Kevbeau

Since I like to tinker, I basically built a workshop/refuge with everything I need. When I have friends over, we basically hang out in there. It's a finished concrete floor (think garage floor) and seating is adirondack chairs, office chairs, camping chairs, etc...The office chairs were on their way to Goodwill, but faux leather and casters is too good to pass up. Easy to clean sawdust off of and rolls like a dream. Here's a couple picks I had on my phone (was in the middle of a project, so it's a mess and the phone camera leaves a lot to be desired) While a bar is nice, if you can combine the space with something else you enjoy, it may be worth your time. My buddy who homebrews basically has a mini-brewery and the way he set it up is about as comfortable a sany pub I've been in.

Here's our two. Both from shelters. Vet's best guess on the left (Willow) is German Shepard/Greyhound mix. Pictures really don't show it, but she's ripped (her abs make me ashamed of myself) and the squirrls in the yard fear for their lives. I'm sure my wife is sorry for the shark outfit. The right one is Riley. Pit/Lab mix. Obvious pit features with a lab coat...and swims like a fish. I've had dogs my entire life and have never seen a more people oriented dog. The Pom at the top is Copper. My wife (then girlfriend) got him back in '96. Unfortunately had to put him down a few months ago when he had a stroke.... but he had a full life and completely changed my opinion of small dogs. The cat in the pic is Ivan. He's twenty pounds of P.O.'d kitty and my money's on him over the dogs if anyone ever broke into our house]

I think he's find that most people with a mortgage or a couple of kids have an effective federal tax rate in the mid-teens, even without claiming nay capital gains....but don't want to let that get in the way of a good story.

Wait...he shut down the beer tent? That's it, he's gone too far.

Nobody could be as bad azz as C. Thomas Howell. Wait....did I just say that?

Avoiding a Repo?

The 4.5% Match stuck out to me. Not to mention according to my gov't employed relaitives, sick time = vacation time. So that's really generous in my eyes.

I usually end up owing the Feds a grand or so. Like Tom, basically what i get back from State goes right to Federal. The part that baffles me is that they always throw on the estimated payments they suggest I make quarterly (4K each), so I won't owe them the grand each year. All this to avoid potential "penalties." So basically I give them an extra 12K on top of what I currently pay in taxes and they'll happily refund me 11 of it back.

Completely agree. Who knew Steinbeck could be funny.

Thanks guys. Loved when he used to go off on Love Line...radio version, not the watered down MTV drivel. My new favorite app.

And there's probably an App for food stamps, which warrants the $30/month data plan.

I'll have to say, the sequence with the jet migh tbe the funniest thing I've seen this year.

Hell, Georgia used to have the "Change Game." Didn't even need a whole dollar to get in on the lottery. The running commentary is that they needed a way to tax the homeless.

I wouldn't be suprised if it's more than a third. I thought it would be cheaper to keep them out of prison in the hopes they become somewhat productive, although honestly I haven't looked at the numbers. though one might say we're we're now touching on the larger issue of welfare.

Hence the quotes. I guess there's always the Oliver Twist route.

This is a point of conflict for me. I'm not a fan of gov't planning/interference, but at the same time, if people can't control themselves.... For the record, I don't think withholding money is a viable option if those kids get any shot at a "normal" life.

"In women's tennis, I always root against the heterosexual."

Just for the record, I agree with some of your points. I'm not completely opposed to tax increases...if they were reasonable and I thought they would be used to reduce the deficit. Can't say I have that sort of confidence in our gov't right now.

Then to JA's point, "call it a tax and be done with it." Also, stop sending me the fluff statements that are supposed to make me feel good about my gov't provided safety net, when all it does is piss me off thinking how I could make that money work for me.

Here comes the pain & suffering angle.

Looked immediatelY at the list for Statler & Waldorf. Here's some gems: Statler: Wake up you old fool. You slept through the show. Waldorf: Who's a fool? You watched it. S: I like the steel Drums! W: What?!? S: THE PIGS' STEEL DRUMS!!! W: I beleive it! They'll take anything that isn't bolted down! Waldorf: You know, the opening is catchy. Statler: So is smallpox.

Despite having family members who work for Ford, I will continue to buy Honda/Toyota products until they give me a reason not to. I did and still have a 1999 Ford F-250 V-10 that made it to 180K+ miles, but I had to sink quite a bit of money into it to get it that far. Great hauler, but couldn't count on it to run right. repalced it a number of years ago with a 2007 Tundra. Fantastic Truck! Hauls great...if they ever get into the Super Duty market, sign me up. My late car was a 2000 Accord V6. I got 270K+ out of that car until some crazy ***** hit it a couple years ago. Of course it wasn't worth much of anything so they immediately totaled it. Thing still ran like a top. Replaced it with a TL. Have about 70K on it already without a hitch.

I'm not a huge fan of the TSA, but sounds like a set up to me.

Nothing too fancy, but always enjoyed the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack (Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman.) And who can forget Basil Poledouris' timeless masterpiece...Conan the Barbarian!

The Jests throwbacks. WVU St Louis Rams?