| Thursday, May 01, 2008 |
| Taxes and a "Political Brownout" |
I got an email from my brother this morning with a link to this article about how Warren Buffet doesn’t feel like he’s paying his fair share of taxes. It’s a valid point considering his secretary pays a greater percentage of her income to the IRS than Mr. Buffet does. I found the article interesting, but it also bugged me a little. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot since doing my taxes this year and (although expecting a chunky return after getting married last year) found out I owed the IRS more money than I’d already shelled out.
Being taxed at 16% (like Warren Buffet) means that you will work around 40 full days out of the year just to pay income taxes. Compare that to the average person’s "Tax Freedom Day" of 4 months, and 40 days actually starts to sound about right.
I’m not a bitter person who expects rich people to pay more taxes. Instead of asking for others to pay more, I just expect the poor to pay less.
Why would I expect anyone to work four months for the government (unless you actually work for the government, and not just to fund the government)? And that’s only talking about income taxes. If you only pay attention to your 1040, you’re missing a huge part of the tax picture.
Don’t forget we get taxed when:
1- We make our money
2- We buy something with our money
3- We keep the property we bought
4- We sell the property we bought
5- And in several other areas we probably don’t understand because of a tax code that is 16,845 pages long
It’s easy for rich people to say "Hey- I'm not getting taxed enough!" and get attention. But if they really want to pay more taxes, I don’t know of anyone out there stopping them. They can tell their accountants to stop finding all those deductions that they pay them big money to find. They can increase the wages they pay their employees. And they can increase the benefits they afford their employees (like company health care), just to name a few. If doing all that still doesn’t ease their conscience (or their need for attention), they can make a voluntary donation to the Treasury to help decrease the national debt—it IS allowed, after all.
If you want to hear some real reason on the subject, check out Thomas L. Friedman’s article in the NYTimes about Hillary and McCains pipe dream of a summer tax break on gas.
"The McCain-Clinton proposal is a reminder to me that the biggest energy crisis we have in our country today is the energy to be serious — the energy to do big things in a sustained, focused and intelligent way. We are in the midst of a national political brownout."
And if you want to read about a politician who sees things for what they really are, check out this short Wall Street Journal article on The Tax Me More Act.
"It's a great injustice that citizens wishing to fulfill their dream of paying more taxes cannot simply check a box on their 1040 form to make a donation..."
Oh- and what about that economic stimulus check set to arrive any day? Not only is it too little, too late—it's a joke. "Here's $600 if you'll pretend with us that everything is OK. Pretend like you actually have $600 to spend. And while you're at it, pretend that it's going to make a drop of difference in the cesspool that is our current political and economic situation."
Like Friedman said- "It is great to see that we finally have some national unity on[...]policy. Unfortunately, the unifying idea is so ridiculous, so unworthy of the people aspiring to lead our nation, it takes your breath away."
Why don’t I want the government to raise taxes on the rich? Because one day I expect to be "rich"- and when I am, I’d rather give my money to individuals to use—not a government to squander.
By the way- if you need actual good ideas on how to use your stimulus check (assuming you'll be getting one), check here. You'll notice a new flat screen TV didn't make the list. |
posted by Brett Crockett @ 7:00 AM   |
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| Monday, April 21, 2008 |
| Clinging to my Bitterness |
Springfield Armory XD-9 4" Service Model, Bi-Tone
The Crossroads of the West gun show was on Saturday right next to the Scrapbook convention. It was pretty amusing to see dudes with dirty white beards and AK-47s holding the door open for middle-aged women as they scooted their wheeled tote bags through the doors of the South Towne Expo Center.
The gun show was a lot more hodgepodge than I expected. There were Native American selling pelts next to guys with throwing knives and Chinese stars (the kind you throw, not the kind that act in movies). And nearly nobody at the show looked like an established business (unless you call a vinyl banner with clip art of a couple guns and a name like "Harry's Guns & Ammo" sprawled across it "an established business").
The best part was everyone's sales pitch. I wanted to take a picture, but they didn't allow cameras in (guns were ok) and I didn't want to tick off the NRA who was set up near the best sign there. The headline: "The Gun Banners are Back!" underneath a picture of Hilary and Obama. Dudes peddling sniper rifles had pictures cut out of newspapers showing Obama next to whats-his-name-the-pastor that they'd taped to their tables. Seemed a little overboard to me. I mean, people are here to buy guns, right? Does telling them you hate democrats make them buy more?
Anyhow, the way I saw it, rather than buy a greasy manhandled pistol from a guy sandwiched between a candle company and the hot dog stand, why not go with the reputable dealer?
