Following the result of your votes, Susan Boyle is already through (and has thanked Piers for it!), but it's now up to the judges who will join her in Saturday's final. It's between Diversity and Natalie Okri. Who will they chose?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5sn8c6ZPwc&hl=en
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
It's Time to End Our Current Tax System
As a country we have reached the end of the line. The revenue generated by our current tax system, according to most experts, is no longer sufficient to meet the voracious need of politicians who spend our hard earned money. If we do nothing, the U.S. will fail financially. Some pessimistic financial experts put that end sometime around 2020, about the time Medicare is expected to fail. Others put it at around 2040, about the time Social Security is expected to fail. Realistically, none of the financial pundits really knows when the U.S. will fail. But my point is this; they all agree the U.S. is going to fail financially at some point. They use euphemistic-speak for our ultimate doom by saying the U.S. "cannot sustain the present course". When you hear "cannot sustain the present course" talk just remember they are really saying the U.S. will go bankrupt.
Everyone talks about the dreaded income tax system, but not the payroll tax system. The average American does not seem to understand that the payroll tax punishes the poor and middle class the most. The payroll tax represents the Social Security and Medicare tax withholding that all Americans must have taken out of their gross pay. Each paycheck we lose 7.65% in payroll taxes to Uncle Sam. The payroll tax generates more tax revenue than the oft-dreaded income tax.
Politicians have prostituted the income tax system, a system that started out as a flat tax, so much so that it now encompasses 57,917 pages encapsulated in our Internal Revenue Code and accompanying regulations. Not to mention thousands of rules set forth in precedents established by numerous tax court cases (and other non-tax court cases). The evolution of this mess began the first day a lobbyist walked into a politician's office and sought some tax benefit. Once the word got around that these lobbyists were sending other politicians on very nice, expensive trips, the rest of the politicians jumped on the lobbyist bandwagon and bent over to accommodate the lobbyists tax demands. Congress and spending are a contradictory relationship. On the one hand Congress has a fiduciary duty to carefully spend our tax dollars. They actually have a fiduciary responsibility not to spend more than the government takes in. On the other hand, they are measured by their constituents (the voters in their districts) by how much money they are able to get from the government for use in their districts. So there's a contradiction inherent in their desire to control government spending and in their desire to get elected. So guess which desire gets pushed to the side. You got it. The control spending one. Thus our deficit.
Our deficit has gotten so big and out of control that, China, the largest borrowing of U.S. government obligations, is now expressing serious concern over the U.S.'s ability to actually make good on all this debt. In other words, China believes the U.S. might go bankrupt and leave them with trillions in worthless U.S. debt obligations.
We owe it to our children to no longer permit our politicians to continue kicking the can down the road to the next generation, in an effort to get elected. So what do we do? We need to end our current income tax system and payroll tax system. There is a proposed House bill (H.R. 25) and a proposed Senate bill (S. 1025) which offer a solution. What's embodied in these two bills is an alternate system of taxation, known as the Fair Tax. No matter what you may have heard that is bad about the Fair Tax, understand this: the opponents to this are primarily politicians and big lobby groups. The Fair Tax represents the largest transfer of power from a federal government to its citizens, the likes of which has not been seen since the American Revolution. The politicians and the lobby groups are frightened for their lives. The Fair Tax threatens the power base these two groups have fought so hard to enjoy. Let's go over some of the key points on the Fair Tax.
Fair Tax Overview:
1. Eliminates the current income tax, payroll tax, estate tax and gift tax systems. This means no more withholdings from gross pay, no more IRS, no more IRS audits, no more IRS inquiries, no more income tax lobby groups, no more tax returns to be filed, no more tax return preparer fees to be paid, no more tax loopholes for favored taxpayers, no more estate tax, no more capital gains tax, no more self-employment tax, no more corporate tax, no more gift tax and no more alternative minimum tax.
2. Replaces our current system of taxation with a national sales tax with a rate of 23%. You pay tax only on what you spend. Thus you become a truly voluntary taxpayer. Something called a rebate (aka "prebate") will be paid by the federal government. This rebate represents the 23% Fair Tax amount paid on all household spend up to a certain level of spend (up to poverty level). Everyone who currently receives a paycheck will receive 100% of their paycheck, not the current 65%. You may think the 23% is very high, but keep in mind that in every product or service you buy, is an embedded income/payroll tax of 22%.
Imagine for a moment if you could bank 100% of your paycheck. Think about that for a moment. How would that improve your life? Imagine for a moment if you had total control over how much tax you pay. Sounds a lot like freedom to me. Freedom is an American ideal. We like freedom. Fair Tax provides us with more freedom over our lives, less intrusion by the federal government and more money to save for a house, college and retirement.
If you want to learn more about the Fair Tax go on to their web site fairtaxdotorg. Don't buy in to the objections that are out there. Politicians and lobby groups are doing their best to make the Fair Tax proposal sound flawed. Their objections are unfounded and each one is easily dismissed by the Fair Tax experts. Remember the author of this blog is a CPA. I make money preparing tax returns and consulting on tax matters. I have nothing to gain in pushing the Fair Tax initiative.
Tom is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Financial Planner, CLTC (Certified Long-Term Care) and President of Cerefice & Company, the largest CPA firm in Rahway, New Jersey. Tom works with clients helping them manage their money, retirement planning, college savings, life insurance needs, IRAs and qualified plan rollovers with an eye towards maximizing tax benefits and minimizing taxes. Tom is founder of the Rich Habits Institute and author of "Rich Habits".
auto loans motorcycle accident attorneys auto century insurance
Friday, March 26, 2010
Online Electric Guitar Lessons - Where Are the Best?
Online electric guitar lessons that offer quality lessons can be difficult to find. The reason is because there are so many online electric guitar lessons but most are not even worth looking at.
Do you want to learn how to play the electric guitar? Or maybe you have been playing for awhile and are looking to pick up some new licks or riffs for your bag of tricks. No matter what level of experience you have playing the guitar, there are plenty of resources out there to help you expand your knowledge of playing the electric guitar.
The great thing about playing electric guitar is that the sound can be a lot more dynamic than a traditional acoustic guitar. You have all kinds of fun effects to play with such as distortion, vibrato, wah wah pedals and a whole lot more.
That's what makes playing electric guitar so much fun. You can play the same songs over and over again and make them sound completely different by simply adjusting the tone of your guitar.
So where is a good place to find online electric guitar lessons? The answer is, it depends on what you're looking for. Someone who is brand-new to play in the guitar will most likely benefit from a "how to get started" type of course, while advanced players are going to be more interested in what some of the more advanced lesson sites that offer.
And there is a lot of information on the Internet to sift through. Some of it is fantastic, but the majority of it is the same old rehashed boring guitar lessons that have been around forever.
If you would like to save yourself the time and headache of sifting through all of the low quality guitar sites on the Internet, take a moment to check out http://easilyplayguitar.com/guitarreview
We talk about the best online electric guitar lessons. We also understand that every guitar player has individual needs so we can recommend lessons to you based on what style of music you'd like to play, as well as your experience level.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream
From Susan CD (I Dreamed A Dream) ☆Lyrics☆ I dreamed a dream in time gone by When hope was high and life worth living I dreamed that love would never die I dreamed that God would be forgiving Then I was young and unafraid And dreams were made and used and wasted There was no ransom to be paid No song unsung, no wine untasted But the tigers come at night With their voices soft as thunder As they turn your hope apart As they turn your dreams to shame And still I dream he'd come to me That we would live the years together But there are dreams that cannot be And there are storms we cannot weather I had a dream my life would be So different from the hell Im living So different now from what it seemed Now life has killed the dream I dreamed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U--UHBHEoY&hl=en
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U--UHBHEoY&hl=en
Monday, February 22, 2010
Self Esteem - What Susan Boyle Thinks About Your Age
Do you know who Susan Boyle is? She is the Britain's Got Talent sensation. She made it to second best at the talent hunt at the age of 47. At 47! You may exclaim. Yes, at age 47. You are probably thinking like most people who assume such a TV program is a younger people thing.
She won our hearts by her outstanding performance despite all the prejudice she suffered because of her age. The show was so hot on the internet that sites that showcased the competition had a traffic windfall for weeks just because of this inspirational woman.
Why didn't she come out big earlier in life? She had been in other concerts and shows when she was younger but the organizers were not "seeing" her talent. Why did she have to gain this popularity at an older age in her life? May be you ask God. What counts is that she made it to our faces and hearts despite all the discouragements. At least you now know that you too can be popular for something worldwide at a later age.
