15. March 2010 by admin.

I just listened to a YouTube video about whether or not the tax system in the USA is voluntary or not.  It seems like it got down to semantics.  One party, a democratic Congressman, was saying it is a voluntary system and it is mandatory that we pay our taxes.

The interviewer was saying that if it is voluntary then we could choose to NOT pay our taxes.  The congressman kept saying we had to pay our taxes because it is a voluntary system that mandates we pay our fair share.

It was at this point that my head was beginning to spin.  To me “voluntary” means we can choose to pay or not pay.  Yet if we do not pay then we are “forced” to pay. 

They went back and forth like this for the entire 4 minutes.  So we must have a voluntary tax system that is mandated that we pay or we will be forced to pay through civil and criminal penalties.

To top it off I made the mistake of reading some comments.  This person stated “…too stupid to see the difference between “mandatory” and “forced.”  So I looked up the words “mandatory” and “forced” to see if I was missing the subtlety of the two.   

Mandatory: 1 : containing or constituting a command : obligatory 1 : binding in law or conscience.

Forced: 1 : compelled by force or necessity : involuntary 1 : done contrary to or without choice.

My conclusion: both men are lacking significant brain cells to think in a rational manner.

Many years ago a friend did a lot of research and found that indeed our tax system is voluntary and if we choose not to pay our taxes, the government has no legal right to take action against us.  Of course in this day and age one would need millions of dollars to back up his/her right to not pay taxes. Of course if you have that much money you have also discovered the many tax laws that enable businesses to not pay taxes or very little taxes and those same businesses can be used to offset an individual’s taxes, effectively not paying any or very little taxes.

It comes down to three things:

1.    You have enough money to hire people to eliminate your tax obligations
2.    You run your own small business and use its losses to reduce your personal taxes
3.    You stay a w-2 wage earner, i.e. work for someone else exclusively, and pay the maximum taxes or actually overpay.

So my conclusion is that our tax system is voluntary if we have the resources to get out of over paying and it is mandatory if we aren’t wise enough to take advantage of all the business deductions we have access to when we operate a home or small business.  And the government will force us to pay if we elect not to even though they have no legal, Constitutional right to force us.

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12. March 2010 by admin.

 I just read this and thought it may be of help to you.  

Surviving your Toyota

March 12, 2010 - 12:11 ET

By Ben Sherwood

It’s a scene right out of the 1970s TV show “CHiPs,” except it really happened Monday on Interstate 8 near San Diego, California. A driver in blue Toyota Prius found his car accelerate suddenly. He managed to dial 911 before reaching speeds in the 90s. An alert California Highway Patrol officer pulled alongside the Prius, issued instructions over a loudspeaker, and helped the driver slow down safely.

This story has a happy ending but too many others have ended in disaster. Indeed, there are reports of at least 56 fatal accidents involving Toyotas and sudden acceleration going back as far as 2004.

The Survivors Club By Ben Sherwood

If your car suddenly accelerates – and you don’t have Officer “Ponch” Poncherello to slow you down – what should you do? And if you don’t drive a Toyota, what should you do if your throttle gets stuck (because of a loose floor mat or a water bottle?).

Here’s what the experts say:

1. Practice “Deliberate Calm.” In an emergency situation, you need to consciously tell yourself to stay calm and to focus on solving your problem. In aviation, pilots call this “deliberate calm” – a purposeful effort to stay cool while doing exactly what you’re trained to do. If you want a perfect illustration of “deliberate calm,” just ask Capt. Sully Sullenberger on the US Air 1549.

2. Carefully press and hold the brakes. At high speed, don’t jam on the brakes – which could cause you to lose control of the car. And be careful about pumping the brakes.

Pumping brakes at full throttle “can make a bad problem even worse,” according to a field test by Consumer Reports. Power brakes rely on engine vacuum to provide additional brake pressure, CR says. “At full throttle, the engine doesn’t generate any vacuum,” CR explains. “So as soon as we removed and reapplied pressure to the brake pedal, the power assist disappeared and stopping the car became hopeless.”

3. Shift into neutral and steer safely to the side of the road.

Even though the car will rev up in neutral, don’t worry. Most late model cars have engine speed limiters to prevent damage. Also, don’t worry if you put the car in reverse, the engine will either stall or behave like it’s in neutral.

4. Don’t turn off the engine. If you shut down the car, you could lose power steering and braking, making the car more difficult to control. Also, if you turn the key too far, you could accidentally lock the steering and you won’t be able to control the car.

###

Ben Sherwood is the author of The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life, a New York Times bestseller.  An award-winning journalist and former executive producer of ABC’s Good Morning America, he is the founder and CEO of TheSurvivorsClub.org, an online resource center for people facing every kind of adversity.

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11. March 2010 by admin.

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference.
He acquired his size from too much pi. 

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned
out to be an optical Aleutian .  

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.  

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because
it was a weapon of math disruption.  

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder
     and got a little behind in his work.  

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

 7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. 

