kcjenkins

That brings back many memories, doesn't it? Loved those cartoons!

Marcuntil paid.o, you must reurn THEIR documents, paid or not. But you may retain your work product

The Miracle of Miniaturization When I was in grade school, I remember other kids who were hard of hearing -- they had to wear hearing aids. Back then, hearing aids were often pretty big: the size of a transistor radio (yeah yeah: no one remembers those anymore either! I'll say "pack of cigarettes" -- and hope that it won't be long before people have trouble understanding what size that is!) Anyway, they were pretty big, often worn in a shirt pocket with wires going up to earphones. Naturally, kids felt awfully self-conscious with those wires coming out of their ears, which made them look "different". These days, thanks to the miracle of electronics and miniaturization, hearing aids are now so small that you often don't even notice when people are wearing them, and the hard-of-hearing don't have to feel self-conscious because of their hearing aids. Well here we are in the 21st century. And these days, thanks to the miracle of electronics and miniaturization, most electronic devices are pretty tiny. Rather than needing a large stereo system with stacks of CDs (or, the horror!, vinyl records), you can now pack hundreds of hours of high fidelity music on a device the size of a pack of gum, often worn in a shirt pocket with wires going up to earphones. Naturally, the kids who can't afford them feel awfully self-conscious since they clearly don't have them. But the people who can afford them often have them turned up way too loud, pumping high-volume music directly into their ears for hours and hours every day -- resulting in a new generation of hard-of-hearing kids....

Heavenly Bran Muffins An 85-year-old couple, having been married almost 60 years, died in a car crash. They had been in good health the last 10 years, mainly due to the wife's interest in health food and exercise. When they reached the Pearly Gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they "oohed and aahed," the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "It's free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven." Next they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges every day, and each week the course changed to a new one, representing the great golf courses on Earth. The old man asked, "What are the green fees?" Peter's reply, "This is Heaven, you play for free." Next they went to the club house and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out. "How much to eat?" asked the old man. "Don't you understand yet? This is Heaven, it's free!" Peter replied with some exasperation. "Well, where are the low-fat and low-cholesterol tables?" the old man asked timidly. Peter lectured, "That's the best part -- you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like, and you never get fat or sick. This is Heaven." With that the old man went into a fit of anger, throwing down his hat and stomping on it, shrieking wildly. Peter and his wife both tried to calm him down, asking him what was wrong. The old man looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault. If it weren't for your bran muffins, I could have been here 10 years ago!"

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Scientists Ingredients: 532.35 cm3 gluten 4.9 cm3 NaHCO3 4.9 cm3 refined halite 236.6 cm3 partially hydrogenated tallow triglyceride 177.45 cm3 crystalline C12H22O11 177.45 cm3 unrefined C12H22O11 4.9 cm3 methyl ether of protocatechuic aldehyde Two calcium carbonate-encapsulated avian albumen-coated protein 473.2 cm3 theobroma cacao 236.6 cm3 de-encapsulated legume meats (sieve size #10) To a 2-L jacketed round reactor vessel (reactor #1) with an overall heat transfer coefficient of about 100 Btu/F-ft2-hr, add ingredients 1, 2 and 3 with constant agitation. In a second 2-L reactor vessel with a radial flow impeller operating at 100 rpm, add ingredients 4, 5, 6, and 7 until the mixture is homogenous. To reactor #2, add ingredient 8, followed by three equal volumes of the homogenous mixture in reactor #1. Additionally, add ingredient 9 and 10 slowly, with constant agitation. Care must be taken at this point in the reaction to control any temperature rise that may be the result of an exothermic reaction. Using a screw extrude attached to a #4 nodulizer, place the mixture piece-meal on a 316SS sheet (300 x 600 mm). Heat in a 460K oven for a period of time that is in agreement with Frank & Johnston's first order rate expression (see JACOS, 21, 55), or until golden brown. Once the reaction is complete, place the sheet on a 25C heat-transfer table, allowing the product to come to equilibrium. Enjoy!

