And thus it was that Julius Caesar met his maker (probably a shock given his Roman religion and that he thought himself to be a god) on Idus Martias, otherwise known as the deadline to file calendar year-end corporate tax returns or extensions. He was stabbed to death by a group of Senators, the final blow coming from his friend, Brutus.
And on this day of celebration for the Roman god of war, Mars, I sit in my office, listening to Grieg's Piano Concerto, doing tax returns.
The 1099 forms are even later this year (thank you, Congress) and the K-1 forms are nowhere to be found (again, thank you, Congress). Brutus and his Liberatores may be long dead, but I feel like the back-stabbing bums in today's Senate are only lacking the white robes splattered with blood. Yes, I know that trying to engender feelings of sympathy for the tax accountants is a losing proposition at best, and that my futile cries for pity are only met with silent apathy, but really, Government Leaders need to spend a few moments trying to do their own tax returns under intense pressure before they start laying out more complicated provisions with shortened deadlines attached.
The reason the 1099s are late is because the IRS and Congress found out that many financial institutions were struggling to provide accurate 1099s by the January 31 deadline. The banks and brokerage houses would send out some misleading filth by the deadline and then issue "corrected" forms later -- sometimes months later. Sometimes they would issue multiple corrected forms as new information would become available. It really was getting out of hand. And the whole mess was only complicated by new reporting legislation to "make the investment industry more transparent". Given recent events, we haven't seen the last of that bit of "Government Help".
So the geniuses decided to extend the 1099 deadline to February 15 in order to "avoid the multiple corrected forms and thus allow the American people to file accurately the first time". I guess there were those who thought they could trust the first set of 1099 forms and would file quickly only to find that a new form required them to amend their return, possibly multiple times.
But did those same geniuses extend the filing deadline to say May 1? No, they just squeezed the time available to file from maybe two and a half months to just two months.
But it gets better. The same problem was happening with partnership and trust K-1 forms. The partnerships were so complicated that they wouldn't finish the K-1s until almost the end of the EXTENDED deadline, let alone April. So the geniuses said, "the American people are having to rush to file their personal returns, thus we will require that all partnerships and trusts can only extend 5 months as opposed to 6." Now most people would think, "Ah, that means we will have a full month to file our personal returns and not be crunched as we were." And they would be correct if they were also totally ignorant of how businesses work. I guarantee that when we get those rushed K-1s, they will be wrong. The amended K-1s will come later, maybe even months later. Which means that more people will have to file amended personal returns.
Of course, some of you out there are saying, "But Accounting Man, doesn't that mean more work, and thus more revenue, for you?" And the answer is "Yes, it does." It also means that I will never run out of work. Never. I will never finish the 2008 filing season, because it will continue into the 2009 filing season next year. I will be perpetually filing returns in order to correct someone else's problem. I could be filing multiple return years simultaneously (you think I'm messed up now, just wait). Oh, and just think of what your reaction will be when your accountant tells you, "yes, we did file timely, but now we have to file again and I will have to charge you again." Those are conversations that can be SO much fun.
The alternative is to just not file the amended return. And then we can respond to the IRS matching notice. In fact, once a client has filed his return, he usually doesn't think that he will be receiving any more data for that year and thus we may not get the amended data until long after the IRS has had time to process it and send out a notice. Yep, it is what my father used to call "a communist plot" to take your money and give it to Government Pigs who are trying to pull the nation out of a recession (or depression, depending on your point of view -- i.e. whether or not you have lost your job too and not just your neighbor). And dealing with IRS auditors is on my list of least favorite activities. They have the audacity to send audit notices NOW. In the middle of filing season. Just another item in a long line of gripes about government workers and their inability to think. And if the intention is to try to catch me off-guard since I am extra busy now (and I suspect that is exactly what they are thinking since I rarely get audit notices during the summer when I have more time available), they are sorely mistaken. It just makes me agitated and more willing to fight them to the death (or at least turn the audit into a refund for my client, which is always good).
So I finish tonight, knowing full well that most of you think I am bitching all the way to the bank. And you are probably right. But if a man is perpetually filing tax returns and fighting incompetent government agents (and yes, they are that stupid -- tenacious, but stupid), when can he enjoy the mounds of cash he is supposedly bringing in?
I hear your groans. But this is my blog and I can cry if I want to. Take your knife out and get back to solving your own problems. Mine will go away soon enough.
And then they'll come back.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
They Are Past Feeling
Recently I heard a film critic talk about how in his opinion the best movie of 2008 is "The Wrestler". Several other film critics agree with this particular assessment and on their recommendation, my firm decided to go see it. (For those of you who have a problem with my seeing films rated anything other than G or PG, please know that I was unaware of the film's rating at the time, as I usually don't even check such things. Maybe this is an area in which I could do better, but that is a topic for another day.)
In short, the film was AWFUL! We sat through nearly two hours of mundane, mono-emotional, unimaginative, depressing drivel, hoping that this film had an ending where someone somewhere finds some kind of redemption or at least that the moral is not just "don't let your kids grow up to be professional wrestlers". Nope. The main character and everyone around him are losers. They have problems that they do not solve or even have ideas of how to solve. And in the end, nobody is helped or saved or redeemed or even learns any kind of lesson, regardless of the value. No, this was two hours of "slice of life" about a loser who can't figure out why he's a loser and knows nothing better than to be a loser. Those whose lives he crosses are no better or worse for his being there. There were moments where connections with a lover or his estranged daughter could have gone somewhere, but the film makers decided to not pursue the idea (let alone the build up) of a plot line.
