Zguy28

2 minutes ago, Forehead said:

 

Yeah, there's a lot of truth here.  When my wife and I were getting large refunds years ago, we thought about changing our withholding.  We're both pretty fiscally responsible, but not having that money around for things like car repairs, etc. forced us to budget on what we did have, and the tax refund checks always came around when it was time to start paying fees for the kids summer camp, etc.  So we looked at it as having the government hold our camp fees, etc. aside for us, even though it was interest free

 

The refunds drying up just means we have to re-budget, but it was nice for awhile not having to worry about paying for that stuff.

The key is when you alter your witholding, immediately enact your saving plan. Procrastination is enemy of discipline. 

9 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

Many Americans are upset their 2018 refunds shrunk after the GOP tax cuts

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/02/10/millions-americans-could-be-stunned-their-tax-refunds-shrink/

Stunned I tell you!

Buried behind the emotional argument is this information:

Quote

 

Many Americans may confuse their meager refunds as a sign that they paid more in taxes as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Generally, that is not true.

 

According to the Tax Policy Center, 80 percent of filers received a tax cut, and about 5 percent wound up paying more in federal income taxes. The tax cuts showed up in fatter weekly or biweekly paychecks for most Americans, but few people noticed, according to polling.

 

“There’s a difference between taxes and your refund,” said Joseph Rosenberg, a senior research associate at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute. “People generally got a piece of their tax cut last year gradually in the form of lower withholding on their paychecks.”

 

Many families received a tax cut, but their refunds are smaller this year because the IRS made major changes to the “withholding tables” — the amount the federal government recommends taking out of your paycheck for federal income taxes — in the new tax law.

 

The IRS attempted to set withholding levels so that more people would pay correct taxes, meaning they neither owe anything to the IRS at the end of the year nor receive a refund.

 

Fed still gave me a refund, but MD went from owing $200 last year to $1000 now. Maryland, where we tax the rain.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/viral-clash-students-and-native-americans-explained/580906/

Quote

 

Film and photography purport to capture events as they really took place in the world, so it’s always tempting to take them at their word. But when multiple videos present multiple possible truths, which one is to be believed? Given the new footage, some, such as the libertarian outlet Reason, said the students were “wildly mischaracterized.” Others, such as The Washington Post, tried to cast the matter more neutrally, concluding that the aftermath “seemed to capture the worst of America at a moment of extreme political polarization.”

But rather than drawing conclusions about who was vicious or righteous—or lamenting the political miasma that makes the question unanswerable—it might be better to stop and look at how film footage constructs rather than reflects the truths of a debate like this one. Despite the widespread creation and dissemination of video online, people still seem to believe that cameras depict the world as it really is; the truth comes from finding the right material from the right camera. That idea is mistaken, and it’s bringing forth just as much animosity as the polarization that is thought to produce the conflicts cameras record.

 

more at link

2 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Those kids are brats who had a PR firm spin their douchey behavior and use a ****ing bot army to brigade the social media conversation about it.

I think all three parties involved are disingenuous arses.

The more these stories come out, the more I feel like our culture (expressed through platforms like Twitter) is just the Hatfield's and McCoy's on a enormous scale. Or each is like a xenophobic hick town, but with millions of residents...

On 1/4/2019 at 2:54 AM, Destino said:

I don't believe that playing Trump's game, by which I mean responding to his nonsense with anger and insults, is a winning strategy.  The best way to defeat Trump is to ignore his noise and simply demonstrate the leadership this country needs.  I don't mean just by displaying any sort of decency and competency either, nor is it about being nice to Trump supporters.  It's about not taking the bait.  Trump couldn't go toe to toe with congressional interns on policy, let alone career politicians... but he never has to because whenever he's in a tough spot he just makes some weird faces and screeches out some dumb **** and suddenly everyone is talking about that. 

 

Imagine sitting at the table with your family and arguing anything at all.  Now imagine that every time you feel like you are losing the argument dump the plate of food on your own head and then insult someone at the table.  How many people after you do that are still focused on the previous argument?  None.  That's how Trump plays politics.  Insults at that point do not counter this strategy, they just feed right into it. 

 

Trump needs to be defeated by contrast.  By brilliance.  The sort that attracts attention in a different more substantive way and sells the public on a vision of tomorrow they want to live in.  One that benefits them but also moves us forward as a people.  Democrats need to put forward someone that's inspiring enough to largely ignore Trump and dazzle the dinner guests in such a way that when Trump dumps a bowl of soup on his head, no one turns to look at him.  They just hit him with the political equivalent of "that's nice dear" and maybe toss him a napkin. 

 

Then again, he may end up facing impeachment at some point.  That would be nice.

Exactly. He has been playing this game since the beginning. You cannot use the power of the One Ring against its master. This way of politics must be cast into the fires of Mount Doom.

1 hour ago, Burgold said:

Oh, poor baby. Do you realize that conservatives get about 5% of the grief that they hand out? For more than forty years, liberals have been called the enemy of America and a thousand times worse by conservatives, conservative media, etc. Generally speaking, they use Democrat, democratic, and liberal as swear words. I really have no sympathy for the anti-PC party crying about how the other side is using mean words about them when their party is actively performing acts of evil.

 

You asked- "Do we really think that all of the people who voted for Trump think that stuff is okay?" My answer is yes for all those who still support him. If not, they need to speak up, act up, and make their disgruntlement heard. Passive neglect is an endorsement. Voting for more of the same is an endorsement.

 

If you voted for Trump, if you nominated a Nazi to represent you in Illinois, if you have failed to act. Yes, this is your face in the mirror. Own it or change it. Don't whine that others are exposing your party's faults.

