DougH

No need to be so sensitive about being outed. Your free to your opinion. (Gross tax Liability) - (federal payments received) = Net Tax Liability Net Tax Liability > 0 Dollars , a discount or rebate on a persons tax expense. Net Tax Liability < 0 Dollars, a government hand out. I can be for or against the stimulus payments. You can be for or against them. Does that change the equation somehow? You either pay in, or you cash out. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I wonder how many of the stimulus supporters are flying down to these hard hit areas to offer low interest rate loans to help some of these individuals out? If it is such a good idea when it is funded with our money, then you shouldn't have any problem funding such a initiative directly. Foreclosures are bad for everyone, right? Here is a chance to give back directly. You can even donate any profit you turn to the local YMCA. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

So who here is willing to put up the 18K to give this couple a "reasonable" fixed rate loan. Put your money where your mouth is. Are you going to grit you teeth and wish that you hadn't given them a fixed rate when you notice that they have started to run up a large balance, again, on the cards you just paid off for them? Of course you are going to make the monthly payment very low and stretch out the term into the far far future right? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

As was mentioned before, the amount that I received was far exceeded by the amount that I paid in. I received a discount, or a rebate, on my overall tax expense. I am not specifically against the distribution of the stimulus funds that are mentioned above. That being said I would like to know how much federal tax the recipients have paid in over the past 5 or 10 years. If recipients have been receiving the "earned" income tax credit for the last few years, or haven't had any federal tax liability lately (if ever), then they aren't receiving a "rebate" or a "discount". Quite the opposite, they are actually making a net profit, and that is wealth redistribution plain and simple. You can agree with giving the contributing individuals of the tax system a rebate, and at the same time disappove with distributing funds to individuals that don't contribute any tax revenue to the system. They are two totally seperate concepts. I see, so your nice tax write-off for yourself and per child is great and fine, as it benefits you, but people well into poverty are theirves. I wonder if people in higher classes look at you and the comparatively small taxes you pay and think you are fucking the system? Of course they do, and the people above them do the same, etc... We are a classist nation, with clearly divided classes rather than a baseline of descent benefits for all. Interesting read I had the other day, this article establishes that clearly divided classes being a key element for fascism. http://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/fascism-movement1.htm ·Strict social order: Fascism maintains a strict class structure. In this way, it's the antithesis of communism, which abolishes class distinctions. Fascism believes that clearly divided classes are necessary to avoid any hint of chaos, which is a threat to the State. The State's power depends on the maintenance of a class system in which every person has a definite, unchangeable, specific role in glorifying the state. It's an absolute rejection of humanism and democracy. So for others to denounce people well into poverty getting any benefit from a stimulus is to keep them into that class and a furtherance of immobility between the classes. ·Survival of the fittest: Some fascist philosophers were influenced by the writings of Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. In the context of fascism, the State is only as powerful as its ability to wage wars and win them. The State is thereby selected for survival due to its strength and dominance. Peace is viewed as weakness, aggression as strength. Strength is the ultimate good and ensures the survival of the State. Then deny them help they cannot afford and we have fulfilled this element; do for yourself or die. ·Authoritarian leadership: The State's interests require a single, charismatic leader with absolute authority. This is the concept of Führerprinzip, "the leadership principle" in German -- that it's necessary to have an all-powerful, heroic leader to maintain the unity and unquestioning submission required by the fascist State. This leader often becomes a symbol of the State. And then with a president like Bush this really fit. Of course having the WH, Congress and SCOTUS all highly conservative this became a real nightmare of an authoritarian model. Of course we put them there, so we got the government we deserved. Was it fascist? To a very certain degree and wanting the ultra-poor to not have a stimulus is a furtherance of that. Yes, that is exactly what I said. Now excuse me, I need to go take welfare checks and foodstamps from more poor undeserving single mothers. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Evil companies, how dare you charge interest and minimum fees to this couple that ran up a huge credit card balance and is obviously a credit risk. They didn't rack up a 18K balance on their other cards because Chase sent them an offer. It was there financial choices that earned them an 18K balance in the first place. And they would be in the same boat if Chase had never sent them an offer. No one put a gun to their head and told them to carry a balance. If they want to piss money down the drain in the form of interest go right ahead. Guess how much the minimum payment is on a paid in full zero balance... zero dollars a month. I felt the same way when I was ratejacked on a few of my cards despite being a lower credit risk. Then I realized it was my own fault, and I paid of all my balances. I made the choice to carry a balance on a financial transaction that could be reevaluated and changed monthly. A credit card isn't a mortgage with rates and terms set in stone. They are granting you the priveledge of credit. If you want to carry a balance then you get what you get. It is right on the back of every statement you get, and the original paperwork you received with the card. Credit limits, minimum payments, interest rates; all can be changed at any time at their discrection. What is wrong about that? If you don't like it PIF, or use cash & debit!!! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

