A handy guide for all.
HT: Maggie's Farm
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Not All Apply
But enough of them do. But look what we are getting in return! Chins up citizens!
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income
Tax Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment T ax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers CompensationTax.
HT: Cousin Megan today
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income
Tax Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment T ax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers CompensationTax.
HT: Cousin Megan today
Trust Me
This will be fun for you.
It wasn't so long ago that people wrote letters, and others wrote them back. Billy was a bullshitter, but quite an interesting story nonetheless.
It wasn't so long ago that people wrote letters, and others wrote them back. Billy was a bullshitter, but quite an interesting story nonetheless.
More Evidence
For the record, my parents never kept themselves from giving us a sip of their favorite adult beverage if we wanted one as a kid. It neither hurt nor helped me. I drank to excess excess in my high-school years and it even became somewhat worrisome to my mom. I came through it though without alcoholism thankfully. ("Sure, that's what they all say...?") ;-)
Circle The Wagons for Domestic Military Propaganda!
I posted on this story a last week and suggested people might want to hold their nose regarding how supposed "objective" military analysts on MSM networks (mostly retired generals) were supplied their own talking points from the Pentagon touting our invasion of Iraq .
No one showed interest in what I considered a bombshell. People shrugged I suppose.
This story, by undeniably left-wing Glen Greenwald, shows how the network news has completely ignored the story, and (because!) they were a major player in the deception. Circling the wagons so to speak.
I appreciate Greenwald sometimes. I check in on what he's ranting about now and then. He can get extremely caught up in the minutia of words that people say and write. It becomes too tedious to stay with him long, but he is an attorney...
Now, to the mall yawl!
No one showed interest in what I considered a bombshell. People shrugged I suppose.
This story, by undeniably left-wing Glen Greenwald, shows how the network news has completely ignored the story, and (because!) they were a major player in the deception. Circling the wagons so to speak.
I appreciate Greenwald sometimes. I check in on what he's ranting about now and then. He can get extremely caught up in the minutia of words that people say and write. It becomes too tedious to stay with him long, but he is an attorney...
Now, to the mall yawl!
Gary Allan - Life Ain't Always Beautiful
Lovely and sad song. Also came highly recommended by my young budding music aficionado.
From Tough All Over, 2005.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Dispatch - General
From: Bang Bang
Year: 2000
A 13 year-old boy that I'm very fond of had me listen it this today. Interesting and good sound I think. We like the chorus.
A 13 year-old boy that I'm very fond of had me listen it this today. Interesting and good sound I think. We like the chorus.
Before and After
Less than $10 in materials. About 90 minutes of my time. (Mostly untangling wires!)Sunday, April 27, 2008
A Human Camera
And sometimes I surf so you won't have to. This young man is amazing. How is something like this explained?
Beautiful Mind: Stephen Wiltshire Worth a watch.
HT: Reality Carnival
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Peter Gabriel - Mother of Violence
From his second solo album, PG2 or also known as "Scratch" for obvious reasons.
Paul O. finally persuaded me to give Genesis a chance with my ears during college and I became a fast fan. Gabriel had left the band aleady to solo when I was introduced to them so naturally I sought him out too.
Got to see PG live in the Bay Area during college and I described his show "quite mad" back then. He had us all howling at the moon by the end of the show and that was fairly unusually for the oh-so overly uptight Theology student I was back then.
Whodathunk?
MP3 File
Paul O. finally persuaded me to give Genesis a chance with my ears during college and I became a fast fan. Gabriel had left the band aleady to solo when I was introduced to them so naturally I sought him out too.
Got to see PG live in the Bay Area during college and I described his show "quite mad" back then. He had us all howling at the moon by the end of the show and that was fairly unusually for the oh-so overly uptight Theology student I was back then.
Whodathunk?
MP3 File
Steve Forbert - Romeo's Tune
Knew the song but did not know the man behind it until Big Ray V. introduced me to one of his main men.
MP3 File
From his Best Of.
MP3 File
From his Best Of.
Subliminal Logos
Rowan Manahan share the perils of introducing a new logo without checking it first from every angle possible. Hoot!
Here. Follow his directions!