Do you get the idea? And that is against all odds, real or imagined she made it to the place she had desired in her music career. And her age? When I hear her voice and music, I am more thrilled and inspired than thinking of some make- believe age issue.
If you are uncomfortable with your age; is the discomfort as a result of fear of loss of opportunities for experience or that of underachieved life.
If it is that of fear of loss of opportunities for experience, may be you feel at forty or fifty something you have become automatically (unfairly) "banned" from being you. Banned from dancing freely, jumping stairs, just almost everything that make you feel free and real. You think and feel unfairly prejudged because of some numbers associated with you.
If the fame had come to Susan Boyle 10-20 years earlier, would it had been a sweeter, more satisfying experience? I don't think age will determine that. Her ability to enjoy her NOW will come from a maturity that appreciates and celebrates life irrespective of whatever is the age. Something about people is that if they perceive your comfortability with an experience, they will align themselves to the rightness of that experience also.
If your discomfort is that of under-achievement, I will like to ask here- by what standard was the measurement done. I hope it is not another case of unhealthy competition borne out of undue comparison. You are probably comparing yourself with your high school and college colleagues. I always say this-That someone appears to be steps ahead of you in status doesn't mean he/she has outrun you in life. Life purposes and destinies differ and can't be run alike.
Even if there is a really case of underachievement, who says you can't recover the lost ground at any age. Ask Kentucky fries founder Col Harland Sander. He so believed in his Kentucky fried chicken that he travelled the US at age 65 to sell his chicken to restaurant owners. Think about that
You can be the best you are created to be. Check out out blog for more resources at http://bebestyou.com.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wonder of the Waters - A History of Essential Mineral Baths
For centuries, hot springs have offered numerous health benefits for everything from arthritis to indigestion. Sulfur, for instance, is credited with relieving nasal congestion, while sodium bicarbonate and calcium are said to enhance circulation. A number of studies have also indicated that soaking in hot mineral spring waters lessens the pain of arthritis. For instance, a study published in the August 1995 issue of the Israeli medical journal Harefuah reported patients bathing in the Dead Sea salt experienced improvement in knee pain. Other Israeli study results published in the April 2001 issue of the Rheumatology International indicated that hot sulfur baths helped relieve the pain and lessen the fatigue of fibromyalgia.
The benefits of hot springs, or mineral baths, were first endorsed by the Romans. They were so much a part of life that nearly every Roman city had at least one bath, which served as centers of public bathing and socializing. Throughout the Empire, baths sprung up wherever natural hot springs existed, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Algeria, and The Netherlands. Here, Romans bathed, exercised, and socialized with one another. They were used by the rich, poor, free or slave.
The hot springs in Baden-Baden, Germany, were well known to the Romans. In 1847, well preserved remains of Roman vapour baths were discovered below the castle. In fact, the direct translation of Baden-Baden is Baths-Baths. The name actually refers to both the city and the Baden region of Germany and the city lies along the Oos River in the Black Forest. One of the world's great spas, Baden-Baden has been popular with patrons of its natural mineral springs for centuries. In fact, Britain's Queen Victoria was an annual visitor who made the health benefits of Baden-Baden well known during her reign.
Today, the bathing houses in Baden-Baden are considered some of the most elegant in Europe. However, the baths cater to people of all means. There are a total of 29 hot springs, which is conveyed through the town in pipes to the various baths. The waters at Baden-Baden are known to bring relief for cases of rheumatism, gout, paralysis, neuralgia, and skin diseases.
One of the world's first health resorts, the Dead Sea is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. Herod the Great, the Roman king of Judaea from 73 BC to 4 BC, enjoyed the healthful benefits of the Dead Sea, as well as Queen Cleopatra, who obtained exclusive rights to build cosmetic and pharmaceutical factories in the area. The region's climate and unique conditions created by its low elevation has made the Dead Sea a popular destination for a variety of health and beauty treatments. Multiple studies have shown the mineral essentials of the sea are effective for psoriasis, acne, and rheumatism. The Ein Gedi Spa, a well-established site on the shores of the Dead Sea, offers indoor thermo-mineral pools, resting areas, and a large outdoor bath containing rich, heavy black mud, which is ideal for ridding the body of poisons.
The healing properties of hot springs were espoused by the Native Americans, as well. When Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto reached the Valley of the Vapors in 1541, he was the first European to see the curative nature of what is now known as Hot Springs, Arkansas. For many years, tribes had been enjoying the springs - agreeing to put aside their weapons to partake of the healing waters in peace while in the valley. By 1832, the Hot Springs National Park was formed, which granted protection of the thermal waters, giving Hot Springs the distinction of being the first national park to be designated for government protection.
The thermal springs, situated in the Ouachita Mountains of Central Arkansas, emerge in a gap between Hot Springs Mountain and West Mountain. Nicknamed "The American Spa," visitors from around the world flocked to the natural hot springs. Today, this rich history is preserved in the faithfully-restored Fordyce Bathhouse, a museum and visitors center on Bathhouse Row. A variety of bathing facilities are open as well to visitors on Bathhouse Row and in hotels and spas downtown.
More than 100 years ago, the rich and famous traveled by private rail car to Mount Clemens, Michigan, to experience its magical mineral waters pumped from 1,400 feet under the city. Following the opening of the first bath house, "America's Bath City" reached its height of popularity with luxury resort hotels offering heated baths, which were widely known to relieve the pain of arthritis and rheumatism, as well as skin problems such as eczema. Henry Ford, William Randolph Hearst, Mae West, Babe Ruth, and European royalty made visits to Mount Clemens to partake of its mineral essentials.
In the 1900s, the mineral water from Mount Clemens drew thousands of polio patients. Legend had it that people came to the city in wheelchairs and left walking under their own power. Ultimately, eleven major bath houses operated in the city, supported by dozens of resort hotels, resulting in a thriving therapeutic industry.
Geologix Inc. manufactures products using a proprietary formula featuring 34 natural minerals contained in the ancient sea water from the famous Michigan Basin -- a concentration of minerals higher than that found in any known body of water in the world. Mineral Essentials focuses on spa, skin care, and massage products to moisturize and provide anti-aging protection for great skin. Visit us at http://www.mineralessentials.com and http://www.acheaway.com
Monday, February 1, 2010
Tribalism: Kenya’s Oldest ‘Living Skeleton’ in The Closet
There've been heated debates on the tribalism issue, mooted and dissected on motley of forums. The internet (blogs & sites), newspapers, magazines, tabloids and pamphlets have helped potray the dynamics of this 'touchy' issue.
I've been following the goings-on with bated breath and each time I read or hear about tribalistic issues this question always screams for an answer: when will our people open their eyes and see that tribalism (tribalistic mindsets) 'helps' to sever the cords of national unity and harmony?
Having lived outside Kenya for sometime, I've seen Kenyans of different tribal origins working together as brothers and sisters, their tribalistic mindsets notwithstanding. I've seen, for instance, Kikuyus and Luos working in harmony and calling each other 'bro' or 'sis'. I've seen them doing things together, things they would not have attempted or a brotherliness that would never have materialised were it in Kenya.
This is a sorry state of affairs. Must we go out of the country to realise that tribalism should never be an issue and that we can work as brothers and sisters (AS KENYANS) even at home.
If we can live and work as brothers outside Kenya how much more in our homeland!!
Outside Kenya we call ourselves Kenyans, in Kenya we call ourselves 'Luos', 'Kikuyus', 'Kambas', Kalenjins'... the list is endless. What does someone in his right senses make of this? "HYPOCRISY!" You scream, and I pat you on the back and smilingly tell you, "You've hit the nail on the head."
We are hypocrites, God forgive us. We always want to be mollycoddled and told that we are on the right path. But in this matter we are wide of the mark.
Hello Kenyans. We are Kenyans whether Luo, Kikuyu, Nandi, Luhya, name it. We'll always be Kenyans. Let's behave, eat and live as Kenyans should. Let the strength of brotherhood be our bastion.
Let's elect people, not because they are Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba or any other tribe, but because they can steer us to the acme we aspire. The decisions we make today will go a long way in defining our lives and nationhood, whether rash or well-thought out! (This is especially so as we are in the run up to the election next year, 2007!)
Did I hear you smack your lips in dissatisfaction?
My plea: Let's treat each other as Kenyans. Treat fellow Kenyans as you would your beloved brother, sister, son or daughter: with love, respect and sincerity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