As was mentioned before, the amount that I received was far exceeded by the amount that I paid in. I received a discount, or a rebate, on my overall tax expense. I am not specifically against the distribution of the stimulus funds that are mentioned above. That being said I would like to know how much federal tax the recipients have paid in over the past 5 or 10 years. If recipients have been receiving the "earned" income tax credit for the last few years, or haven't had any federal tax liability lately (if ever), then they aren't receiving a "rebate" or a "discount". Quite the opposite, they are actually making a net profit, and that is wealth redistribution plain and simple. You can agree with giving the contributing individuals of the tax system a rebate, and at the same time disappove with distributing funds to individuals that don't contribute any tax revenue to the system. They are two totally seperate concepts. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Yes I cashed the check that I received as part of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. At the time I had a pretty strong grasp the events that took place which resulted in that check. The amount received was a small percentage of the overall federal taxes that I paid in, and a very small compared to the amount of the net federal income tax that I have paid (taxes paid - credits received) thus far in my life. It was was well under the social security "contributions" that I made, not withstanding that I doubt social security will still be around when it is time for the system to return that "contribution".

How much do you have to borrow to pay for this schooling? It would be prudent to forecast your expected earnings, and how much you expect to pay for this education. I'm projecting somewhere around $22k to $24k. The program is only $12k but apartments in Hollywood are outrageous. 12K for this round of schooling. And you mentioned additional schooling after this, what will that cost? Do you know what the average individual in this field is making after 10 years of experience? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

How much do you have to borrow to pay for this schooling? It would be prudent to forecast your expected earnings, and how much you expect to pay for this education. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

My unofficial doomsday opinion: Avoid private education loans like the plague. Most are variable and tied to an index like the LIBOR or prime rate. Most have no cap on how high your interest can rise. I am predicting that interest rates in the next 5 years are going skyhigh, we are going to want the 80's interest rates back. The interest rate on your private loan that you took out is going right up there with it. And while you are paying mortgage like payments on your variable interest student loans, the student loan interest deduction is going to be a small consolation, since it caps out at 2500 in interest a year. If you can finance school any other way, exhaust all of those options first!! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Damn. There goes my plan of instructing the kids to freebase the Hg in the event that they kick a soccer ball into the lights. I was going to cash in on some gubmint assistance programs! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Yes, coal energy produces mercury as well. But the CFL mercury is in the house, with no effective methods for cleanup. what the heck are you stating here?? - the mercury released from a coal fired plant to produce kWhs to operate an incandescent bulb is many times more than the Hg in a CFL - the mercury stays inside the CFL unless you break it - even if all the CFLs were thrown in the trash and crushed the amount of Hg released would be much less than the Hg released from burning coal Agreed. I don't follow the logic either. We have two young kids in the house, and no broken bulbs. It may happen, but there isn't much chance other that the bulbs in the basement. Maybe bulb cages are in order down there, eventually. On the flip side you can't be carefull and avoid being exposed to mercury polution from power plants, etc. When I was a kid mercury wasn't toxic. It became toxic sometime in the '60s. Are you trying to say that I am overlooking the risk that CFL's pose in my house? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

My camera suit fits much better than my RW suit. The RW suit was measured for by my girlfriend. The camera suit I went right down there and ordered in person.