Good luck!

Man's Best Friend How Dogs and Men Are Alike 1. Both keep moving, even when they are lost. 2. Both take up too much space on the bed. 3. Both have irrational fears about the vacuum cleaner. 4. Both are threatened by their own kind 5. Neither understands what people see in cats. 6. Both want dominance. 7. Both do the dishes by licking them clean. 8. Both chase cars. 9. The larger ones tend to drool. 10. The smaller ones tend to be more nervous. How Dogs Are Better Than Men 1. Dogs don't have problems expressing affection in public. 2. Dogs miss you when you are gone. 3. You can train a dog. 4. Dogs are very direct about wanting to go out. 5. Dogs understand what "NO!" means. 6. Dogs mean it when they kiss you. 7. When dogs play "fetch," they don't laugh at how you throw. 8. Dogs are color blind. 9. Dogs understand if some of their friends aren't allowed to come inside. 10. Dogs are less likely to hump your leg. How Dogs are Better Than Women 1. Dogs understand that instincts are better than asking for directions. 2. Dogs don't hate their bodies. 3. Dogs don't criticize. 4. Dogs never expect gifts. 5. Dogs don't want to know about every other dog you've ever had. 6. Dogs don't let a magazine article guide their lives. 7. Dogs love it when your friends come over. 8. The later you are coming home, the more excited they are to see you. 9. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name. 10. A dog's parents never visit.

But Sara, don't you think the right and proper action should have been for the IRS to at least ask Congress for a 'correction' to make it a requirement? That is routinely done for much smaller, less costly 'ommissions' in tax bills, yet I could find no data showing that this HUGE ommission was ever requested to be corrected.

In a lengthy piece posted at CNS News, it has been found that the IRS consciously decided to ‘legalize illegal aliens’ for tax purposes 17 years ago. This means that foreigners are getting the same tax benefits as U.S. citizens. The most debatable aspect of this move regards refundable child tax credits. CNS News reports : The question of whether to legalize illegal aliens and put them on a pathway to citizenship may be the most controversial legislative issue facing the U.S. Congress this year. But, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), seventeen years have already passed since the Internal Revenue Service made its own “policy decision” to “’legalize’ illegal aliens.” That policy, made those many years ago, not only determined that the IRS would treat illegal aliens the same as legal immigrants and U.S. citizens, but also that the IRS would not hand over to federal immigration authorities information about employers who appeared to be hiring large numbers of illegal aliens and about illegal aliens who filed false documents with the IRS. As a result of the IRS’s policy, by 2010, according to TIGTA, the service was paying out $4.2 billion in refundable “Additional Child Tax Credits” [ACTC] to illegal aliens. In 2011, according to TIGTA, the IRS would pay more than $46 million in tax refunds to what theoretically were 23,994 illegal aliens who all used the same address in Atlanta. The upshot of this change of “policy” by the IRS means that the federal government is subsidizing illegal immigration using taxpayer money: “We believe legislation is needed to clarify whether or not refundable tax credits such as the ACTC may be paid to filers without an SSN,” said the 2009 [inspector General] audit report. “Such a legislative change could result in cost savings to the federal government of $1.8 billion annually ($8.9 billion over 5 years). As it now stands, the payment of federal funds through this tax benefit appears to provide additional incentive for aliens to enter, reside, and work in the U.S. without authorization, which contradicts federal law and policy to remove such incentives.” On July 7, 2011, TIGTA published yet another audit report revealing that President Obama’s economic stimulus law had made the ACTC more generous and that the IRS had paid out $4.2 billion to illegal aliens through this refundable credit in 2010. The title of this audit report: “Individuals Who Are Not Authorized to Work in the United States Were Paid $4.2 Billion in Refundable Credits.” In July 2012, TIGTA published a report on an audit it had initiated because two IRS employees had alleged “that IRS management was requiring employees to assign Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) even when the applications were fraudulent.” The qualifications for the ACTC are listed here . The second component is very interesting indeed. Qualification – A qualifying child for this credit is someone who meets the qualifying criteria of six tests: age, relationship, support, dependent, citizenship, and residence. Maybe if the IRS spent less time auditing tea party and conservative groups, they could catch more unlawful use of of the U.S. tax code by foreigners?

