JUST SOME POSTS

Just Days Before Christmas Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the land, People were losing their minds over a new tax plan. Their concern is too much money Might remain with the rich. Not even sure who gets what, they decide just to bitch. Of course, when people are asked who the rich might be Basically, they say, “anyone that has more money than me”. Our worries of government and taxes and such, really don’t help advance mankind much. To concern ourselves with where capitals might be In some faraway land that we’ll probably never see. Is a waste of our efforts, And can cost us our minds. We should just try to be more understanding and kind. We can help one another not elected people on a hill. No matter the rhetoric or passage of a bill. Tis the season to be jolly, And to love one another. To treat all we meet like a sister or brother. Kindness is not made by legislatures afar. But comes from our hearts And...

I have written a few posts throughout the history of this blog about taxes. With all the talk (and hyperbole) about the "Republican tax plan" working its way through Congress now, I felt compelled to do another. I do recommend and ask that if you care about this subject that you go back a few posts and read a series of three posts where I investigated and reported on tax cuts and their effect on tax revenues. There are three posts. The first is: http://justsomeposts.blogspot.com/2017/06/death-and-taxes-ok-just-taxes.html  Then the next two follow consecutively. Since I know most of you probably will not - the quick and dirty bottom-line is every time that tax cuts have been instituted they have paid for themselves. I even included a spreadsheet with the data if you care to review it yourself. If you have read many of these posts you know I have some "lessons" and truths that I am trying to get across to the readers. The idiotic games being played in Washington (...

I just corrected a gross mistake here on the number of auto deaths. I am not sure what happened, but I had the number very wrong on the high side. I truly try to check these things with two sources prior to publishing, but I do make mistakes. I found this myself in reading some older posts for background for another. My apologies. SP 8/29/18 I wanted to comment on one of the most controversial and widely discussed topics today - gun control/gun violence. Especially with two heinous acts within a span of about a month, this is top of mind and discussions. I just wanted to put some perspective on these events, as well as bring up some points and questions. I am not trying to dismiss the tragedy or horror of these killings ; just trying to have a rational discussion (which is always difficult when concerning an inherently irrational subject). First let's get into the perspective part: As horrific and seemingly common these "mass shootings" are - in reality they are st...

I was going to start with my "lessons", but I will end with them instead. As I realize some (if not most) people do not want to learn or feel "preached at" and will tune out, I will start with the "meat" of what I wanted to say. I have written about a plethora of subjects here. I can tell you that yes, my opinions are represented, (hey, my blog, my forum, my opinions) however I do try to clearly distinguish pure opinion from facts whenever possible. I can also tell you that I try very, very hard to base my opinions on fact. One of the benefits of our modern, connected age is the access to almost unlimited data. From when I was a child (not of ancient times, but years ago) where a trip to the library was needed for extensive study on a subject, or using an encyclopedia that was outdated on contemporary subjects once it was printed; we have at our fingertips data to rival the greatest libraries and museums in the world. I do a LOT of research in coming up ...

This is part three of a series. If you truly want to know all the facts and opinion on this, it would serve you well to read the prior two posts. FYI, I have spent more time on this than any paper I ever did at any level of schooling. I have done my best to research the facts here. I am reporting my opinion, but am also trying to provide the facts and figures that led me to this conclusion so you can make your own. One last comment prior to getting to the meat of the matter: it amazes me with all the technology and information at our fingertips how difficult it is to find unbiased raw financial data concerning most aspects of taxes. In the previous post I inserted a spreadsheet I put together to help me get all my research numbers in one place. (which is another aspect of this I have found amazing - there is no repository of comprehensive data on tax revenue, policy, rates, etc. anywhere! But, I digress). As I have been evaluating these numbers I came up with a few more that I thoug...

This is part 2 of the taxes and economy. If you have not read Part one (the post immediately prior to this one) you may want to. It can be read either before or after reading this one) To quickly catch you up in case you have not read the other, I was commenting on the issue of people posting so vehemently and positively about cutting taxes and the effect that has on the tax revenues. What amazed me is that the belief runs BOTH ways! It would seem to me that this is nothing more than a math problem. Now, although I hated math in school, I have always loved it for research and problem solving. Because, Open Core and Modern Math be damned, 2 + 2 should ALWAYS = 4! The same is true for complex problems. If you can distill it down to math, the answer is indisputable. In the spirit of disclosure I did go into this with the hypothesis that cutting federal income taxes would increase tax revenues when given enough time for those with increased after-tax incomes to do something with it...

I have been working on this one for a LONG time. I have studied and analyzed for hours. It is time to get something in print! I know my detractors think I just spout off figures and find facts to support my thoughts and ideas. Wrong lizard breath! I actually do research on every post I do here (or in my life) that involves facts and figures to be found. I come to my opinions AFTER research. Sure, I go in with ideas and sometimes even hopes of what I will find. However, I have sometimes found that my ideas are not supported. Rather than scream and cry or stick my head in the sand I change my opinion or ideas. Such is life. This post is one concerning one of those "facts" that gets thrown out every so often - that cutting taxes raises (or lowers) government revenues. It amazes me that people have such steadfast and positive thoughts and opinions on this one. Most either believe it is a definite raising of revenue or a definite cutting of revenue. I can tell you after hours, a...

I have a bit of a hard time with Memorial Day due to the fact my wife was in the hospital and died over Memorial Day weekend. I produced this today in honor of Memorial Day and all those that died for this country. (my first video slideshow).

I have commented in various forums and in person to many that I am amazed at the vitriol and close-mindedness that is involved with all things Trump. I understand people being against his policies, but to truly hate and denigrate someone that voted for him is beyond me. For those of you that will take the time to read this, I wanted to introduce you to someone that did vote for Trump - ME! (I will do my best to keep this succinct, but...) First, a small bit about me: I think and hope people that know me would vouch that I am not racist, homophobic, or misogynistic in any degree. Have I used the "N-word" - yes. (of which I have posted on before - I find it amazing that the one word that is totally off limits now in any discussion is the "N-word". There are MANY words that not so long ago would NEVER be used in polite company, that are widely accepted; but I digress). That word was thrown around like leaves blowing in a storm when I was growing up and well into my a...

This is the second of the two I promised a couple of days ago. I actually had this one pop into my head first but the other "forced" its way out first. So with no further ado... I was thinking how we spend our lives going from beginnings to ends. There is the BIG beginning - BIRTH, and the BIG ending - DEATH. Then LIFE is what happens in the middle. But, life is really a continuum of beginning - middle - end; over and over. We humans, for the most part, LOVE beginnings. Think about one of our most celebrated personal days - the anniversary of our beginning - our birthday! We document, record, and celebrate other beginnings - baby's first words, first steps, first day of school, first date, first kiss, first car, first job, etc. We have such a love of beginnings that we keep seeking them all through our lives - just substitute NEW for FIRST. We have new jobs, new cars, new clothes, new loves, and so on. We move to new houses and neighborhoods. New is a good substitute ...

I actually have had two ideas for a post in the last 12 hours. Here is one, stay tuned for another very shortly. I was going to combine them, but I think not... We live in a FAST & NOISY world! All of us (at least in the U.S. and other "1st World" countries - a 3rd post just popped into my head) have a LOT of stimulation and demands on our attention and efforts almost 24 hours a day. Even television, which has been decried as a mind-rotting exercise in time wasting is now watched in binges and/or without commercials. We have our phones and data plans to never be out of touch. We are able to send photos and comments on where we are, what we are doing, and who we are doing it with (or to!?) Like they say - "it ain't real unless I post a photo"!  I profess that a lot of our problems (again, 1st World problems) are due to this. We are constantly irritated, aggravated, stimulated, or otherwise motivated to look, listen, compare, contrast, become outraged, bec...

Getting Old There are things I can’t remember, That I’m not sure I ever knew. There are places that I can’t recall, I’m not sure I’ve ever been to. There are people I can’t picture, I'm not positive I ever met. It can be hard to say if I ever knew, Or did I just forget.                                                                        “THE”                                               ...