Who are you exposing them too Burgold? People who already see it like you. At this point that's all you do. And it plays into your enemy's hands.

2 hours ago, Riggo-toni said:

My sister gave me a Sous Vide cooker for Christmas. I had never heard of them, but I can't wait to try it out on some shrimp.

My coworker swears by it for filet mignon

This optimist seems to take a different view than the OP.

https://aeon.co/ideas/reach-out-listen-be-patient-good-arguments-can-stop-extremism

On 12/24/2018 at 4:32 PM, Zguy28 said:

What's on the Christmas dinner menu?

 

Mine is:

Honey glazed ham with pears and cranberries https://www.marthastewart.com/340494/honeyed-ham-with-pears-and-cranberries

green bean casserole (classic)

cream corn (homemade)

loaded baked potatoes

figgy pudding (first time trying it.) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851637/figgy-christmas-pudding

 

 

I also made a spinach salad which turned out to be the winner among my extended family. Recipe here (along with creamed corn as well) https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/make-my-holiday-dinner-menu

What's on the Christmas dinner menu?

Mine is:

Honey glazed ham with pears and cranberries https://www.marthastewart.com/340494/honeyed-ham-with-pears-and-cranberries

green bean casserole (classic)

cream corn (homemade)

loaded baked potatoes

figgy pudding (first time trying it.) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851637/figgy-christmas-pudding

3 minutes ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The post credits scene shows he's still alive and is coming back for revenge. He was rescued at sea at the fight in Sicily and is picked up by the newscaster dude that was going on about Atlantis and people were calling him crazy.

 

I like that we kinda got his origin out of the way in this one and it still felt pretty good to me. We can get right down to business in the sequel. 

 

For some reason I can't expand your comments. Tried 3 browsers. Maybe its my new Windows 10 PC?

13 hours ago, KevinthePRF said:

Just saw Aquaman, 8 out of 10. Just sucks the 2 most important JL characters are in limbo forcing this movie to ignore they exist. 

I felt it was good but not great as well.

Goods: Jason Mamoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman (still easy on the eyes).

Bads: Too long, and it felt like they tried too hard on some of the special effects at the end.

Ugly: They shoe horned in Black Manta. Should save him for a sequel.

7 hours ago, Dan T. said:

The only thing better would be each of those people getting arrested.

No kidding. Obviously package theft is a more of a problem than I previously thought.

On 12/2/2018 at 2:50 PM, RansomthePasserby said:

If what Neil deGrasse Tyson says about these instances being innocent interactions is true (and as a fan of his, I hope he is telling the truth), then why would these three women accuse him of sexual misconduct?

Obviously one is mentally ill, another is over-sensitive, and another has too high of an opinion of herself and thinks all men want is sex. I mean, can't a married man invite a young female coworker over for wine and cheese, alone, and just want to be friends?

Fox and National Geographic are investigating Neil deGrasse Tyson after sexual misconduct allegations

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fox-and-national-geographic-are-investigating-neil-degrasse-tyson-after-sexual-misconduct-allegations/ar-BBQlfkf?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Quote

One woman, Tchiya Amet, says that Tyson drugged and raped her when the two were students at the University of Texas, Austin. Another, Ashley Watson, says he made unwanted advances when she was his assistant, causing her to quit her job. A third, Katelyn Allers, says she was “felt up” by Tyson at a party in 2009.

Freaking NFL and CBS. Couldn't watch the game yesterday because stupid CBS has their own streaming service which I refuse to purchase. What the heck was an all NFC game doing there anyway?

Titans better be real good, because to me, its just a stupid cartoon my elementary school son watched on Cartoon Network.

Apparently "Mansize" tissues are unpopular.

12 hours ago, Hersh said:

 

What made your comment utter BS was that you first referenced people believing in conspiracy non-sense (political hit job) which is what my comment was about. Then you turned it into disagreeing with someone on any issue. 

You don't think almost half of the electorate, that elected Trump, believes that this is a political hatchet job? I was amazed until I kept hearing more and more conservative friends saying it. This "conspiracy non-sense" is a fundamental point of disagreement between "their side" and yours and widely believed across GOP voters. So, while I get you may not have intended to call a majority of political opponents mentally ill, in reality, you have, because their views that you find crazy are widely believed. GOP voters are not mentally disturbed generally, they are deluded and misled by people who are very influential and master persuaders, the king of which is the President.

Someday, hopefully, we will look back at our nation and say "wow, America almost tore itself apart then. Glad it didn't" just like my friend did who lived through the Civil Rights era and Vietnam. I can hope.

2 minutes ago, StillUnknown said:

this **** ain't good for my depression

Reading this thread may send you through the 4 stages of grief prematurely.

1 hour ago, Hersh said:

 

What a crock of **** statement from you. That is not at all what was implied. 

Then explain what you mean. Because otherwise your quoting and responding to my anecdote is a non sequitur.

6 minutes ago, Llevron said:

 

Just think about the amount of people that are willing to believe anything a person they trust tells them because they dont know any better. It's scary 

I know. Sadly this cuts both ways in politics.

4 minutes ago, Hersh said:

 

Mental health is a serious issue in this country that may never be sufficiently addressed by those in power.

What is truly scary is implying that half of the electorate, who don't agree with you, have mental health issues.

3 minutes ago, Burgold said:

Silence can be very loud indeed.

Sure can. It can also be claimed to have said whatever you wanted to hear. Be careful that it doesn't turn its ugly head toward you some day.

1 minute ago, Burgold said:

And none of these women signed letters of support for him... Interesting.

Silence is evidence now?