Catherine

There are two kinds of backups -- data and "cold metal restore." The first is the easy kind - and the easiest to automate. It's the kind that Mozy, Carbonite, iDrive, and others will do online daily (or more often). The other gives you all your executables (programs) and doesn't need to be done daily -- but certainly after major updates. Those are the ones that will put all your software back on a new machine. Then import your data from the data backup. Old saying in the field -- electronic devices run on smoke. You let the smoke out, they stop working. Permanently.

Need to hire help - an annual problem since my in-house helpers both grew up and moved out. Also will be using Drake this year so there is new-er software (used it for about half of last year's returns).

Thomas Jefferson: "My reading of history shows that most bad government is the result of TOO MUCH government." Please note - Mr. Jefferson was NOT a Republican. The first Republican President was Abraham Lincoln; the Republican Party was founded as an abolitionist party.

There was a great cartoon a WHOLE bunch of years ago; a guy taking down a mostly-bare real tree with a couple of tired ornaments still clinging to it. Caption said, "Every year after Labor Day, Harold finally takes down the Christmas tree." But that's not one of the choices... I do know one family -- with a really small living room -- who puts their tree up (only with lights) on the porch. They leave it up 'til there has been enough of a spring thaw to actually remove it safely. Usually mid-March.

Very true! But we would see it when we got back and (1) know we'd been thought of kindly, and (2) been able to answer at that time.

Hi KC -- Thanks for your concern. We're fine here; a little light snow today and very grey skies. Pretty doggone cold yesterday; today is less frigid. That's all.

And for some of the *dangers* of bitcoin... http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=227045

I just *adore* the Darwin Awards!! Somewhere we have a book of their episodes.

Have a chuckle! Then later I'll tell the one about Santa and the angel.

LOL!! (But as we all know, the Roman year started in March and the Jewish year (though it migrates due to the lunar calendar) also does not start in January.)

Thanks!

sneak preview -- looks *epic* http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/2014-sneak-peek.htm

My doctor warned me a year ago she was going to retire rather than deal with all the new ACA rules, reg's, and limitations. She did -- and I have yet to find a new doctor in my plan who is taking new patients.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year to all my friends here!

An EA I know here in Mass who specializes in OICs recommended to me several years ago to put in a very lowball offer, get it rejected, and get to Appeals as quickly as possible. The idea is that only the folks in Appeals have any real authority to negotiate -- the "regular" office staff are only able to agree to near-full-payments. Worked for me the two times I went all the way through. After which I decided that trying to do OIC's as a one-person office is madness; tons of paperwork up front, the IRS offices ignore you for months, after which time you get maybe two weeks to re-do all that paperwork while every other client's work gets ignored. No, thanks - I have easier ways to hurt myself! YMMV.

An elderly man in Oklahoma calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day son, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a divorce; 45 years of marriage... and that much misery is enough!" "Dad, what are you talking about?" the son yells. "We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the old dad explained. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Hong Kong and tell her!". Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this." She calls her elderly father immediately, and screams at him, "You are not getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, you hear me?" she yelled as she hung up the phone. The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay", he says, "it's all set. They're both coming for Christmas and paying their own air-fare."

Sunspots are responsible for SO much more than most of us realize!

I added this earlier and it disappeared -- wonder what happened? http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/heartwarming-photos-of-two-brothers-who-have-taken-a-picture Love this series of photos of two brothers!

This is the kind of stuff they do with their time. http://www.viralnova.com/dragon-pot/

Oh that's WONDERFUL!!!!

And that fact should be utterly abhorrent to anyone interested in the health of anyone they know and care for.

OTOH -- Surgery Center of Oklahoma will enter into a pre-payment plan for most types of surgery -- cash only, in advance (obviously not for emergencies!). Full price disclosure beforehand. That price runs about 20% of hospital billings -- and EQUAL to a Medicare patient's co-pay amount. So for "standard" procedures all the Medicare premiums etc. demonstrably go to overhead, waste, and fraud. For yet another alternative, you can go to India, have a great tourist trip, then have your elective surgery in a first-class Indian hospital with US-trained physicians -- all for less than the 20% Medicare co-pay amount.

Posting here and not in "Politics" as this has major tax ramifications. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022469957_medicaidrecoveryxml.html

Tom -- My sympathies that your son didn't get accepted under early decision -- that has got to be disappointing for both of you. He still has a chance under the regular admission rules, so don't give up all hope! As far as other schools go -- has he considered Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester MA? They have an excellent reputation, they do a good job, and Worcester is a really nice small city -- and one hour from Boston and Providence (with trains and buses each way, too). I've worked with WPI engineers; they are generally excellent. Catherine