. It essentially strips down the top, wrinkled layer of your skin, revealing a new smooth layer.

Be careful. Use a tiny amount and don’t use it every day, as it will strip the heck out of your skin if you do. You also have to avoid the sun. As with all prescription medications, do your homework before using it.

Botox/Dysport. The best time to get Botox done is before your wrinkles have formed. It’s actually relatively inexpensive if you’re a younger guy. Since you’ll need only a small amount, a treatment might only cost $300 or so every year. (You’re supposed to go every 6 months, but that’s for old ladies who already have deep wrinkles. If you’re just going for wrinkle prevention, once every 9-12 months is fine.)

Shop around. Dysport is a new competitor to Botox and they often offer coupons to compete with one another. Find a dermatologist on Yelp who only does Botox/cosmetic stuff.

Serums. Serums are topical antioxidants. Vitamin C+E encourages collagen growth. Cosmetic Skin Solutions is as good as the stuff they sell for over $125 in spas.

The Vitamin C serum only last around 30 days, as the Vitamin C oxidizes. It’s probably not cost-effective to just use it on your forehead, and is more for guys who do their whole faces.

Hyaluronic acid is a super moisturizer that will keep your skin moist and supple. For years I used a brand on Amazon that cost over $30 a month. Gorilla Mind has formulated its own skincare product.

This serum is loaded with hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B5, Vitamin E and other anti-inflammatory ingredients.

You can buy it here.

The way you breathe deeply through your belly and exhale loudly,

And prance around the house with tiny feet.

How you walk to the crib at night when you’re tired, and cry for 30 seconds before falling asleep,

And pull the covers off of my face as I try to hide away for a few minutes of rest.

The way your body crinkles into my arm as we watch cartoons.

How you excitedly grab the iPad, and you shouldn’t have it, and sit on my lap.

You won’t understand any of this,

Until you do.

The IRS taxes income from whatever source derived, and income includes any net ascension to wealth. On August 1st Bitcoin forked, and I magically had Bitcoin cash. There are a few tax problems, and I haven’t seen any solid guidance on this issue.

• Record scratch: I’m a lawyer, but not your lawyer. I’m explaining my own thinking on Bitcoin Cash and not giving any advice. And there are a lot of Internet experts out there saying that no one has to even pay taxes on Bitcoin cash, because it was free money. PLEASE hire an actual accountant.

On the day of the fork, what was Bitcoin Cash (BCH) worth? As Bitcoin cash was volatile, there’s no way to determine the exact amount. I’ve logged mine at $300 to be safe, as the IRS would love to make an example out of someone to crush Bitcoin, and that someone ain’t gonna be me.

But even a $300 estimate has problems. I didn’t have access to my Bitcoin cash on August 1st, as my hardware wallet didn’t immediately support it. Does that change the analysis as to the date of my net ascension to wealth?

Even honest taxpayers are going to have some complicated conversations with their accountants.

And how does Coinbase’s decision to wait until December 19, 2017 to give people their BCH apply to taxable losses and gains? Coinbase gave people access to their Bitcoin Cash at a cost basis of around $1,889.

Will Coinbase holders be forced to pay income taxes on $1,880 per BCH basis?

This math has real implications.

Let’s say someone had 100 bitcoins on July 31st. On August 1st that person would have realized a net ascension of wealth of between $30,000 and $40,000 (depending on how you price the BCH). Will this be taxed at ordinary income tax rates?

If that same person had his Bitcoin in Coinbase, then she would have a net ascension of wealth in the amount of $188,000. At ordinary income tax rates, that’s a tax bill as high as $73,000.

And how does one calculate the long-term and short-term capital gains tax rates for Bitcoin cash? In the U.S., the top short-term capital gains tax rate is 39%, and the top long-term capital gains rate is 20%.

The Bitcoin cash fork occurred on August 1, 2017 and my BCH are priced at $300 per coin.

If I sell my BCH on August 2, 2018 for (say) $1,200, is my rate the long-term capital gains tax rate on the $800 gain?

What about the BCH Coinbase handed over on December 17, 2017. Must investors wait until December 18, 2018 to sell their BCH in order to take advantage of the long-term capital gains rate?

These are complicated questions, and the IRS has yet to offer any guidance.

One tax accountant suggests that Coinbase users will be taxed as follows:

4. What should I use as the date of the BCH?

The date you had control. This will often be the date of the fork, 1st August 2017. For instance if you held your coins in your own local wallet, e.g. Bitcoin core or Ledger, then you were in control of the BCH private keys on that date. If you held your BTC in an online exchange, it would be more likely the date they were available to you. With Coinbase, for instance, that will not be until 1st January 2018.

Although I can’t vouch for that website, their analysis is consistent with my research and understanding of tax law.

Anyhow, these are complicated issues and the IRS would love to destroy some people.

Please hire a competent tax professional and pay your taxes on cryptocurrency.

Read now: Exodus Wallet Review.