Friday, April 25, 2008
My First
55 Word Story. Inspired by true events.
Para-sailing with Frank, Judith was literally scared to death. “If I die, you cannot remarry,” she insisted. “But what if she’s Olivia Newton-John?” Frank asked. They were married when Olivia was getting “Physical.” Judith threw out Frank’s Olivia albums shortly after their wedding, but she prided herself that she kept her Tom Jones collection.
Ray LaMontagne - Forever My Friend
He is great. This is from his 2004 debut, Trouble. He got inspired to be a professional after hearing a certain Stephen Stills song. So he did.
This here is a marvelous love song. I emailed it to my sweetie back when and it meant a lot to her.
Some days I'm like a regular Rico Suave, I tell ya.
MP3 File
I wikied Mr. LaMontagne, if anyone is interested in getting to know him.
This here is a marvelous love song. I emailed it to my sweetie back when and it meant a lot to her.
Some days I'm like a regular Rico Suave, I tell ya.
MP3 File
I wikied Mr. LaMontagne, if anyone is interested in getting to know him.
Bush Is Even Over In Lubbock Comma Texas
Here's some comfort for him (Obama!), for all Democrats. In Lubbock, Texas – Lubbock Comma Texas, the heart of Texas conservatism – they dislike President Bush. He has lost them. I was there and saw it. Confusion has been followed by frustration has turned into resentment, and this is huge. Everyone knows the president's poll numbers are at historic lows, but if he is over in Lubbock, there is no place in this country that likes him. I made a speech and moved around and I was tough on him and no one – not one – defended or disagreed. I did the same in North Carolina recently, and again no defenders. I did the same in Fresno, Calif., and no defenders, not one.
He has left on-the-ground conservatives – the local right-winger, the town intellectual reading Burke and Kirk, the old Reagan committeewoman – feeling undefended, unrepresented and alone.
This will have impact down the road.
I finally understand the party nostalgia for Reagan. Everyone speaks of him now, but it wasn't that way in 2000, or 1992, or 1996, or even '04.
Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal Today.
Bush lost me a long time ago. Never really had me, but really lost me nonetheless. Here's the evidence: Jorge y Mi. (7 days into my blogging "career.")
He has left on-the-ground conservatives – the local right-winger, the town intellectual reading Burke and Kirk, the old Reagan committeewoman – feeling undefended, unrepresented and alone.
This will have impact down the road.
I finally understand the party nostalgia for Reagan. Everyone speaks of him now, but it wasn't that way in 2000, or 1992, or 1996, or even '04.
Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal Today.
Bush lost me a long time ago. Never really had me, but really lost me nonetheless. Here's the evidence: Jorge y Mi. (7 days into my blogging "career.")
Leadership Lesson - If Not Humility, Try Realism
I recall being at a gathering of about 120 mid-level and up leaders who were asked to declare how they rated their performance when compared to their peers. We declared this with our eyes closed, of course, so no one would be able to see how each other viewed themselves. The results: 100% of those attending believed themselves to be in the top 30% of performers when compared to their peers. 65% that day believed themselves to be in the top 10 percent!
So much for a normal distribution (or the bell curve). Was I really there that day with such an extraordinary group of people or was something else, perhaps leadership arrogance and self-deception, at play?
This was a very vivid demonstration of how wonderful managers perceive themselves to be compared to everyone else. But the truth is, leader performance is all over the map or normally distributed. A small percentage perform very very well, a small percentage perform very very poorly. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
That's my leadership lesson for today. Maybe even an awakening pinch for us all. To supplement I've provided an article below that points out how much is out there that is yet to be known, how much we don't know, and how much we haven't learned. Hopefully we can take ourselves down a few notches, if only for today.
Awakening Pinch from a Mysterious New Crustacean.
So much for a normal distribution (or the bell curve). Was I really there that day with such an extraordinary group of people or was something else, perhaps leadership arrogance and self-deception, at play?
This was a very vivid demonstration of how wonderful managers perceive themselves to be compared to everyone else. But the truth is, leader performance is all over the map or normally distributed. A small percentage perform very very well, a small percentage perform very very poorly. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
That's my leadership lesson for today. Maybe even an awakening pinch for us all. To supplement I've provided an article below that points out how much is out there that is yet to be known, how much we don't know, and how much we haven't learned. Hopefully we can take ourselves down a few notches, if only for today.
Awakening Pinch from a Mysterious New Crustacean.
