airdvr

Out of curiosity, did you charge interest? The sale of a car and a car loan should be treated as separate transactions by the government, and in company books. The purchaser of the car had to pay sales tax on a $4000 car, not a $500 car. True, the sale of the car is taxable income now, the interested is taxable as it comes in. The only way around paying the tax is to set up a related finance company and sell the paper to the RFC at a discount. The seller takes a loss on the paper to use as a write-off against income and the RFC is a cash accounting customer and doesn't have to worry about paying tax on money until it's received. Everyone who set up an RFC that I knew was audited. There's a boatload of rules and the IRS knows that it's a way around accrual acounting methods. I never wanted to do this because it was a logistical nightmare. I also don't have a problem paying tax, but only on money I've received. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

If you consider that alot of the things on the original list like state sales taxes and such are paid with money from your paycheck which has already been taxed the tax rate in this country is getting huge. I used to run a business that financed cars. I'd spend $2000 for the car, sell it for $4000 and finance it with $500 down. In my books I went in debt by $1500 to sell that car. The tax code says I just made $2000 profit! Taxable profit at the time of sale. It almost put us out of business. I wrote a letter to every member of the House Ways & Means committee. Not one response. I always wondered what the average citizen would think if Uncle Sam wanted to tax them on money they hadn't received yet. I feel sorry for the average joe who goes to work everyday and has no clue that his tax rate is approaching 50%. In Ohio he thinks he just got a raise because the upped the minimum wage. WHere's the answer. I don't know. A balanced budget amendment might go a long ways here. Maybe flat tax or VAT. Line item veto powers for the Pres? Too much of a shift in the checks and balances. Make no mistake about it...congress approves every dollar that's spent. In the end I beleive, if democracy fails in this country it will be because we all figure our that we can just vote ourselves more money. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

It's not a marriage "license". It's a marriage contract. I always found it amusing that you go to church to get married and an attorney to get a divorce. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

A $Trillion or so on an unnecessary war is certainly the fault of the White House. You know my opinion on this and I know yours. We don't have to re-hash it here. "Our budget will run a deficit that will be small and short-term", G.W. Bush, 20 January 2002, before a joint session of Congress. 4 months after 9/11. No one could have predicted 6 years into the future then. Have you looked at the list? I think there's only a few things my government is supposed to do for me. Maintain an armed force for my protection is pretty high on the list. $3,743,014 Formosan Subterranean Termite House Agriculture Alexander; Baker They spend our money like it's theirs...Reps & Dems alike. I realize that being a professor you and your colleagues rely on government spending like this so you can do your research. I'm certain some if it is very important. I'm not certain that spending almost 4 million taxpayer dollars to study the Formosan Subterranean Termite is necessary. It might be but it sounds more like mutual masturbation to me. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

You know as well as I do that Congress spends money. Call your congressperson and ask them about pork and earmarks. Wanna know who's really spending the money? http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/upload/wm1660_table1.pdf Edited to Add: Despite pledges to rein in pork, the Democratic Congress has included a combined 11,351 pork projects in the House and Senate appropriations bills.[1] If this legislation passes, thousands of government grants will be distributed based on politics, lobbying, and/or campaign donations, rather than on merit. Members of Congress should listen to the demands of frustrated voters and eliminate these projects. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/wm1660.cfm Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Iraq War US military deaths - 3888 US military casualties - 28451 Non-US coalition casualties - 306 Iraqis - 1,130,689 Afghan war US military deaths - 469 Non-US coalition deaths - 274 4 years =1460 days 1,130,689 / 1460 = 775 killed per day That ain't happening. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

This post made me think of something I saw last week. Doing some sales calls out in Amish country I passed a buggy on a 2-lane. Right behind me was an 18-wheeler. I gave a fairly wide berth, but the truck was pressed with oncoming traffic and blew by that horse and buggy combo with about 2 feet to spare. Horse never reacted. Made me wonder. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Until you've really considered the gravity of the decisions a POTUS must make I wouldn't be so quick to judge the means he/she uses to get some sleep. Do I want my President to make his decisions based on his faith? No. I can see them using it as a "moral compass" or the like. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Do you think that really happened? That the Egyptians got their laws from a Goddess? Or is it more likely that the laws were a human invention ascribed to the Goddess? Irrelevant - don't know why you copied that passage, says nothing about the basis for their laws. Irrelevant again, does not mention laws. Are you paying attention? Umm..yes. I am paying attention. I'm saying religion was present. I think it influenced their laws. Another poster had said earlier that there were laws prior to religion. Can't seem to find that civilization...the one that had no religion. Jakee, does this thread scare you? Why are you throwing the little jabs? AFAIK, you're the only person who has posted with psuedo PA's. WHy can't you just discuss it without mixing in the insults? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

so would you say that the commandments might accurately represent a consensus view of what most in the population would consider right from wrong then? and maybe that's all that the man made tool of religion (functionally) really intended the rest is just window dressing and means for odd men that like to wear tall hats or beanies just use to get cushy jobs Ding ding ding...we have a winner! The point I'm trying to make is that you cannot separate church and state in an ideological fashion. Every society has used some form of religion to base their ideas of law on. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

To say that they only made laws against murder because the bible told them to is just stupid though. When did anyone say that? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

ANcient Egypt...Laws were based on Ma'at Ma'at did not exist until Ra rose from the waters of Nun (various gods and goddesses of Chaos). She was known as a Neter goddess, and as such, was described as a daughter of Ra. But without Ma'at, Egyptians believed that Nun would reclaim the universe. She was also thought to be the wife of Thoth, moon god and god of the wisdom. Not based on religion? How about Mesopatamia? As a civilization contemporary with Egyptian civilization, Mesopotamia developed education quite similar to that of its counterpart with respect to its purpose and training. Formal education was practical and aimed to train scribes and priests. It was extended from basic reading, writing, and religion to higher learning in law, medicine, and astrology. Generally, youth of the upper classes were prepared to become scribes, who ranged from copyists to librarians and teachers. The schools for priests were said to be as numerous as temples. This indicates not only the thoroughness but also the supremacy of priestly education. Very little is known about higher education, but the advancement of the priestly work sheds light upon the extensive nature of intellectual pursuit. Hmmm...maybe China? The Shang worshipped a figure they called "Shang Ti," or "Lord on High." This supreme god ruled over lesser gods of the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, and other natural forces and places. Shang-Ti also regulated human affairs as well as ruling over the material universe. This dual function would, in the Chou dynasty, be attributed to a more abstract figure, "t'ien," or "Heaven." The Shang also believed that their ancestors dwelled in heaven after their death and continued to show an interest in their familiy and descendants. The obligations within the family included, therefore, the ancestors. Failing in one's duties to the ancestors could bring all sorts of disaster on a family Ooops...not there either. My point is that every scociety had laws based on their religion. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Show me the non -religious affiliated candidates. SHow me the President who said "I don't believe in God" Inauguration speeches George Washington's second address is the only one to contain no mention of the Christian God. Thirty-four of the 55 addresses contain the word "God." The addresses that refer to, but do not contain the word "God" instead say Giver of Good, Heaven, Almighty, Divine, or Providence. The last president not to say "God" was Franklin D. Roosevelt (second address). Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Yes. Most anyone with a brain could tell you that. OK...what is it? Tell me what you know. And yes, I do have a brain. Funny how when you start talking about religion people get very passionate and want to imply that the other side is just stupid. Ok, have you looked at the 10 commandments recently? #1) No such law (and the constitution expressly forbids such a law). #2) No such law (and the constitution expressly forbids such a law). #3) No such law (and the constitution expressly forbids such a law). #4) No such law (and the constitution expressly forbids such a law). #5) No such law. #6) Law. #7) No such law. #8) Law. #9) Law. #10) No such law. So you're basically looking at a 30% strike rate there - pretty poor I think you'll agree. It gets much worse though, lets look at the commandments that do have matching laws: Murder, theft and perjury. Are you honestly going to suggest to me that the founding fathers needed to look in the Bible to figure out that murder, theft and perjury would be bad for the stability of society? I think not, my friend. Where do you think they got that idea? You think they just woke up one morning and said "ya know, murder, theft, and perjury would be bad". I'm not talking about the laws as they relate to the 10 commandments. I'm talking about the ideolgy used in forming those laws. It's based upon religion. It's based upon knowing that murder, theft, and perjury are wrong. Where do you suppose they got those ideas? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Yes. Most anyone with a brain could tell you that. OK...what is it? Tell me what you know. And yes, I do have a brain. Funny how when you start talking about religion people get very passionate and want to imply that the other side is just stupid. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Funny how folks mis-understand the whole "Separation" thing. Take a look at your money...it doesn't say "In Government We Trust". "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." Thomas Jefferson - 1802 I think most people are mistaken when they think religion and government are meant to be seperate. Now don't get me wrong...many things about religion trouble me. But I still think we need some basis to form an opinion. Where do you get your guidelines? Where do you start when you're trying to decide right from wrong? Is there anyone here who could say the US system of laws is not dsigned after the bible?...or at least the 10 commandments? Ooooh...this is gonne get deep Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Seriously? You're not familiar with the phrase "drink the Kool-Aid" or its origins? Wow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_jones and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drink_the_kool-aid#.E2.80.9CDrinking_the_Kool-Aid.E2.80.9D To link Jim Jones with Huckabee is a real stretch. I am familiar with Jonestown and I never connected the 2 statements. Maybe it's just Monday Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

