Catherine

These folks were forced to move the closing up because the condo they were renting was being sold and they had to be OUT.

I've been over the form and the instructions, and just want to make sure I have this correctly: Long-time residents sold old home (of many years residence) in July 09 and passed papers on new home October 09. So they are screwed as far as the reduced credit goes? I hate these credits and special treatments that change -within- the year.

I worked at that Woolworth's (in the lower level) on Washington Street from January to September of 1976. We may well have crossed paths!

I like and use the Tenenz ones but they discontinued my preferred color this year. If you're a big-volume practice, Binding Systems of America has some fabulous customizable folders - color, paper weight, texture, binding method, ink color, etc. But the minimum order is 500 which would last me a half-decade. The lady I got info from was Lezan Foley at 631-663-3979 if you're interested.

I've used it -- regular doc's AND trades. It's great. There is a limit to FOUR pdf files per client -- so make sure if you scan to lots of files that you have a pdf editor that can combine those little files. Turnaround is pretty quick; couple hours and you get an email when the file is ready. Then just click your way down the annotated list and enter info from original doc's without a desk drowning in even more paper. Between this product and my duplex scanner, things are going faster and smoother this year.

Hope you have a VERY

My first-ever "real" job (full-time) was cashier at a big Woolworth's (downtown Boston). Mind-numbingly boring. This was when cash registers that figure change for you were -just- coming out, and we had them and -had- to use the figure-the-change feature. Boy oh boy did those confuse the older folks -- they'd see $17.50 and pipe up "But this is only $2.50!!" and I'd have to explain. My only amusement was to see if I could figure out the change faster than the register did. It's a skill I have retained, and it's lots of fun to freak out cashiers. I hand over the money and say "and my change will be (insert proper figure)" -- and that's what it turns out to be! The looks on their faces can be priceless. Try it sometime.

I heard this a couple weeks ago; it is just about the funniest thing I've ever heard. The poor telemarketer...!!!!

Top 10 Ways to Harass a Telemarketer 10. When they ask "How are you today?" Tell them! "I'm so glad you asked because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems; my arthritis is acting up, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died...." 9. If they say they're John Doe from XYZ Company, ask them to spell their name. Then ask them to spell the company name. Then ask them where it is located. Continue asking them personal questions or questions about their company for as long as necessary. 8. Cry out in surprise, "Judy! Is that you? Oh my God! Judy, how have you been?" Hopefully, this will give Judy a few brief moments of pause as she tries to figure out where she could know you from. 7. If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up for the Family and Friends plan, reply, in as SINISTER a voice as you can, "I don't have any friends... would you be my friend?" 6. If they want to loan you money, tell them you are just about to file for bankruptcy and you could sure use some money. 5. Tell the telemarketer you are on "home incarceration" and ask if they could bring you a case of beer and some chips. 4. After the telemarketer gives their spiel, ask him/her to marry you. When they get all flustered, tell them that you could not just give your credit card number to a complete stranger. 3. Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask them if they will give you their HOME phone number so you can call them back. When the telemarketer explains that they cannot give out their HOME number, you say "I guess you don't want anyone bothering you at home, right?" The telemarketer will agree and you say, "Now you know how I feel!" 2. Insist that the caller is really your buddy Leon, playing a joke. "Come on Leon, cut it out! Seriously, Leon, how's your momma?" And first and foremost: 1. Tell them to talk VERY SLOWLY, because you want to write EVERY WORD down.

Hope you have a VERY

Hope you have a VERY

Hope you have a VERY

Hope you have a Fabulously

No, you can't make this up. I have right here a letter from the IRS, addressed a client c/o me, dated 1/27/10. It says: "Dear Taxpayer: This is in response to the inquiry of Nov. 10, 2009, from accountant [sic]. We have no record that you authorized them to act for you in this matter. Please notify them that we have replied directly to you." (yadda, yadda, send POA, blah blah). My clients did NOT get this letter -- only me. For reference, the POA was filed in September or October (I don't recall exactly) and I got online account transcripts at that time. My client and I had a good chuckle over that one. Catherine

So the lien and the problem are Terminated?

If I were to be punish-ed For every little pun I shed I'd hie me to a puny shed And there I'd hang my punnish head.

Zero Gravity Bureaucracy -- The Real Story When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they knew ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. Now, the way the joke usually goes, you're told that to combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and millions of dollars developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside-down, on almost any surface including glass, and at temperatures ranging from -50 to over 160 degrees. Meanwhile, the joke goes, the Russians used a pencil. Yeah, well "ha ha". But Jumbo Joke is different, since we think the truth is even funnier. What really happened is pencils aren't ideal for space flight, since they're flammable, a broken-off point could be dangerous floating around the cabin, where it could be inhaled by astronauts, and sharpening it would create even more floating debris. (Even a mechanical pencil has the problem with broken off leads, but that's what NASA started with in the first place.) A private American citizen, Paul C. Fisher, figured out a way to make a pen that would work in zero gravity -- and he did it without any government funding whatever. Fisher submitted his Fisher Space Pen to NASA for testing. NASA loved Fisher's pen and adopted it in 1965, buying hundreds of them for use in spaceflights. (Dryly, NASA called it the "Data Recording Pen".) The pens are still available commercially today. Since it would also write upside-down on Earth, regular people loved them too. The Fisher Space Pen Company, which is still based in Nevada, went on to make millions of dollars per year on the invention -- and Fisher retired a millionaire. (He died in 2006 at the age of 93.) And the funny part? Not only did this brilliant bit of American capitalist ingenuity make Fisher a millionaire, but his pen was also adopted by -- yes! -- Russia's space program.

I had two accepted but am still waiting for another two that should be accepted soon. Glad to hear they're moving at long last!

Thank you, KC! I love the "This Is True" newsletters and web site.

Head east from Carthage on Mississippi 16 toward Philadelphia and after a few miles a sign says you're in Edinburgh . It's a good thing the sign is there, because there's no other way to tell. On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburgh . Probably didn't make much news. Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano , Italy , Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war. If that wasn't enough for a day's work, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions. That probably didn't make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam , a Congressional Medal of Honor. What did make news last week was a neighborhood association???s quibble with how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot's 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable. He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court action if he didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them. In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without interference, Barfoot told The Associated Press. As well he should. And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to read his Medal of Honor citation. It indicates he's not real good at backing down. Van T. Barfoot's Medal of Honor citation: This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano , Italy . With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machine gun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machine gun emplacement, and with his tommy gun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machine gun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommy gun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.?

This is the caption on a drawing, so I must describe the drawing first. Big nest on top of a large but dead tree. Scrawny baby vulture looking up at ticked-off looking big mommy vulture. The caption -- "Listen, buster, I didn't sit on your hard little egg in the blazing sun for six weeks just to hear you say, "Ewww, I don't like regurgitated yak carcass." "

That's amazing -- the snow deeper than the blower is tall! Today is the 32nd anniversary of the Blizzard of '78 here -- looks like you folks are getting the anniversary party, though! Stay safe & warm, dig out slow, and make a snow angel or two. Catherine

Thanks to all!

Not so fast -- was this personal use? Then yes, no loss allowed. But I've known folks who bought timeshares as rental units; never stayed in them, but had a deal with the timeshare property or local realtor to treat as vacation rental property. Mainly these folks had multiple weeks owned (in some cases, wholly-owned -- like owning a rental house with on-site maintenance and security). If that was the case, then it was investment property and would be treated like sale of investment real estate, I should think. Lots of questions, though, as mostly these are personal use units.

Bumping up the queue - still hoping for help here.