Now, my point is this: WHY THE HECK IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A GREAT MOVIE???
I think that we as a society have gone beyond being able to feel emotions. We are afraid to feel sad or mad or happy or energized. We cannot bear to be seen with tears in our eyes or be heard to laugh. We can't acknowledge that we want to cheer for anyone or anything. We are constantly afraid of having emotions. And that is too bad.
The Ancient Greeks created the drama as a catharsis for emotions. They depicted scenes of outrageous arrogance or hubris in order to have the audience feel the emotions of fear and/or sorrow. By so letting these emotions out, they believed that in "real life" they would not be subjected to the consequences that these emotions can produce. By letting these more "negative" emotions out, they had room to be thoughtful, happy and attain joy and unity in their democracy. To say that they were always successful would be overstating the ability of the drama, but the benefit of vicariously living a moment in someone else's shoes cannot be denied.
Plays, movies, and, to a lesser degree, TV shows should give us this same opportunity. We need to be driven to tears and laughter by our entertainment, otherwise it is a waste of our precious time. This film did nothing for me. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care whether they won or lost. I only wanted the experience to be done. And when it was done, I was not changed in any way. That I had experienced nothing made me upset for having lost my time. And it made me question every film critic that thought this was such a great thing to see. The lead actor is supposed to be up for awards for his portrayal of a loser. Great, he knows how to play a loser that no one could care about, including the audience. Supposedly, the actor's portrayal is based on his own journey into the abyss of mediocrity. So this is what make an actor great -- mediocrity? His great portrayal is one that lacks feeling and doesn't move the audience??
To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. But I am more concerned about why we are so caught up with elevating the mundane, lionizing the mediocre, and praising those who achieve nothing. No, not all movies have to have cool special effects, actors (male or female) in tights, an obvious villain and an obvious hero. There are some great movies about the struggles of real people. But they have plots and they show how one has overcome, or could have overcome, the odds placed against him. The hero doesn't always have to win. But we need to care about the struggle, be invested in the journey.
I ask only that my entertainment entertains! That I can FEEL something. That I can experience something. I don't want to be subjected to films where there are no winners and no one to care about and be told that this is entertainment. It isn't. It is just a waste of resources. Yes, we can have cinema verity, but let it have some meaning. I recently saw "Frost/Nixon". I knew the story -- I remember the history (I lived through it). It was presented as a pseudo-documentary. And it was entertaining. There was some conflict. There was some hubris. There were moments of laughter and moments of frustration. I felt better for having seen the film.
Maybe that is the gauge we should use -- are you better for having spent this time in the theater? There are those that would argue that films are just a waste of time and you are never better for having wasted your life in such things. And maybe they have a point in that there is probably always something better that we could or should be doing with our time. But if you do see a film, do you feel better? Have you been enriched in some way?
Or are you like these film critics who are so past feeling that they don't even recognize what quality really is?
In short, the film was AWFUL! We sat through nearly two hours of mundane, mono-emotional, unimaginative, depressing drivel, hoping that this film had an ending where someone somewhere finds some kind of redemption or at least that the moral is not just "don't let your kids grow up to be professional wrestlers". Nope. The main character and everyone around him are losers. They have problems that they do not solve or even have ideas of how to solve. And in the end, nobody is helped or saved or redeemed or even learns any kind of lesson, regardless of the value. No, this was two hours of "slice of life" about a loser who can't figure out why he's a loser and knows nothing better than to be a loser. Those whose lives he crosses are no better or worse for his being there. There were moments where connections with a lover or his estranged daughter could have gone somewhere, but the film makers decided to not pursue the idea (let alone the build up) of a plot line.
Now, my point is this: WHY THE HECK IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A GREAT MOVIE???
I think that we as a society have gone beyond being able to feel emotions. We are afraid to feel sad or mad or happy or energized. We cannot bear to be seen with tears in our eyes or be heard to laugh. We can't acknowledge that we want to cheer for anyone or anything. We are constantly afraid of having emotions. And that is too bad.
The Ancient Greeks created the drama as a catharsis for emotions. They depicted scenes of outrageous arrogance or hubris in order to have the audience feel the emotions of fear and/or sorrow. By so letting these emotions out, they believed that in "real life" they would not be subjected to the consequences that these emotions can produce. By letting these more "negative" emotions out, they had room to be thoughtful, happy and attain joy and unity in their democracy. To say that they were always successful would be overstating the ability of the drama, but the benefit of vicariously living a moment in someone else's shoes cannot be denied.