How the hell can any person that we'd consider to be experienced enough to be President of the United States, OR HIS SPEECH WRITING STAFF OR ADVISORS, not understand the implications of this previous paragraph? What implications? I don't personally think the guy would make a good President but he's at least being forthright and honest about who he is. There's too much BS that comes from speech writers and staff. You just never know whether the candidate is talking or the speech writer. If it's the religious implications you're referring to I'll bet I wouldn't have to look too far to find some of that crap from EVERY candidate. Scary church people. DEMOCRATS: Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden: Roman Catholic New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: Methodist Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd: Catholic Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards: Methodist Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: Catholic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: Christian New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: Catholic ___ REPUBLICANS: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Catholic California Rep. Duncan Hunter: Baptist Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: Southern Baptist Arizona Sen. John McCain: Episcopalian Texas Rep. Ron Paul: Baptist Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: Mormon Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: Presbyterian Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson: Southern Baptist Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

My son spends hours with AC on XBox. I got my first look at it last night. Great graphics, interesting in that everything is interactive...buildings, people etc. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Yea...those are bullshit tickets. More fund raising activity than law enforcement. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

After 4 weeks? Why? Left mine for ~4 months once. Longest 4 months of my life Was just thinking that after 4 weeks all of the air is out of it. Should open nice and slow. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

As far as I know 4 weeks shouldn't be a problem. Should be a nice snively opening Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Oops! Too late.. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=13831841 Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

I don't like what SR does Dave. Make no mistake about that. But the only people who have a chance of changing it are the DZO's and some of them aren't bothering to do anything about it. Until that change takes place SR is here to stay. Because of my value system it bothers me to see people get screwed, I don't like it either but they have recourse. I hear alot of junk about the BBB. That's a toothless organization that I'm certain SR doesn't give a shit about. They have no teeth. When people are getting screwed they need to contact the Attorney General's office in that state. They have the teeth and if enough people complain they'll do something. Wanna do something for them? Have the AG's phone number and website handy and give it to them. Tell them that's where they need to complain. No, This is a skydiving problem and it's a USPA problem. It's a member problem because right now we are stuck with the DZs that are doing business with these asshats and part of my money is going to support a program that I don't agree with anymore. Our organization tried to do something and got their ass handed to them. They had no choice but to cave or face a judgement that could have bankrupted them. You make it sound as if this is what they wanted. I can assure you it's not. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

If you're not a DZO why does this bother you so much? If you are a DZO what are you doing about it? Isn't this a DZO problem and up to them to solve? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne