RANT: Triple the tax

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225493025537660.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

REVIEW & OUTLOOK    FEBRUARY 22, 2012
Obama’s Dividend Assault
A plan to triple the tax rate would hurt all shareholders.

*** begin quote ***

President Obama’s 2013 budget is the gift that keeps on giving—to government. One buried surprise is his proposal to triple the tax rate on corporate dividends, which believe it or not is higher than in his previous budgets.

Mr. Obama is proposing to raise the dividend tax rate to the higher personal income tax rate of 39.6% that will kick in next year. Add in the planned phase-out of deductions and exemptions, and the rate hits 41%. Then add the 3.8% investment tax surcharge in ObamaCare, and the new dividend tax rate in 2013 would be 44.8%—nearly three times today’s 15% rate.

Keep in mind that dividends are paid to shareholders only after the corporation pays taxes on its profits. So assuming a maximum 35% corporate tax rate and a 44.8% dividend tax, the total tax on corporate earnings passed through as dividends would be 64.1%.

*** end quote ***

So instead of reducing the corporate tax and the dividend tax, BHO44 is increasing it.

How stupid!

This election will be critical.

Reelect and we are so <synonym for the past tense of the procreation act.> Even the worst R, won’t follow through on these tax increases.

Why should a corporation be an “American” company?

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RANT: Child support – pro and con

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/01/26/exposing-the-child-support-myth

Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Posted by Jere Beery
Exposing the Child Support Myth

*** begin quote ***

Last weekend I was standing in the checkout line at our local Wal-Mart when I overheard a conversation between the cashier and a customer. The two women obviously knew one another and began talking like they were very good friends. The Cashier asked the customer if they were going to the Jason Aldean concert that upcoming weekend. The customer replied that they had just received “their” child support check and that “they” were going to use that money to purchase the tickets, get their hair done, and pay for a sitter. This conversation got me to thinking, how much of child support payments truely directly benefit the child?

*** end quote ***

Mixed reaction to this.

On the one hand, the cited anecdote is terrible. But the other side of the coin, seeing abandoned broke families deserted by the fathers living in shelters, makes me wonder.

The Gooferment is a big problem in this whole area.

They give the women support orders that are unenforceable. I’d have the Gooferment give the money to the spouse with the children regardless of sex and take upon itself the need to collect it. Think the IRS going after “child support”.

It’s like the Gooferment’s Courts giving battered spouses an “order of protection”. Worthless. Give them a gun and “hunting license” (i.e., if they defend themselves, they are presumed innocent).

Private charity is better than Gooferment welfare. More intelligent. More flexible.

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GUNS: Firing gun into ground unsafe

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/21/new-hampshire-man-faces-felony-charge-after-firing-gun-into-ground-near-burglar/

New Hampshire man arrested for firing gun into ground while catching suspected burglar
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published February 21, 2012

*** begin quote ***

A New Hampshire man who fired his handgun into the ground to scare an alleged burglar he caught crawling out of a neighbor’s window is now facing a felony charge — and the same potential prison sentence as the man he stopped.

*** and ***

Penny Dean, a spokeswoman for the Gun Owners of New Hampshire, said her organization is “absolutely outraged” by Fleming’s arrest.

“This homeowner fired at the ground, from all accounts, in a safe direction and held a burglar for police and did things correctly,” Dean told FoxNews.com. “The fact that this man would be charged is an outrage. Burglars in New Hampshire must know it’s open season, since homeowners cannot defend themselves, as evidenced by this case. This is charging the victim.”

Rick Pelkey, Fleming’s longtime neighbor, said he’s now worried how the “straight-forward, working-class guy” will pay legal fees associated with the arrest.

“I think it’s outrageous,” Pelkey told FoxNews.com. “He did the community a service here. We ought to thank him for it.”

*** end quote ***

>Is NJ next, and NC?

That’s already illegal in NJ. Every municipality has laws about discharges in developed areas. That why I can not use my 45 on the tree rats!

He did a few things wrong.

First, that’s probably not a safe shot. Richocet? What’s in the ground in a developed area?

Only in the movies, does that work. Waving guns at bad guys and warning shots. Like shooting the gun out of someone’s hand. Theatrics. Decide that you’re willing to use deadly force, draw, take your stance, then cover the target, breath control, and sqeeeeze.

Once you’ve drawn your gun, you’ve basically decided to fire.

Second, he should have waited, gotten the guy coming towards him, and then nailed him. And kept firing till the gun was empty. And, hopefully the perp was dead.

Sad to say, but then there’s only one side of the story to tell. And, deadly force to save your life or the life of another is always per se justifiable.

It’s akin to the “shoot shovel and shutup” strategy.

Argh!

And, in NH too!

I’m shocked!!!

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Feb-21 @ 16:57

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INTERESTING: Laptop encryption is the crux of a Fifth Amendment issue

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/02/feds-urge-court-to-reject-laptop-encryption-appeal.ars

Feds urge court to reject laptop encryption appeal
By David Kravets, wired.com

*** begin quote ***

Colorado federal authorities seized the encrypted Toshiba laptop from defendant Ramona Fricosu in 2010 with valid court warrants while investigating alleged mortgage fraud, and demanded she decrypt it.

Ruling that the woman’s Fifth Amendment rights against compelled self-incrimination would not be breached, US District Judge Robert Blackburn ordered the woman in January to decrypt the laptop by the end of February. The judge refused to stay his decision to allow Fricosu time to appeal.

*** end quote ***

Would someone please explain how this is not being compelled to testify against one’s self?

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INTERESTING: Horse shoe sparks explosion

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Irishwoman-seriously-injured-as-horse-shoe-sparks-
explosion-in-Florida-oxygen-chamber-139206739.html

Irishwoman seriously injured as horse shoe sparks explosion in Florida oxygen chamber
ByPATRICK COUNIHAN,IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Monday, February 13, 2012, 7:35 AM
Updated Monday, February 13, 2012, 7:35 AM

*** begin quote ***

An Englishwoman has been killed and an Irish woman seriously injured after a hyperbaric chamber exploded at an equine medical facility in Florida.

Sorcha Moneley was flown by helicopter to the University of Florida hospital in Gainsville and underwent surgery after the accident at a farm in Morriston.

Erica Marshall, a 28-year-old English woman who lived on the farm, died in the accident which also claimed the life of a horse.

*** end quote ***

What a strange accident?

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WRITING: An injineer’s bedtime prayer

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A fat old white guy injineer’s bedtime prayer

 

Now I lay me down to sleep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

And should I luckily awake, 
Help me be the best me I can be,
like the one you did make.

Teach me to see my flaws,
long long long long long,
Before others, offense they take

When you send me my troubles,
a test to take, 
brave, me, You should make!

The poor, me to see, Your help, please,
comfort them I should, 
That warrior I would be, I am, could, would, did.

At my own stumbles,
with a laugh gift me,
So that others I can join,
Humble, 
I have so much to be about.

And help me, God,
with all the things you know,
help with, I need,
that too blind to see, am I.

With the politicians,
patience, me you should grant,
if they had been smart, after all, 
they’d have been injineers too.

But most of all, 
help me check all my signs,
So that bridge doesn’t fall down.

Humbly submitted for your consideration,
this very night. 
In the sure certain knowledge … …

zzz zzz zzz zzz

-30-

© 2012 F. John Reinke

with apologies to:
MaryAnn (MC1989) McCarra-Fitzpatrick

 

 

 

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RANT: Anyone remember the 19 Americans hostage in Egypt

Monday, February 20, 2012

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/02/10/the-brewing-egyptian-hostage-crisis/

The Brewing Egyptian Hostage Crisis
Posted by Alan W. Dowd  on Feb 10th, 2012

*** begin quote ***

Nineteen American citizens working for well-known and well-established nonprofit groups are being held on trumped-up charges that they tried to destabilize Egypt. Their offices were raided in late December, some are holed up in the U.S. embassy and all of them have been barred from flying out of Egypt. As Time magazine notes, December is significant. December is when Congress passed a number of conditions for aid to the Egyptian military, including proving a “commitment to Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, progress toward democratic reforms, and the protection of free expression, association and religion.” Not only are the last two of those conditions not being met by Egypt, but Time adds that Cairo’s case against the Americans is “propagated by the military-led regime.”

*** end quote ***

Never hear anything about this?

Remember Jimmy Carter?

See any similarities?

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MONEY: The stretch IRA to be killed

Monday, February 20, 2012

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/02/08/congress-may-crush-key-tool-for-ira-inheritors

Personal Finance
2/08/2012 @ 3:40PM
Congress May Crush Key Tool For IRA Inheritors
Deborah L. Jacobs, Forbes Staff

*** begin quote ***

Let’s hope there’s enough of a public outcry that this legislation doesn’t pass. If it does, owners of traditional IRAs will have one more reason to convert them to Roth accounts. For more about Roth conversions, see my post, “Smart Moves For Battered IRAs” and two sophisticated strategies described here and here by Forbes Associate Editor Ashlea Ebeling. Meantime, stay tuned.
Hat tip to financial planner Michael Kirsh and CPA Robert Keebler for calling the pending legislation to my attention.

*** end quote ***

More bad advice. Pay taxes now rather than later? Guess what tax rates in the future or ROIs will be. I never liked IRAs or 401Ks just because it put you at the mercy of the future politicians and bureaucrats. Argh!

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RANT: Flash Editorials February 18, 2012, by Russell D. Longcore

Monday, February 20, 2012

Flash Editorials February 18, 2012, by Russell D. Longcore:

“Entertainment: Have you ever had someone in your life that was an addict? You watch this amazing person self-destruct and you are powerless to stop it. Meanwhile, it tears out your heart and messes up your life. Whitney Houston landed on this earth with stunning beauty, immense singing talent and a heart filled with love. She just could not seem to love herself. I will miss her. “

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Well said.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Feb-20 @ 16:03

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SERVICE: Anther horror story of an old computer failing

Monday, February 20, 2012

On Saturday, I visited an old Jasper in the hospital. He was in for an emergency tune up. Hope he’s out by now. But, to the point, he was telling me his troubles with an unbacked up old Windoze box that was giving him fits. And, his family’s designated stuckee for tech support. Last time, he went through this, I pitched Mozy, Carbonite, or Pogoplug. Reprised that song.

On Sunday, I heard from a relative who’s old unbacked up Windoze box was circling the proverbial bowl. (Seems like “unbacked up” goes with “old Windoze box”.) Reprise my backup song.

Now I realize I’m crazed about it. Two belts and two suspenders.

My photos are on three live boxes, sugarsynced, carbonited, and pogopluged.

My data is on two live boxes, dropboxed, carbonited, and pogopluged.

Special projects are on one, two, or three live boxes, dropboxed, carbonited, and pogopluged. AND, boxneted.

I’ve lost work to Microsoft’s crappy solutions before.

Sure it’s messy, but if I lose something because I fat finger something, there’s always several places to recover from.

Argh!

It’s only common sense.

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