Surveying The Doobies
This band has been an all time favorite of mine and they will be appearing very soon within a stone's throw. Also from San Jose, CA. I hope I can catch them. This article is from a local alternative paper and give a nice little history of the Doobie Brothers from another strong fan.
It Keeps You Runnin' from 1976's Tak'n It To The Streets.
MP3 File
Smash Mouth - Waste
I'm almost sure that I put this song up before but it's unique and enjoyable to me. Enjoy. Hailing from my home town, this is from Smash Mouth's album Astro Lounge, 1999.
MP3 File
MP3 File
Hall and Oats - Half Way There
From their 1990 release Change of Season. I think this album hit the bargain bins very quickly but I think it is very good. Some gems in fact. This is one I really like.
MP3 File
MP3 File
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tax To Spend
The formerly great New York Times editorializes about how we will certainly need to be taxed more.
"To restore the health of the budget, let alone keep ambitious campaign pledges for spending more money, the next president, regardless of which party wins, will have to tax the American people more than any of the candidates has been willing to admit."
Meeting the nation's economic challenges mean raising my taxes says the FGNYT.
I could not be more serious about this: I have never been more personally economically challenged because of the taxes I am paying now. Federal, State, Local, Car, Food, Gas, Medicare, Social Security....
What freak'n universe is the Times in?
"To restore the health of the budget, let alone keep ambitious campaign pledges for spending more money, the next president, regardless of which party wins, will have to tax the American people more than any of the candidates has been willing to admit."
Meeting the nation's economic challenges mean raising my taxes says the FGNYT.
I could not be more serious about this: I have never been more personally economically challenged because of the taxes I am paying now. Federal, State, Local, Car, Food, Gas, Medicare, Social Security....
What freak'n universe is the Times in?
My Son On The Mound
After four games there is only one conclusion to draw. It's gonna be a long season for his Diamondbacks this year. The best to hope for is individual and team development. It certainly won't be about winning.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Makes Ya Just Want to Hug 'Em
God, I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy for the Clintons.
Mr. Beale thinks that it's still Hillary to capture the crown in November.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friends of Distinction - Going In Circles
I Quote
The Bush military is looking increasingly problematic:
Most of the missiles couldn’t be fired, and neither could any of the big guns.
The Aegis radars key to the ships’ fighting abilities didn’t work right.
The flight decks were inoperable.
Most of the lifesaving gear failed inspection.
Corrosion was rampant, and lube oil leaked all over.
The verdict: “unfit for sustained combat operations.”
Those results turned up by an inspection by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey — commonly known as an InSurv — would be bad enough if they came from one warship.But they came from two. In different fleets, in different oceans. Within a week of each other. And each ship represents the Navy’s most sophisticated front-line surface combatants.Platitudes, swagger and empty gestures are no substitute for proper logistics, maintenance, and strategic coherency. Vox Day today.
I've been out of our country's canoe club for longer than I was ever in, but heads basically roll for this. It's alarming, especially since, as the article says, it is not a matter of adequate funding for ships' maintainence etc. It indicates poor leadership from both officers and NCO's and/or the poor quality of our sailors.
I don't think I would lay the blame for this at the feet of John Paul Bush as Vox Day does, since the "ship's captain is Jesus Christ himself" on a U.S. Navy man 'o war.
The Jesus quote I remember distinctly from a Chief Petty Officer teaching us damage control at OCS back when I was an officer candidate. There are some things you just remember, huh?
You May Want To Hold Your Nose For This One
Because something is stinky in Denmark. Surprise surprise! The illustration above was found under Google image search: "Military Industrial Complex". I wonder why?
From the formerly great New York Times:
In the summer of 2005, the Bush administration confronted a fresh wave of criticism over Guantánamo Bay. The detention center had just been branded “the gulag of our times” by Amnesty International, there were new allegations of abuse from United Nations human rights experts and calls were mounting for its closure.
The administration’s communications experts responded swiftly. Early one Friday morning, they put a group of retired military officers on one of the jets normally used by Vice President Dick Cheney and flew them to Cuba for a carefully orchestrated tour of Guantánamo.
To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as “military analysts” whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.
Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.
Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves. But collectively, the men on the plane and several dozen other military analysts represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized.
HT: The New Shelton Wet/Dry