Plays, movies, and, to a lesser degree, TV shows should give us this same opportunity. We need to be driven to tears and laughter by our entertainment, otherwise it is a waste of our precious time. This film did nothing for me. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care whether they won or lost. I only wanted the experience to be done. And when it was done, I was not changed in any way. That I had experienced nothing made me upset for having lost my time. And it made me question every film critic that thought this was such a great thing to see. The lead actor is supposed to be up for awards for his portrayal of a loser. Great, he knows how to play a loser that no one could care about, including the audience. Supposedly, the actor's portrayal is based on his own journey into the abyss of mediocrity. So this is what make an actor great -- mediocrity? His great portrayal is one that lacks feeling and doesn't move the audience??
To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. But I am more concerned about why we are so caught up with elevating the mundane, lionizing the mediocre, and praising those who achieve nothing. No, not all movies have to have cool special effects, actors (male or female) in tights, an obvious villain and an obvious hero. There are some great movies about the struggles of real people. But they have plots and they show how one has overcome, or could have overcome, the odds placed against him. The hero doesn't always have to win. But we need to care about the struggle, be invested in the journey.
I ask only that my entertainment entertains! That I can FEEL something. That I can experience something. I don't want to be subjected to films where there are no winners and no one to care about and be told that this is entertainment. It isn't. It is just a waste of resources. Yes, we can have cinema verity, but let it have some meaning. I recently saw "Frost/Nixon". I knew the story -- I remember the history (I lived through it). It was presented as a pseudo-documentary. And it was entertaining. There was some conflict. There was some hubris. There were moments of laughter and moments of frustration. I felt better for having seen the film.
Maybe that is the gauge we should use -- are you better for having spent this time in the theater? There are those that would argue that films are just a waste of time and you are never better for having wasted your life in such things. And maybe they have a point in that there is probably always something better that we could or should be doing with our time. But if you do see a film, do you feel better? Have you been enriched in some way?
Or are you like these film critics who are so past feeling that they don't even recognize what quality really is?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Being of Sound Mind and Body I Spent It All -- Go Get Your Own!
My father was fond of telling us that his will would say the above. I only wish that he had lived long enough to make it come true.
And now that the Republicans, Democrats, Proposition Supporters, and various others have done their duties and the election is over, it is time to be needled by every charitable cause under the sun. Everybody seems to want my money. And I know that this year has been and will continue to be very hard for the shelters and food banks, but just because there is more need does not necessarily mean that I can afford to give more to meet that need.
I have been inundated with requests for donations of late. The Public Safety groups call nightly, the charities send letters daily (which makes me wonder where they are spending the money they do get -- administrative costs or the charitable purpose?), the Young Women are selling calendars to raise money for next year's girls' camp, the Young Men are putting on breakfasts and will soon be taking lawn aerating orders (their camp fundraiser), the ward is collecting food for the local food bank, everyone seems to think that I need to have my house inspected or fumigated or have my gutters cleaned, my nieces and nephews are selling various things (magazines, candy, girls scout cookies), and my clients are now hitting us up for their kids' choir trip to China or some other thing. I'm tired of it all.
Now I must be careful as one of the above is a dear niece that kindly asked me to support her band and get a magazine subscription. Since she was the first to ask and did so nicely, my wife and I decided that we would start getting Reader's Digest again. So I don't want her (or her mother) to think that I am complaining about her because I am not. But the situation started me to thinking about fundraising efforts in general.
Why are we subjected to having to purchase some product so that the kids can go to camp or get new uniforms or build a new wing on the music building? Why can't I just give them the $20 directly and not get a box of candy I shouldn't eat? And don't give me that "you could give it away" stuff -- if I don't think I should eat it, why is it OK to give it to someone I care about as a token of my affection? It isn't OK. It's insincere. "Here, I don't care to eat this crap, but I know how much you like to eat crap and I don't care about you staying healthy or getting diabetes, so enjoy." Nope. It's just a little worse than the feeling I get when I re-gift the wine my clients send me. "I don't drink wine since I believe it is a sin and unhealthy, but I know you like to get hammered, so here's some more for your disgusting habit."
But the kids are told, actually trained by the idiots who put together these "fundraisers", to not accept direct donations. In some cases, they are told that it is illegal to do so. What a racket! The magazine publishers get a bunch of kids to hock their stuff at $20 per subscription and they turn around and give the school or group a few pennies per subscription sold.
I remember selling jackets for the track team and then later for the band. And we sold candles for the band. In fact, entrepreneur that I was, I sold candles during a blackout. Unfortunately, we were only taking orders, so the sales pitch became more of "if you had bought these candles last month, you wouldn't be in the dark now". It would have been better to have a set of candles on hand. But oh well.
My sister and I pooled our sales of candles one year and qualified for a "promotional gift". I still have that tape case. It's still full of the tapes we kept in the old Volvo we drove to school. Ah, music from the 80's. But that's just another piece of the racket -- give aways as incentive to hock as much stuff as possible. And it works for the kids. Obviously, it worked on us.
But here's my point -- why should I feel guilty if I don't support your thing? How is it that you feel justified in giving me a guilt trip? Charity should be done in private. I am a fairly charitable person, both with my time and with my money, but often done anonymously (which I really like best -- it isn't right to gloat because you helped someone -- let them never know). I give to causes where I know that the funds are going directly to the people that need it. This is why most of my charity is done through the fast offerings donations. My father used to quote President Kimball (I think), that in relation to fast offerings we should give more, and in some cases, much more. We give a lot more than just the cost of a couple of meals and since I am the ward financial clerk, I know where those funds are going and who they are helping. They help the ones closest to you -- the ones in your ward and stake first. Excess funds are sent to Salt Lake for world-wide distribution, but much of the funds collected, at least in my ward, are used locally.