Yes, coal energy produces mercury as well. But the CFL mercury is in the house, with no effective methods for cleanup. what the heck are you stating here?? - the mercury released from a coal fired plant to produce kWhs to operate an incandescent bulb is many times more than the Hg in a CFL - the mercury stays inside the CFL unless you break it - even if all the CFLs were thrown in the trash and crushed the amount of Hg released would be much less than the Hg released from burning coal Agreed. I don't follow the logic either. We have two young kids in the house, and no broken bulbs. It may happen, but there isn't much chance other that the bulbs in the basement. Maybe bulb cages are in order down there, eventually. On the flip side you can't be carefull and avoid being exposed to mercury polution from power plants, etc. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I have to check my current utility rates to be sure. I need to upgrade the fixtures to IC sealed units no matter what. Regular IC sealed fixtures run about 30 bucks a fixture so it really is only a 360 dollar investment. I will gain a few efficiencys at once. Less power consumption. And better house insulation since I will have sealed fixtures, and I can finally put down the extra fiberglass batt in the attic. I had been putting that off before because the old fixtures don't allow for insulation contact. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I think the energy savings of a CFL bulb, which reduces power consumption (which causes mecury polution depending on the way it is generated) offsets the tiny amount of mercury in the bulb. If they are returned to the store or proper location for proper disposal... even better! LED has come a long way but it is expensive. I need to replace the six recessed lights in my living room. I have been giving considerable thought to new IC and air tight fixtures, and these new led bulbs. The bulbs are 80 dollars, the fixtures are 10!!! Haaa! But they should pay back in 3 years or so. I like green and conservation because it saves me money, and the return on investment is tax free!! Yay!!!

If the little ankle biters need "seed money", their parents should get off their ass and earn it. I was never taught the value of "free money" from my parents, because the concept is bullshit. My parents taught me the right value. That money isn't free, that they worked very hard for it, and that they expected me to do the same to share some of theirs. I think more could be taught to our youth by instituting a strenuous work for welfare program that made people bust their ass. You can walk, here is a shovel. Can't walk but your arms work, here is a stack of paper don't stop until it is all filed. If you can't find a job we will support you, but we will give you a real hard and crappy job in the mean time. Sure you can pop out a bunch of babies that you can't support, please drop them off at the state daycare office before you get back to your job of rock breaking. Little kids would think twice about not putting themselves in a better position in life. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Often rental gear is from the same era as the cheaper gear for sale. Older containers that are safe but not freefly friendly, older canopies that get you to the ground but aren't cutting edge. Nothing wrong with buying older gear that is SAFE and APPROPRIATE for your experince with the right sized reserve and main. When you are ready to upgrade you can sell older gear for close to what you bought it for. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

It's ok for a few days, but by the end of the first week, I'd be punchy. The mileage of the VWs coupled with the much simpler design makes it very attractive. And right now, diesel is selling for less than 87. But two summers back when we had the $4.50 gas, it was priced higher than 91, so I'm still considering that concern, as well as it being at about half the gas stations out there. I'd have to reform my male, wait till its 3 degrees below the E line to get gas, behavior. It may get higher than premium again, but it is nice to know that you can use alternate fuel like waste vegi oil if you were motivated to do so. I have been thinking about getting an older diesel car for that exact reason. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Recently I heard about a study the showed that "multi-taskers" were actually just bad at concentrating on anything. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Different tires for different jobs and conditions. I love my high performance tires but I switch to snow tires for the winter. I don't really see it as a problem as long as you drive for the conditions. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I believe it, driving habits have a ton to do with gas/fuel consumption. I have an unmodified 2003 Audi A4. It has a small 1.8 liter engine, and a turbo, so it should be moderately efficient. I noticed the mileage was going down and down as my frustration with my commute went up, my speed went up, and I was trying to squeeze the last few minutes out of my day with a shorter commute. Now I set the cruise control at 60 on the highway, and let it coast down my steep hills I encounter for a lot of my drive. I went from 21-23mpg to 32mpg, and my blood pressure lowered too!!! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

4) The public option is both bad, and competitive. The service offered by the public option sucks, but due to the fact that you can't compete against the government most public insurers go out of business. This could happen because the government sets reimbursment rates under actual cost and health care providers pass that on to private insurance companies (helloooooo medicade medicare). Private insurance costs rise and rise, and people are forced onto the public option despite their desire to avoid it. Middle class individuals get stuck bending over and spreading their cheeks while they subsidize the poor through forced insurance enrollment and income taxes. They lose their private insurance option, realize no benefit from the reform, and have to pay for lousy government insurance that they already subsidized with their income taxes. In the end the middle class has less and less of their paycheck left, and lesser quality health care to boot. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Yeah, actuaries are like lawyers in that respect. The CPA candidate, who has to deal with lawyers and actuaries on a regular basis, thinks this is hilarious. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

[B]MY gun has had ZERO cost to society. It was never used in a murder, never associated with injury, and it actually stimulated some economic benifit when it was produced. If you are going to take away my gun, I would hope that you ensure that you are taking away illegal guns that have an actual cost to society. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P