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum
Blownapart. 

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are
looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said
to the other: ‘You stay here; I’ll go on a head.’

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: ‘Keep off the Grass.’

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital.
      When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said
‘No change   yet.’

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small
medium at large.

 20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a
seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes inverse.

 22. In a democracy it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism it’s your
count that votes.

 23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

 24. Don’t join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

 25.  A crowded elevator smells different to a midget.

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10. March 2010 by admin.

My, how things have changed over the past 50 years.  It used to be that breakfasts and dinners were cooked at home, usually by the wife because she worked out of the home, taking care of the family. 

It used to be that the children learned how to take care of their rooms, i.e. keeping it clean as well as washing their own clothes.  They learned how to cook meals by helping Mom, even the boys helped out.  They had regular chores to complete each week. 

During the daylight hours they played outside with their friends.  When they wanted to talk to their friends they got on their bikes and rode over to their friend’s house.  They watched very little TV. 

Life is a lot different today and it is easy to tell by the size of our waistlines. 

It is also evident by the following story about a newly married couple. 
 

A young couple got married and went on their honeymoon.
When they got back, the bride immediately called up her mother.“Well,” said her mother, “so how was the honeymoon?”

“Oh, mama,” she replied, “the honeymoon was wonderful! So romantic…”

Suddenly she burst out crying.
“But, mama, as soon as we returned, Harry started using the most horrible language –
things I’d never heard before! I mean, all these awful 4-letter words!
You’ve got to take me home…, “PLEASE MAMA!”

“Honey, honey” her mother said, “calm down!
You need to stay with your husband and work this out.
Now, tell me, what could be so awful ?
WHAT 4-letter words ?”Sobbing, the bride said, “Oh, Mama…, he used words like: dust, wash, iron, and cook…”“I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes,” said the mother.

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9. March 2010 by admin.

Last week I recorded the US Senate race to fill Senator Dodd’s seat in the US Senate representing

After listening to all of them speak, my vote will not go to any of them and here’s why.

One democrat’s main selling point was his 20-year record as attorney general for

The three republican candidates were all for cutting back government spending, which I liked.  Their problem was that they wanted to increase our military power throughout the world.  At least that is what sticks in my mind.I am writing about this because I liked what Robert Ringer had to say in his newsletter last Friday, which I just read today.  You can read what he had to say at http://blog.robertringer.com/2010/03/05/the-coming-runaway-inflation/

If you prefer to be like the ostrich and bury your head in the sand, hoping that you won’t be affected by the scary things in life, then perhaps you should not read his blog posting.

OK, I thought I was done.  Then I read another of Robert Ringer’s blog postings.  This one was on how to eliminate unemployment.  He makes everything  come to into focus with his real life experience.  This you have got to read.  http://blog.robertringer.com/2010/02/13/making-unemployment-obsolete/

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8. March 2010 by admin.

This article by Dr. Mercola is loaded with great information and the video will shock you.  I decided not to summarize it here because if you value your health and the health of your family, you will visit http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/06/how-to-win-the-food-battle-with-your-child.aspx and read the article, including the references scattered throughout the article.  It’s that important!

When you follow the advice in the article for you and your family, within 3 months you will be amazed at the difference in how you feel and look.

Upon thinking about the article and what I have read previously, I felt it important to add one more bit of information.  Since Fructose, usually corn syrup, is the main sweetener in soft drinks, many people think that by drinking diet drinks, they will be safer.

That’s not the case.  The sweeteners in diet drinks are more harmful than the fructose.  What’s the solution?  Simple, just don’t drink any soft drinks or any drink that contains more than water.

There is one exception to this rule.  It is also very healthful to drink freshly made vegetable juices.

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6. March 2010 by admin.

I read this before and thought it excellent. So now it is your turn to think and ponder how you perceive life.

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present “Seven Wonders of the World.” Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter’s Basilica
7. China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.  

The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there are so many.

“The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.

“The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ are:
1. To see
2. To hear
3. To touch
4. To taste
5. To feel
6. To laugh
7. And to love.

“The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous! A gentle reminder — that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

It kind of reminds me of the saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.”  We rush through life looking for and wanting “things”, often the bigger and brighter and most eye-catching “things”.  We fail to stop and smell the roses, to enjoy the simple and often free things life has to offer.

President Woodrow Wilson phrased it eloquently: “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forgot the errand.”

A good friend said to me recently, “And I don’t mean to be negative, but I am kinda giving up on believing in things, including trying to be happy. I’d rather just do what I am doing and wait for time to pass.”

I ache inside every time I think about what he said. Whether we do anything meaningful with our lives or not, time will pass. It is one of the many things we cannot control. However, we can control what we do with our time in each moment.

Bad things do happen to good people as well as not-so-good people. It is how we respond to what happens that we can control if we choose and that makes all the difference.

When someone asks you what is the most import thing in your life, respond with one word, “Me”. 

Cherish you first and you will be better able to cherish others. Help you first and you will be better able to help others. Be happy in the moment and happiness will follow you.

Add value to the lives of others by allowing them to experience your love and your knowledge and you will experience unending joy and abundance in return. 

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5. March 2010 by admin.

I present this to you just as I received it: 

*/Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn’t you say?/* 
 
*Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter* 
*This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this.  It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! 
They put in a correction the next day. * 
—————————————————————-
 *I just couldn’t help but send this along. Too funny.*
*Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says* 
*No crap, really? Ya think?* 
*—————————————————————–*
 
*Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers* 
*Now that’s taking things a bit far!* 
 
*———————————————————–* 
*Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over* 
*What a guy!* 
*—————————————————————* 
 
*Miners Refuse to Work after Death* 
*No-good-for-nothing’ lazy so-and-so’s!* 
*—————————————————— * 
 
*Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant* 
*See if that works any better than a fair trial!* 
*——————————————————–* 
 
*War Dims Hope for Peace* 
*I can see where it might have that effect!* 
* ——————————————————–* 
 
*If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile* 
*Ya think?!* 
*——————————————————– * 
 
*Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures* 
* Who would have thought!* 
*———————————————————* 
 
*Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide* 
*They may be on to something!* 
*———————————————————* 

*Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges* 
*You mean there’s something stronger than duct tape?*
*———————————————————-* 
 
*Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge* 
* He probably IS the battery charge!* 
———————————————* 

*New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group* 
*Weren’t they fat enough?!* 
*———————————————–* 
 
*Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft* 
*That’s what he gets for eating those beans!* 
*————————————————-*
 
*Kids Make Nutritious Snacks* 
*Do they taste like chicken?* 
****************************************** 
 
*Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half* 
*Chainsaw Massacre all over again!* 
 ***************************************** 
 
*Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors* 
*Boy, are they tall!* 
******************************************
 
*And the winner is….* 
*Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead* 

* Did I read that right?* 
******************************************

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4. March 2010 by admin.

Letter by a Florida  teacher…………….    

I almost posted a copy of this “Letter by a Florida teacher…” until at the last moment I decided that it may just be false.  So I did some research and, YES, it is not true. 

As I mentioned before, the Internet is a powerful tool when used for good and it can also be a powerful tool for evil.  So use it wisely and never believe something just because you would like it to be true. 

There are a lot of things wrong with the way our government uses our taxpayers’ money and we do need to take action to stop this senseless spending before it is too late. 

However, spreading falsehoods to get people outraged is not the way to go.  Do take action and do speak up when you feel something is wrong. 

First, however, do your research before you speak out to ensure you have your facts straight.  Emotion has its place and getting emotional about an injustice is good as long as how you direct your emotion does not infringe on another’s right to his/her views. 

Yes, Americans are getting angry at how we seem to treat non-citizens better than citizens.  Just make sure you know the full story, the true story before you take action. 

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3. March 2010 by admin.

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - White House economic adviser Larry Summers said on Monday winter blizzards were likely to distort U.S. February jobless figures, which are due to be released on Friday.

“The blizzards that affected much of the country during the last month are likely to distort the statistics. So it’s going to be very important … to look past whatever the next figures are to gauge the underlying trends,” Summers said in an interview with CNBC, according to a transcript.

Summers, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, also said the United States was closely monitoring Greece’s debt problems and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was encouraged by what he had heard from European officials about the issue.

“With respect to Europe, I am obviously very concerned about what’s happening in Greece and Portugal, in Spain, in Italy, on the European continent,” Summers said.

“I think there have been increasing signs of recognition both in Greece and in the major countries of Europe that this is a situation that has to be managed; that combination of getting the Greek budget under better control and providing more support is necessary to stabilize this situation.”

First Global Warming is affecting our lives and now winter storms are putting people out of work. Who would have thought?

 And to think these are the people that are “running” our country.  I say “running” tongue-in-cheek, so to speak, because they can only run our country when we allow them. 

Yes, I was shocked when I read the above.  Can you imagine anyone actually falling for such nonsense.  Opps, the president must have because he chose this moron to be the director of the White House’s National Economic Council.  Maybe he was chosen because he will say anything his boss tells him to say. 

—After shaking my head and walking around in a daze for hours trying to understand how anyone in their right mind would spew such idiotic dribble, I went on to his second statement about his concern for Greece’s debt problems. 

Perhaps we should send Greece 9.3 billion dollars to help bail them out.  I just hope we let the ink dry on our freshly printed dollar bills before we ship them over to Greece.

I wonder if Greece will even accept our bailout money, freshly printed for them?  After all the more we print the less valuable they become.  Did anyone even think about that? 

So why are our Federal Reserve printing presses running 24/7? That’s an easy answer. 

If our government taxes the good citizens any more they may revolt.  The only other way to pay for all of their wasteful and foolish bailouts and social programs is to print up more dollar bills. 

As with all things, there comes a time when they must pay the piper.  I just hope we good American citizens come to our senses before that time comes.

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