Usually it's a "financial Colonoscopy". Make it clear up front that you will have to charge by the hour. The more the client does to get organized, the better for him in keeping your fees down. Once you have that understanding in place, Gail's advice is spot-on. Might have been just 'luck of the draw', or maybe triggered by some former 'sub' asking for unemployment, etc. Does not matter now WHY. But discuss the issue of subs in detail in advance, so you know what to expect. PS NEVER EVER LIE to them, if you don't know some detail, just say that and tell them you will get the info and get back to them. DO NOT ever assume you know annything you have not already checked yourself. You are not responsible for the outcome, but you are for what you tell them.

Yep. His Star Wars bit is worth the whole effort, by itself. PS Yay!! My Grandaughter's bunny won Best of Breed for holland lop!

But that is EXACTLY my point, Jainen. They ARE complying with the law, but the EEOC is ignoring that 'small detail' to try and use the power of threats of expensive and protracted litigation to induce them to do something the LAW does not require. That is what I find outrageous.

It is sincere. And my life is improving, since I've moved close to my kids. It really helps to have a reason to get up and do, like this weekend going to the county fair to watch my granddaugther show her rabbits. Also went with most of the family to see Weird Al's show Sat. Something I'd never have done on my own, but enjoyed.

This is a topic that's been debated quite a bit here over the yeas. This ruling might clear up some of the confusion, even tho it only directly applies to Non-Resident Aliens. U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the Tax Court, which had agreed with the IRS position. http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/South-Korean-Gambler-Wins-Appeal-Slot-Machine-Tax-Ruling-67378-1.html?ET=webcpa:e7374:61496a:&st=email A South Korean businessman who lost thousands of dollars in a California casino shouldn’t be taxed for each winning pull of a slot-machine lever, a U.S. appeals court found. Sang J. Park, who visited the casino while on vacation, can calculate taxes based on the outcome of sessions of gambling rather than on individual bets, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington said Tuesday, ruling against the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and reversing a Tax Court decision. The IRS lets U.S. citizens calculate their taxes based on net winnings over the course of a gambling session. The appeals court said the same reasoning could apply to nonresident foreign gamblers. While Park made $431,658 in 2006 and $103,874 in 2007 in winning slot-machine jackpots, over the full course of his excursions he was a net loser of $4,663 in one year and $45,130 in the other, according to the filing. Foreign gamblers in the U.S. are subject to a 30 percent tax on slot-machine winnings of $1,200 or more, according to court filings. The IRS argued that the tax code doesn’t allow foreign gamblers to deduct losses from winnings. The appeals court called that argument “a non sequitur.” “The fact that non-resident aliens may not deduct gambling losses from gambling winnings does not tell us how to measure those losses and winnings in the first place,” the court said. Typically, U.S. casinos withhold 30 percent of slot jackpots from foreign nationals and won’t let them attempt to recover that money if they wind up net losers, McDevitt said. The casino Park attended failed to withhold from him, sparking a tax bill from the IRS, he said. “We were actually afforded an opportunity to challenge the law, which usually doesn’t come up,” McDevitt said. “Now, the foreigners will be allowed to file amended tax returns and claim refunds of the tax they’ve already paid.” Grant Williams, a spokesman for the IRS, declined to comment on the decision.

I agree with Jack, he's going to owe on the forgiveness. And frankly, he sounds like a client that, if you do take him on, you'll regret it. That "(per our conversation, which ever will work)" is a dead givaway that he's going to tell you whatever he thinks will get him a return with less owing, no matter how far from the truth it is. And your name will be on it. Are you sure you want that?

The hippo races just cracked me up, Cat. Love it. Also, made me think of some of the questions we get asked while doing tax returns, and how I often wished I could answer them!

I had really bad experiences with the only Dell printer I ever used. But that was years ago. I'd suggest you go to CNet and check out their reviews, I've found them to be very fair and useful. And they consider both price and consumables,not just initial price. http://reviews.cnet.com/printers/ One thing Ii did notice was that while many of them were rated at 3 or 3.5 stars by the editors, they got much lower rating from USERS.

OK, your turn now. Add a good one, we all need to laugh more.

A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet dachshund along for company. One day, the dachshund starts chasing butterflies and before long the dachshund discovers that he is lost. So, wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having him for lunch. The dachshund thinks, "OK, I'm in deep trouble now!" Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by, and immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the dachshund exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here." Hearing this, the leopard halts his attack in mid-stride, as a look of terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees. "Whew," says the leopard. "That was close. That dachshund nearly had me." Meanwhile, a monkey, who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes. But the dachshund saw him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figured that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine." Now the dachshund sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back, and thinks, "What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet ... and, just when they get close enough to hear, the dachshund says.................. "Where's that darn monkey? Sent him off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard."

When I was a young minister, a funeral director asked me to hold a grave side service for a homeless man with no family or friends. The funeral was to be at a cemetery way out in the country. This was a new cemetery and this man was the first to be laid to rest there. I was not familiar with the area and became lost. Being a typical man, of course, I did not ask for directions. I finally found the cemetery about an hour late. The back hoe was there and the crew was eating their lunch. The hearse was nowhere to be seen. I apologized to the workers for being late. As I looked into the open grave, I saw the vault lid already in place. I told the workers I would not keep them long, but that this was the proper thing to do. The workers, still eating their lunch, gathered around the opening. I was young and enthusiastic and poured out my heart and soul as I preached. The workers joined in with, "Praise the Lord," "Amen," and "Glory!" I got so into the service that I preached and preached and preached, from Genesis to The Revelation. When the service was over, I said a prayer and walked to my car. As I opened the door, I heard one of the workers say, "I never saw anything like that before and I've been putting in septic systems for twenty years."

While cleaning the attic, Joan and Harry found an old stub for some shoes they left at the repair shop 10 years ago. They thought it would be funny to go to the shop and see if the shoes were still there. So they did. They handed the stub to the repair man who took it and looked in the back. He came out again and said, "They'll be ready on Wednesday."

Yes, Sara, that is what needs to be done. I can't help thinking that most of the 'rot' started when an admitted tax cheat was placed in charge of the agency. It's hard not to believe that the truly dedicated IRS employees, at all levels, found that embarassing and disheartening. And then you add on all the new non-tax responsibilities you mention, and it's a recipe for disaster.

Lion, that was my exact reaction to that joke. Maybe you have to reach a certain age to get to the point you cheer on any smart comeback from an "old guy or gal"? I'm not going to bother with criticisims about jokes. A joke is always an attempt at sharing a smile with your audience. Not all work for all people, but they are all meant in the spirit of sharing cheerfulness, so if it falls flat for me, I will ignore it and move on. Only if I think something was clearly meant to hurt someone would I object. We all need laughs in our lives. After Don died, my boys called often, just to 'check on Mom', and some of the best parts of those calls were the jokes they shared with me. Don had always loved god jokes, and hearing the boys carry on that tradition gave me a great lift in a hard time. If I can give someone else a smile now and then, I will. SLC has been a member since the start, back in Aprill 07, and has only posted 219 posts in all those years, and most of the recent ones have been negative in tone. I hope that's not due to problems in his life. He can attack me, I'm a tough old bird, but attacking Catherine IS NOT ALLOWED.

ROTFLMAO !!!!!!!!!