I am not blind to the suffering of others. I will give what I can to the food shelters and such. But stop pressuring me. Stop expecting me to be the one to bail you out. Times are tough all over. My own little family had some trials this year and the medical bills were not cheap. I won't be filing for bankruptcy, but the hospitals and doctors and ambulances all came with a stiff cost. Granted, I'd rather pay them than an undertaker (which could have been the option). In fact, I would pay anything to keep my son alive, so there are no complaints. But, cash is a little tighter this year for many reasons.
I guess I'm just griping. And there is little need for it. But sometimes we have to vent. And usually when I vent to people they eventually just tune me out. So here I vent and moan and if you don't want to listen, I'll never know the difference.
Happy Holidays -- because even in these economically challenged times, there are things for which we can give thanks and celebrate. No need to go overboard. No need to spread fear and doom. Just raise a glass of something tasty and pledge to make the next day, the next month, the next year a little better. If you can't give some cash, then give some time. Call someone you love and tell them so. Don't waste the only asset everyone gets the same amount of everyday -- time. But spend it all -- it can't be saved. "Time saving" devices don't save time -- they just make life more busy. We use a lot of time trying to save time and we are more busy now than ever before and yet we don't accomplish very much. Maybe we should just do something with our hands and our hearts and stop trying to be everything until we become nothing. We talk more now than ever before but we say a lot less. Maybe we should say what we mean most and then just shut up and listen.
And lastly, live long and prosper. Because the alternative is die young and destitute. And that just isn't as much fun.
And now that the Republicans, Democrats, Proposition Supporters, and various others have done their duties and the election is over, it is time to be needled by every charitable cause under the sun. Everybody seems to want my money. And I know that this year has been and will continue to be very hard for the shelters and food banks, but just because there is more need does not necessarily mean that I can afford to give more to meet that need.
I have been inundated with requests for donations of late. The Public Safety groups call nightly, the charities send letters daily (which makes me wonder where they are spending the money they do get -- administrative costs or the charitable purpose?), the Young Women are selling calendars to raise money for next year's girls' camp, the Young Men are putting on breakfasts and will soon be taking lawn aerating orders (their camp fundraiser), the ward is collecting food for the local food bank, everyone seems to think that I need to have my house inspected or fumigated or have my gutters cleaned, my nieces and nephews are selling various things (magazines, candy, girls scout cookies), and my clients are now hitting us up for their kids' choir trip to China or some other thing. I'm tired of it all.
Now I must be careful as one of the above is a dear niece that kindly asked me to support her band and get a magazine subscription. Since she was the first to ask and did so nicely, my wife and I decided that we would start getting Reader's Digest again. So I don't want her (or her mother) to think that I am complaining about her because I am not. But the situation started me to thinking about fundraising efforts in general.
Why are we subjected to having to purchase some product so that the kids can go to camp or get new uniforms or build a new wing on the music building? Why can't I just give them the $20 directly and not get a box of candy I shouldn't eat? And don't give me that "you could give it away" stuff -- if I don't think I should eat it, why is it OK to give it to someone I care about as a token of my affection? It isn't OK. It's insincere. "Here, I don't care to eat this crap, but I know how much you like to eat crap and I don't care about you staying healthy or getting diabetes, so enjoy." Nope. It's just a little worse than the feeling I get when I re-gift the wine my clients send me. "I don't drink wine since I believe it is a sin and unhealthy, but I know you like to get hammered, so here's some more for your disgusting habit."
But the kids are told, actually trained by the idiots who put together these "fundraisers", to not accept direct donations. In some cases, they are told that it is illegal to do so. What a racket! The magazine publishers get a bunch of kids to hock their stuff at $20 per subscription and they turn around and give the school or group a few pennies per subscription sold.
I remember selling jackets for the track team and then later for the band. And we sold candles for the band. In fact, entrepreneur that I was, I sold candles during a blackout. Unfortunately, we were only taking orders, so the sales pitch became more of "if you had bought these candles last month, you wouldn't be in the dark now". It would have been better to have a set of candles on hand. But oh well.
My sister and I pooled our sales of candles one year and qualified for a "promotional gift". I still have that tape case. It's still full of the tapes we kept in the old Volvo we drove to school. Ah, music from the 80's. But that's just another piece of the racket -- give aways as incentive to hock as much stuff as possible. And it works for the kids. Obviously, it worked on us.
But here's my point -- why should I feel guilty if I don't support your thing? How is it that you feel justified in giving me a guilt trip? Charity should be done in private. I am a fairly charitable person, both with my time and with my money, but often done anonymously (which I really like best -- it isn't right to gloat because you helped someone -- let them never know). I give to causes where I know that the funds are going directly to the people that need it. This is why most of my charity is done through the fast offerings donations. My father used to quote President Kimball (I think), that in relation to fast offerings we should give more, and in some cases, much more. We give a lot more than just the cost of a couple of meals and since I am the ward financial clerk, I know where those funds are going and who they are helping. They help the ones closest to you -- the ones in your ward and stake first. Excess funds are sent to Salt Lake for world-wide distribution, but much of the funds collected, at least in my ward, are used locally.
I am not blind to the suffering of others. I will give what I can to the food shelters and such. But stop pressuring me. Stop expecting me to be the one to bail you out. Times are tough all over. My own little family had some trials this year and the medical bills were not cheap. I won't be filing for bankruptcy, but the hospitals and doctors and ambulances all came with a stiff cost. Granted, I'd rather pay them than an undertaker (which could have been the option). In fact, I would pay anything to keep my son alive, so there are no complaints. But, cash is a little tighter this year for many reasons.
I guess I'm just griping. And there is little need for it. But sometimes we have to vent. And usually when I vent to people they eventually just tune me out. So here I vent and moan and if you don't want to listen, I'll never know the difference.
Happy Holidays -- because even in these economically challenged times, there are things for which we can give thanks and celebrate. No need to go overboard. No need to spread fear and doom. Just raise a glass of something tasty and pledge to make the next day, the next month, the next year a little better. If you can't give some cash, then give some time. Call someone you love and tell them so. Don't waste the only asset everyone gets the same amount of everyday -- time. But spend it all -- it can't be saved. "Time saving" devices don't save time -- they just make life more busy. We use a lot of time trying to save time and we are more busy now than ever before and yet we don't accomplish very much. Maybe we should just do something with our hands and our hearts and stop trying to be everything until we become nothing. We talk more now than ever before but we say a lot less. Maybe we should say what we mean most and then just shut up and listen.
And lastly, live long and prosper. Because the alternative is die young and destitute. And that just isn't as much fun.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
GO VOTE TODAY!
For those of you who did not mail in your ballot already or vote early, TODAY is the LAST day to vote.
So go do it! Lines or not. Rain or not. This may be one of the most historic elections ever and you need to be part of it. If you didn't mail in your absentee ballot, then you MUST take it to a polling place today in order to be counted (Saturday was the last day to mail in a ballot).
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming (heh, like another 12 hours of election coverage and endless political commercials)...
So go do it! Lines or not. Rain or not. This may be one of the most historic elections ever and you need to be part of it. If you didn't mail in your absentee ballot, then you MUST take it to a polling place today in order to be counted (Saturday was the last day to mail in a ballot).
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming (heh, like another 12 hours of election coverage and endless political commercials)...
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Political Conversation With My Cousin
My cousin ("J") and I had the following email conversation. It started with a joke and led to the first conversation we have had in years. We used to be very close. I still love him and consider him my close cousin, but our lives have sent us in VERY different directions. That happens sometimes. Here is the conversation:
J:
It could happen!!!
Much is made of McCain's age. Has anyone brought up the fact that Obama smokes and both of his parents died at an early age. Plus Biden has had two brain aneurysms which could have killed him. If they both died while in office; that would leave Nancy Pelosi as president. I can't think of a better reason to vote for McCain & Palin.
AM:
So you are voting for the old guy and the clueless wonder so that Pelosi doesn't become president? That's a weak excuse to vote for anyone.
J:
I will vote for who I feel will be the best President of our country. I agree if the comment below were the only reason to vote for anyone it would be an extremely weak vote. However, I will not vote for anyone as inexperienced and unamerican as Obama. I don't care what you promise to the country in any debate, if you turn your back on the emblem of our country, the emblem that represents the blood lost by countless men and women over the history of our country and refuse to show honor to the emblem for which you will be called to serve as President then you have no business even running for office anywhere i.e. city, state or nation.
You can believe what you want, that is the blessing of living in this country and that blessing was won through the blood and tears of American Heroes. Obama doesn't care one bit about that no matter what he says.
AM:
I applaud your enthusiasm and passion. And of course, everyone should vote for the person they believe will do the best job -- I hope you understand that my comment was in the same jesting vein as your original posting.
But may I make one point against what seems to be sweeping this nation? I had not heard about this "Obama refuses to salute the flag" issue until a friend in church (he is the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric -- we count the tithing together on Sundays) brought this up. So, curious about this heated issue I had not heard about, I went to the Internet to find the news segment about it. I found it. I found the controversy. And I found the explanations, the excuses, the heated words, and the fear mongers spouting lies and truths simultaneously. I also found Senator Obama leading Congress in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of several Congressional sessions and joining with school children in the same activity. The picture for which much has been said about him refusing to salute the flag and "turn his back on it" is true but also misleading. The flag is behind everyone on the stand (i.e. nearly no one is saluting it, although the other candidates do have their hands on their hearts, and two do turn around to face that flag, unlike the other 6 people on the stand). I also found an amateur video of the same event. The national anthem is being sung (rather poorly in my opinion, but that's not the point) and Senator Obama is singing along while the other candidates are just standing (either enjoying or cringing). I agree he should have put his hand on his heart. No question. But was his inaction to do so out of spite for the flag or refusal or because he doesn't care about the country or the men and women who have died for it? Or was it because he just didn't do it or forgot? I honestly don't know the real reason, but here is the point -- NEITHER DOES ANYBODY ELSE. But that doesn't stop people from ASSUMING and then spreading that he is a flag-hating, scum-sucking, anti-American lying son-of-a-gun.
There is a wave of hatred being spewed during this presidential election. There has been mud slung at the presidential candidates, some justified, some not, ever since George Washington decided to not run for a third term. But it would appear that the hate mongers have taken over the airwaves and are spreading fear and lies against both candidates and parties with such passion that people either buy into it or they don't know what to think anymore.
I had not heard about this "controversy" because I don't listen to any of them -- neither the right or the left. All of them twist the truth into what they want you to believe or what supports their twisted agenda. I can't name anyone of the media or the pundits that I would say is unbiased and so I have said "goodbye" to all of them. My voting decision will be based on what the candidates themselves say. And yes, just like every election I can remember (and that goes back to Ford/Carter -- I was a little young for Nixon, although I do remember him leaving office), the candidates are going to give a lot of promises that they can never keep and have a lot of hope they can never accomplish. The political system is more complex than any of them care to acknowledge and the office of the President has less power than some would like and more responsibility than anyone should want. But I watched both conventions with an open mind. I've listened to the debates and will tune in to the ones coming up. And then I will turn off the TV or radio before the pundits and spinners can spout anything about I just heard. I don't need their "help". And neither does anyone else.
I gather you will vote for McCain given his ties to the military and your affiliation therein. And there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, you have as good a reason to support him as anyone. Personally, I'm not sure who is best for the job of Commander in Chief, and while I will vote my conscience, I'm pretty sure that my state will vote Democrat as it has since Reagan left office. Not that my vote won't count -- it's just a little discouraging to know that if I vote Republican, I will be in the minority. But I will vote. And I will encourage others to do so. And I encourage everyone to make up their own minds and stop being swayed by hate mongers and those with alternative agendas. If you think that Senator Obama will be a bad president or that Senator McCain will be a good president, please vote accordingly. But please don't vote against someone because of what you have heard some pundit spew. If they are to be believed, then no one is fit for the job and anarchy should be established (yes, I know that was oxymoronic).
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Feel free to trash this if you wish -- that is part of the freedom you help defend and that I help fund. Differing opinions and the ability to express them is part of what makes America great and why so many wish to join us. It is also why others fear us and wish us harm. But as long as we continue to debate and let others keep their opinions, right or wrong, we will survive until the One whose right it is to rule returns.
I hope you and your family are well.
J:
I apologize for getting on my soap box. I appreciate your frank reply and learned (again) to take the time to research what I hear and what the media says on TV. I will take the time in the future to try to learn more about an issue, like this one, before I share my opinion. However, I find it increasingly difficult to find credible sources for such information. It is hard to know what to believe. Candidates make promises they can't keep, the media only reports what sells newspapers and airtime and people continue to forward unsubstantiated e-mails around the globe.
Please accept my apology for being too passionate. Thank you for your patience and candor. It is my prayer that our Savior comes soon, so that the world will praise His name and He will rule in righteousness and the secret combinations of the wicked will cease.
May God bless you and yours always.
AM:
No problems. If the people of this world were guilty of only being a "too passionate patriot" like yourself, it would be a much better place than it is today. I hope you know that I am very proud to be able to say that my closest cousin serves in the Air Force and has been to places (most of which the rest of us have very little desire to visit) to help secure our national freedoms. While I was in the MTC and you were in Basic, you wrote to me that you wanted to be like Captain Moroni (I believe you even called him your hero at the time). He had a problem with misinformation once and acted very passionately about it. That is one of my favorite stories from the BofM, and you remind me of him.
Ironically, the freedoms you help protect are taken advantage of to the point that most Americans are confused by the shear volume of information (and misinformation). I too have had a hard time finding credible sources this past couple of years (longest presidential run EVER). I have to keep asking myself "Really?". In the beginning I listened to everyone. That didn't work -- they are all angry, opinionated, self-centered media whores (if you will forgive the term). So I then listened to just the candidates. That didn't work either -- all of them change what they say and promise depending on their audience and whether they need money from that audience, which is most of the time. So then I decided, "I'm a smart guy with a college degree -- let's find the official platforms and compare and contrast." That actually was very enlightening. And the biggest thing I realized was that no one in politics has a clue about the real world, how to fix the problems, or what the ramifications of their ideas could be. This was particularly true when it came to tax "reform" -- a subject I do understand. And I can tell you that nobody running today, and few who were running before, have any clue about tax law. They want to use it as it has always been used -- to reward or discourage certain behaviors. And they don't realize that half of what they want to do is not allowed by the tax code as it now reads -- thus they would need to change the code (literally by an act of Congress) in order to do what they propose. Good luck. This past two weeks we saw how "easy" that is to do. And the mess that they passed for this financial bailout is not even known by the general public. I have read what they passed and it is a major amount of tax provisions that does a whole lot for very few and punishes both the guilty and the innocent. Just wait -- you heard it here first -- this latest tax bill will bite someone you know.
So how do you make an intelligent decision? Well, prayer would be the best answer. If it is truth that we seek, then we must go to the source of truth. But if I am to take the D&C at its word, I should come to some conclusion first, right? So now I just pray to be guided in my search and for inspiration when the time comes to actually vote. I have listened to the candidates, including their various speeches and debates, and maybe in the end what I should look for is the candidate who will help the Savior come faster. Unfortunately, that may mean picking the guy who will bring about a lot of pain and suffering. :) Yes, I do have a warped sense of humor, but you already knew that about me.
Thus, in the end, I've decided to sit back, relax, listen to the various comedians poke fun at the candidates (especially those who do not take sides, but mock everyone equally) and not take anyone too seriously. It has become very apparent that this country is full of a lot of stressed out, fearful, panicky people. We all need to breathe and realize that neither candidate is a terrorist or a savior. We should remember that financial crises have come before. Presidents, Congressmen, and every other type of politician come and go. The end of the world will come, sooner or later. And for some of us, it will come sooner than it will for others (i.e. don't worry about the Second Coming -- focus on when your meeting the Savior might come -- our grandfathers didn't have to wait for the end of the world).
I better get back to work. Thanks for the chance to chat -- I do miss our days of being in closer physical proximity. I guess we finally grew up and had lives. I just wonder sometimes when it was that I grew up. :)
God bless you and yours
J:
It could happen!!!
Much is made of McCain's age. Has anyone brought up the fact that Obama smokes and both of his parents died at an early age. Plus Biden has had two brain aneurysms which could have killed him. If they both died while in office; that would leave Nancy Pelosi as president. I can't think of a better reason to vote for McCain & Palin.
AM:
So you are voting for the old guy and the clueless wonder so that Pelosi doesn't become president? That's a weak excuse to vote for anyone.
J:
I will vote for who I feel will be the best President of our country. I agree if the comment below were the only reason to vote for anyone it would be an extremely weak vote. However, I will not vote for anyone as inexperienced and unamerican as Obama. I don't care what you promise to the country in any debate, if you turn your back on the emblem of our country, the emblem that represents the blood lost by countless men and women over the history of our country and refuse to show honor to the emblem for which you will be called to serve as President then you have no business even running for office anywhere i.e. city, state or nation.
You can believe what you want, that is the blessing of living in this country and that blessing was won through the blood and tears of American Heroes. Obama doesn't care one bit about that no matter what he says.
AM:
I applaud your enthusiasm and passion. And of course, everyone should vote for the person they believe will do the best job -- I hope you understand that my comment was in the same jesting vein as your original posting.
But may I make one point against what seems to be sweeping this nation? I had not heard about this "Obama refuses to salute the flag" issue until a friend in church (he is the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric -- we count the tithing together on Sundays) brought this up. So, curious about this heated issue I had not heard about, I went to the Internet to find the news segment about it. I found it. I found the controversy. And I found the explanations, the excuses, the heated words, and the fear mongers spouting lies and truths simultaneously. I also found Senator Obama leading Congress in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of several Congressional sessions and joining with school children in the same activity. The picture for which much has been said about him refusing to salute the flag and "turn his back on it" is true but also misleading. The flag is behind everyone on the stand (i.e. nearly no one is saluting it, although the other candidates do have their hands on their hearts, and two do turn around to face that flag, unlike the other 6 people on the stand). I also found an amateur video of the same event. The national anthem is being sung (rather poorly in my opinion, but that's not the point) and Senator Obama is singing along while the other candidates are just standing (either enjoying or cringing). I agree he should have put his hand on his heart. No question. But was his inaction to do so out of spite for the flag or refusal or because he doesn't care about the country or the men and women who have died for it? Or was it because he just didn't do it or forgot? I honestly don't know the real reason, but here is the point -- NEITHER DOES ANYBODY ELSE. But that doesn't stop people from ASSUMING and then spreading that he is a flag-hating, scum-sucking, anti-American lying son-of-a-gun.
There is a wave of hatred being spewed during this presidential election. There has been mud slung at the presidential candidates, some justified, some not, ever since George Washington decided to not run for a third term. But it would appear that the hate mongers have taken over the airwaves and are spreading fear and lies against both candidates and parties with such passion that people either buy into it or they don't know what to think anymore.
I had not heard about this "controversy" because I don't listen to any of them -- neither the right or the left. All of them twist the truth into what they want you to believe or what supports their twisted agenda. I can't name anyone of the media or the pundits that I would say is unbiased and so I have said "goodbye" to all of them. My voting decision will be based on what the candidates themselves say. And yes, just like every election I can remember (and that goes back to Ford/Carter -- I was a little young for Nixon, although I do remember him leaving office), the candidates are going to give a lot of promises that they can never keep and have a lot of hope they can never accomplish. The political system is more complex than any of them care to acknowledge and the office of the President has less power than some would like and more responsibility than anyone should want. But I watched both conventions with an open mind. I've listened to the debates and will tune in to the ones coming up. And then I will turn off the TV or radio before the pundits and spinners can spout anything about I just heard. I don't need their "help". And neither does anyone else.
I gather you will vote for McCain given his ties to the military and your affiliation therein. And there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, you have as good a reason to support him as anyone. Personally, I'm not sure who is best for the job of Commander in Chief, and while I will vote my conscience, I'm pretty sure that my state will vote Democrat as it has since Reagan left office. Not that my vote won't count -- it's just a little discouraging to know that if I vote Republican, I will be in the minority. But I will vote. And I will encourage others to do so. And I encourage everyone to make up their own minds and stop being swayed by hate mongers and those with alternative agendas. If you think that Senator Obama will be a bad president or that Senator McCain will be a good president, please vote accordingly. But please don't vote against someone because of what you have heard some pundit spew. If they are to be believed, then no one is fit for the job and anarchy should be established (yes, I know that was oxymoronic).
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Feel free to trash this if you wish -- that is part of the freedom you help defend and that I help fund. Differing opinions and the ability to express them is part of what makes America great and why so many wish to join us. It is also why others fear us and wish us harm. But as long as we continue to debate and let others keep their opinions, right or wrong, we will survive until the One whose right it is to rule returns.
I hope you and your family are well.
J:
I apologize for getting on my soap box. I appreciate your frank reply and learned (again) to take the time to research what I hear and what the media says on TV. I will take the time in the future to try to learn more about an issue, like this one, before I share my opinion. However, I find it increasingly difficult to find credible sources for such information. It is hard to know what to believe. Candidates make promises they can't keep, the media only reports what sells newspapers and airtime and people continue to forward unsubstantiated e-mails around the globe.
Please accept my apology for being too passionate. Thank you for your patience and candor. It is my prayer that our Savior comes soon, so that the world will praise His name and He will rule in righteousness and the secret combinations of the wicked will cease.
May God bless you and yours always.
AM:
No problems. If the people of this world were guilty of only being a "too passionate patriot" like yourself, it would be a much better place than it is today. I hope you know that I am very proud to be able to say that my closest cousin serves in the Air Force and has been to places (most of which the rest of us have very little desire to visit) to help secure our national freedoms. While I was in the MTC and you were in Basic, you wrote to me that you wanted to be like Captain Moroni (I believe you even called him your hero at the time). He had a problem with misinformation once and acted very passionately about it. That is one of my favorite stories from the BofM, and you remind me of him.
Ironically, the freedoms you help protect are taken advantage of to the point that most Americans are confused by the shear volume of information (and misinformation). I too have had a hard time finding credible sources this past couple of years (longest presidential run EVER). I have to keep asking myself "Really?". In the beginning I listened to everyone. That didn't work -- they are all angry, opinionated, self-centered media whores (if you will forgive the term). So I then listened to just the candidates. That didn't work either -- all of them change what they say and promise depending on their audience and whether they need money from that audience, which is most of the time. So then I decided, "I'm a smart guy with a college degree -- let's find the official platforms and compare and contrast." That actually was very enlightening. And the biggest thing I realized was that no one in politics has a clue about the real world, how to fix the problems, or what the ramifications of their ideas could be. This was particularly true when it came to tax "reform" -- a subject I do understand. And I can tell you that nobody running today, and few who were running before, have any clue about tax law. They want to use it as it has always been used -- to reward or discourage certain behaviors. And they don't realize that half of what they want to do is not allowed by the tax code as it now reads -- thus they would need to change the code (literally by an act of Congress) in order to do what they propose. Good luck. This past two weeks we saw how "easy" that is to do. And the mess that they passed for this financial bailout is not even known by the general public. I have read what they passed and it is a major amount of tax provisions that does a whole lot for very few and punishes both the guilty and the innocent. Just wait -- you heard it here first -- this latest tax bill will bite someone you know.
So how do you make an intelligent decision? Well, prayer would be the best answer. If it is truth that we seek, then we must go to the source of truth. But if I am to take the D&C at its word, I should come to some conclusion first, right? So now I just pray to be guided in my search and for inspiration when the time comes to actually vote. I have listened to the candidates, including their various speeches and debates, and maybe in the end what I should look for is the candidate who will help the Savior come faster. Unfortunately, that may mean picking the guy who will bring about a lot of pain and suffering. :) Yes, I do have a warped sense of humor, but you already knew that about me.
Thus, in the end, I've decided to sit back, relax, listen to the various comedians poke fun at the candidates (especially those who do not take sides, but mock everyone equally) and not take anyone too seriously. It has become very apparent that this country is full of a lot of stressed out, fearful, panicky people. We all need to breathe and realize that neither candidate is a terrorist or a savior. We should remember that financial crises have come before. Presidents, Congressmen, and every other type of politician come and go. The end of the world will come, sooner or later. And for some of us, it will come sooner than it will for others (i.e. don't worry about the Second Coming -- focus on when your meeting the Savior might come -- our grandfathers didn't have to wait for the end of the world).
I better get back to work. Thanks for the chance to chat -- I do miss our days of being in closer physical proximity. I guess we finally grew up and had lives. I just wonder sometimes when it was that I grew up. :)
God bless you and yours
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hey Little Sister, What Have You Done
Happy Birthday to Daredevil Mom! Thinking about you today and driving to high school with the music blaring "Today is your birthday (du, du, du, du, du, du). It's my birthday too, yeah. (du...) Happy Birthday to you."
Yeah, I'm old. So what.
Yeah, I'm old. So what.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Another Tasteless Joke
What do accountants do when they are constipated?
They work it out with a pencil. (ewww)
They work it out with a pencil. (ewww)
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