Fair Tax

Having recently completed my yearly ritual visit to my tax accountant with my big bundle of paperwork I’ve been thinking about tax options. A good friend of mine keeps telling me about the Fair Tax – actually it was her mantra as I was helping her complete her on-line taxes last week. So, I’ve been taking a look at it and I like what I see.

What are some of the advantages? Well, for one I wouldn’t have to spend so much time preparing my paperwork, going to a tax accountant, and paying him a lot of money just to do my taxes. How much work is it to do your taxes? Think about it. Then there are all the tax loopholes that big corporations crawl through to avoid paying taxes. Check out this article and this other one.

But what is the Fair Tax? Well, instead of a Federal Income Tax, there would be a national retail sales tax. Ugh you say, but wait, there will also be a monthly prebate sent to everyone to ensure no American pays federal taxes on incomes up to the poverty level. The amount will vary, but a single person could get as much as $190 a month. Wikipedia has a very informative article.

There is a lot out on the Internet both pro and con about the Fair Tax, so I'm not going to fill up this page with links. Personally, I doubt if our present system will change (that's the pessimist in me talking). However, this is the best alternative I’ve seen so far. It would be fair to everyone and raise the same amount of revenue for the federal government.

Something to think about.

Passing on the Thanks

My Blog has been awarded an Excellent Blog Award by Frances Ellen Speaks . Wow. Thanks Frances!

I’ve done some checking around about this award and have found that it originated at ProjectMommy. I’ve also discovered that this is something that you should pass on to other deserving Blogs. Here’s what ProjectMomy said: “By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people who’s blog’s you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…”

Thinking about this award got me to thinking about Blogging, and the Internet, in general. The Internet has come a long way in a relatively short time. In the mid-90’s I found it incredible that I was able to take a college course (on networking) over the Internet. Now I have several friends who’ve gotten their masters degree completely over the Internet. Once having a Web site was something unusual, now if a company DOESN’T have a Web site I wonder if their legitimate. Blogs are going the same route. How many are out there? Check out this little Blog article on the subject.

As to that list of deserving Blogs:
Story of Nadia
My View of “IT”
Stuff I Like
Strange Maps
i shot the chef
Mission Blog
Delta Daily Photo
Pet Bird
A Little Bit Interesting
Science News Blog

Happy Blogging everyone!

Childhood's End - Addendum

Well, just when you're expecting one thing the universe throws you a curve ball. My boyfriend - who doesn't remember dates - actually remembered my birthday (or did he read my Blog?) and sent flowers and a balloon. He's also taking me out for a nice dinner. I also got a phone call from an old friend that I haven't spoken to (although we sometimes trade e-mails) in years. She called just to with me a "Happy Birthday". So, all total I got two phone calls, one e-mail, flowers, a balloon, and dinner. Not bad.

Just remember, when you think you know what's going to happen, expect the unexpected.

Childhood’s End

Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m in a rather down mood. No, I’m not hung up on the age thing. I feel that age has three categories: chronological, mental, and physical -- as long as the mental and physical are less than the chronological then you are doing OK. My problem is that I’ve no one left to celebrate with, or maybe I should say that there is no one who cares to celebrate with me.

Birthday celebrations are a thing for family and some friends. It’s generally a youth oriented activity with exceptions for special family members. Unfortunately, I’ve run out of family (no, I didn’t bump them off: cancer and heart attacks did it). I do have a friend who usually calls me and sends a card, but there is enough of the child in me still to want a cake and some balloons, maybe a party with fun activities. Oh well.

So tomorrow I will put a candle in a cupcake and sing “Happy Birthday to me”. I’ll probably treat myself to lunch out somewhere and maybe buy a book or music CD. Life is what you make of it. Even if there is no one else to party with, have a party with yourself. After all, you spend a lot of time together, might as well make the best of it.

When You Turn 75

The Beatles did a song called “When I’m 64” asking if that certain someone would still love them and care for them at that age. Well, I’m not to that age yet, but I am planning on doing something on my 75th birthday -- and you might want to consider it as well. Give me a minute to explain a few things and then I’ll fill you in.

Hopefully most of you know about the North Star. It is in a constellation called The Little Dipper. Do you know how to locate the North Star? First you locate the constellation The Big Dipper (it looks like a pot with a handle). You follow an imaginary line from the two stars on the far side of the pot up and you will find the North Star. The Astronomy Picture of the Day Web site has a great picture showing this. If you roll you mouse over the image then you’ll see what I’m trying to explain.

The Big Dipper is part of a much larger constellation called Ursa Major (the Great Bear). If you want to see what Ursa Major looks like, go to this Web site. The stars that make up much of the Big Dipper are 75 light years from Earth. Therefore, if you look at the Big Dipper on your 75th birthday, you will see what those stars really looked like on the day that you were born.

Everybody needs something nice to look forward to.

Stress Buster

I've spent this week working on two writing jobs and I must admit that my creative index is a little low at the moment. I was starting to stress out about what I was going to post this week - and after talking about stress last week I should have read my own advice. But then what do I find in my e-mail in-box but this wonderful gem that I'm going to use for my post this week.

The English language can be tough for non-English speakers to learn. It can be tough for native speakers too since there are so many sound-alike words that have different meanings. This e-mail takes a humorous look at some of them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did (I just love these kinds of word play). Thanks Carla!

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Police were called to a day care center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U.C.L.A.

The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.

The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.

The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

A will is a dead giveaway.

A backward poet writes inverse.

A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , and resulted in linoleum blownapart.

He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

A calendar's days are numbered.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

Acupuncture: a jab well done.

Too Much Stress

I don’t remember who told me this, but when I’m stressing out (something most of us do too often) I try to follow it: “Don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.”

Let’s face it, life can come at you pretty hard these days. I’m still looking for a job but that doesn’t stop the bills from coming in. Listening to the news I know I’m not the only one trying to make ends meet. Money must be one of the biggest stressors in a lot of people’s lives. There are so many things that add stress: your job (or lack of one), your family, medical issues, bills, news, and who knows how many more things I could list. No wonder so many people have trouble sleeping or battle high blood pressure.

But are we truly dealing with what is really important? Probably not. It is so easy to let things get the in way of what you should be doing or thinking about. I think it’s something about not being able to see the forest for the trees. Life is about the journey, not the destination. We need to remember to try and enjoy our journey.

OK you say, where in this [insert expletive here] world is there something to enjoy? Well, I can’t tell you. Instead just stop for a minute and look around you. Let me give you an example: I had to drive somewhere during rush-hour traffic. The road was more of a slow moving parking lot than an intrastate highway. I was stressed out because I was going to be late, people kept trying to cut me off, the person in the car in front of me wasn’t going fast enough, etc. Then I looked out my window at the concrete barrier between the two sides of the highway. There growing from a crack in the concrete was a small plant (OK, weed), but it had a lovely bunch of purple flowers on it. My point is this: take a minute and look around you – even in the midst of concrete and asphalt you can find something beautiful.

I’m not saying that you need to go out and start looking for flowers. What I am advising is that you stop for a minute or two during your day and look for something that makes you feel happy. For example, animals can be great therapy. Studies have found that petting a dog or cat can lower blood pressure. Here’s an article that has quite a bit of information on how animals can improve our lives. Some other ideas: share a joke with a friend, read a cartoon, look out the window, hug a family member, or read a book. Want some more ideas? Check out this Web site for a long list of suggestions.

What’s something that I do? Well, one thing that I enjoy is photography, so if I can, I go take pictures. Here’s one that I took the other day: