Catherine

We don't have official results yet but I do have a couple of pictures. This one shows what the targets look like from 200 yards away. The black bulls-eye (cleverly disguised as a medium-grey dot) is actually about a foot across. This one is of the folks on the firing line, taken from our assigned point about 2/3 of the way down the line. Surrounded by folks with high-power rifles front, back, and to both sides: a great place to be!

Cool! Should I ever find myself in Arkansas I will be certain to check it out. Thanks KC.

#7, for me. Client had been laid off and was starting a consulting business. We talked about the effects of unemployment (signed up for no tax to be withheld; didn't ask me first), requirement not to accept unemp if working, consequences of self-employment (SE tax, fed tax, state tax). She estimated she would get about $15K unemp and and $12K SE income (in addition to YTD earnings and husband's income). Gave her estimated coupons based on those projections with written and verbal instructions to call back if it looked like she was going to earn substantially more than estimated, as those amounts would be insufficient. Came in the next year - $34K unemp and about the same in SE income. Big tax bill. Mad at -me- as if I was the cause. Miserable little (I won't say it) griped and moaned about how I messed up and it was all my fault. She got fired. Possibly 3 minutes before she would have fired me. Not a surprise in some ways; her dad got his knickers all in a twist when he retired and turned day-trader and I charged him per trade (after telling him that was how I bill for that work). He got fired too. I have easier ways to hurt myself than deal with people like that.

Windows operating systems are like Star Trek movies -- every other one it not worth the time. Skip W8.

Pretty! But I guarantee you that I have never been there.

I skipped the overlays. But on time -- a character in a book I read some time ago had a fabulous statement about time. She said, "Time doesn't fly; it damned near evaporates on you!" And she was SO right.

FBAR and FUBAR are ---sssooo--- very close.... I stopped doing these for folks; I now have a one-page info sheet that I hand to clients with foreign accounts. I just include the 8938 (or whatever it is) with the 1040, as needed.

Funny, yes, -- but in the following kind of way:

Wonderful, Jack!!

How to piss off a frog... http://grumpyelder.com/2014/04/how-to-piss-off-a-frog-video/

Has anyone used a collection agency?

Latest update -- *FINALLY* the DCF commissioner gave in to pressure to resign. A necessary - but not sufficient - step towards freeing Justina. http://hosted2.ap.org/wrko/afb5c11d61c140368f0a3bb63800228a/Article_2014-04-29-US-Massachusetts-Child-Welfare/id-fdb1dba7f8f447998ab21191e770ee86

We all get those -- the same folks year after year who "forgot their checkbook" or something. And for the most part, they pay up. For a few years I put on my yearly letter "no new work can begin until past balances are paid in full" along with a copy of the invoice. That usually got fast payment with embarrassed apologies. This year for the very few who owe, I am being much more stringent about billing them. First reminder goes by email before the client has even left the street. Second goes by US Mail and includes a $15 late payment fee. Third (haven't had to do this yet!) will add 1-1/2% interest to the total with a note that interest will be billed monthly.

He looked like he had big hands until the video got to the picture of him holding Grampa's finger!

Congratulations JACK!!! And to Caleb and his mama, too!

Gee -- maybe the bonuses were so they could pay their back-due taxes? In which case, I have a couple of clients who could use a job at the IRS themselves - they might finally resolve pesky tax problems.

Not merely lack of understanding but actual disdain and contempt.

I have several non-citizen (permanent, legal resident) clients for whom FATCA and FBAR are serious considerations in whether or not to continue living and working (and paying taxes!) here, and/or to apply for citizenship here. So it also impacts good, hardworking, law-abiding, tax-paying non-US citizens as well -- and drives some of them to leave and take their reporting requirements and tax dollars OUT of the system. Your article, KC, also did not mention the -extremely- nasty fine system. Failure to report (even with NO malice or criminal intent) can result in fines of HALF THE MONEY held in those accounts. If that is not confiscatory, I do not know what is. No crime; a mere failure to report an account. And now they are starting to want info on accounts a taxpayer has NO control over, such as eligibility for foreign pensions.

I got a renewal notice from Drake and jumped at it. Their program gives you a $400 discount for renewing early, dropping $100/month-ish until you get up to full price. Fully refundable by 12/31. Refundable minus some kind of fee if you bail before e-filing any returns. FWIW

Thank you, Michaelmars!

Also here: http://constitutiondecoded.com/gbtp-tax-day-rally-video.html with text here: http://constitutiondecoded.com/gbtp-tax-day-rally-april-13-2014.html

One of the clubs here in MA runs an annual "machine gun shoot" as a fundraiser. We went a number of years ago; you bought ammo for the gun you wanted to try and got to fire those rounds. Pricey (and this was well before the cost of ammo skyrocketed a few years ago) but tons of fun. They had Gatling guns and Tommy guns and all kinds of historic military firearms. The "targets" were some outer-shell-only old cars and other vehicles bought from a junkyard for the purpose. My personal favorite part was flummoxing my instructor by being able, first time, to do 2 and 3 round bursts. Not common for "girls" apparently.

Married over 70 years; held hands EVERY morning at breakfast. Died 15 hours apart. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/19/they-held-hands-at-breakfast-every-morning-over-70-years-of-marriage-is-it-any-surprise-it-took-him-so-little-time-to-follow-her-in-death/

I don't scare Tom? Pout. Guess I will settle for being loved!

Yes; Frontsight. they seem to have some really interesting classes but all I recall is that they're farther out west than I am willing to drive...