So Whittney, Adam, and I went to Cabela's where they matched the price of a shop in Salt Lake and threw in a bunch of extras. Plus we got to see the fish tank and a polar bear while we were at it.
When I told my mom, she said she felt like she was having a heart attack. And then called me today to make sure I was still ok. When I told her I was, "Well that's only because you don't have any bullets for it yet," was her response.
So, here she is—the incarnation of my "bitterness." Whittney asked me what I was going to name it. I hadn't thought about a name, but Albert seems to fit, I don't know- I'm open to suggestions.
With the tactical light attachment (no light, but you can imagine)
Never look down the barrel of a gun.
More photos on myFlickr |
| posted by Brett Crockett @ 1:04 AM |
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| Sunday, March 16, 2008 |
| Vincent "Fou-Roux" Van Gogh |
Fou-Roux, Van Gogh's nickname—means "carzy redhed," and that he was (although it seems a harsh label for someone so talented). Whether you believe he cut off his own ear or you think Gauguin actually did it, there's no dispute that he wasn't all right in the head, especially in his later years. But there's no disputing either, that he was (or rather his paintings were) one of the greatest things to ever come out of France.
Everyone's probably familiar with Starry Night, Café Terrace, and the Vase with Twelve Sunflowers. What follows are some of my favorites that don't always get as much attention as those others, but that I think are equally as intriguing. Click any image for the high-res version.
Flowering Plum Tree (after Hiroshige)
Autumn Landscape - makes me want to go camping.
Avenue of Poplars in Autumn - Makes me wonder what a poplar is.
Evening Landscape with Rising Moon - Thought that was the sun coming over the mountain...
Landscape with Couple Walking and a Crescent Moon - Love that moon.
Starry Night Over The Rhone - The other Starry Night
Vincent's Home in Arles (The Yellow House)
The Church at Auvers - I saw this one at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Skull With Burning Cigarette - Not sure if this one has more the feeling of "I'll smoke to my grave" or "Smoking will put you in your grave."
Vase with Lilacs, Daisies and Anemones - A great alternative to the popular Vase with Twelve Sunflowers.
Wheat Field Under a Clouded Sky - You need to see it large.
Wheat Field with Crows - Although not his last, one of his final paintings before he died. Also see this one large.
Newspaper account of his cutting off of his ear. Some disagree over who actually cut it off, but it seems everyone agrees that he took it to a brothel down the street and gave it to his girlfriend. The clipping roughly translated in part:
Last Sunday, at eleven-thirty in the evening, the named Vincent Vangogh [sic], painter, originally from Holland, presented himself at "the maison de tolerance no. 1, asked for someone named Rachel, and gave to her...his ear, telling her to 'keep this object carefully'. And then he disappeared...
Newspaper clipping announcing Van Gogh's death. Roughly translated:
Sunday July 27th, Van Gogh, age 37, a Duchman, painting artist, living in Auvers, shot himself with a revolver in the field and only being injured, he returned to his room where he died two days later." |
| posted by Brett Crockett @ 7:30 PM |
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| Monday, March 10, 2008 |
| A Long Overdue Thank You |
In a few days, I'll come back to that whole favorite artist thing I started a couple of weeks back. Getting out the scanner is proving to be more of a pain than I'd anticipated. So in the meantime...
I remember...oh...twenty or so years ago when I lived in Pleasant Grove the first time, my parents talking about how the city was home the worst roads in the country. Mom, Dad- they haven't changed much over the past two decades.
Morning after morning, Whittney and I pass the same sight on our way to work. This week, I wrote a letter to the city as follows:
Dear City of Pleasant Grove,
I'm writing to thank you for the commendable addition to our city's enlightenment and aestheticism at the intersection of State and 2000 West.
At first, I ignorantly assumed the orange barrels, cement barriers, and motionless tractor in the middle of the left-turn lane were simply the usual road construction gimmicks we see so often throughout our Great State.
Then, after 5 punishing weeks of inactivity at the site, I realized it wasn't actual construction—but rather a fitting addition to, and reflection of, our storied Utah County culture.
A standing tribute, a timeless monument, testament to the ever stationary nature of our progress—and tireless, yet unaltered state of the endless road construction we offer to friend, foe, and all who this way pass.
And so, in light of this important realization, I apologize for my belated action and offer my sincerest thanks for this beautiful work of art that promises a glimpse into our dusty past, present, and future for the untold generations that will follow.
Please use the enclosed $5 in your efforts to preserve this important token of who we are as a people and as a community.
Yours Truly,
Brett
Special thanks to WhittneyLynn, Editor. |
| posted by Brett Crockett @ 9:46 PM |
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| Monday, February 25, 2008 |
| Guess Who? |
A couple of years ago, I had a conversation with someone who told me that my faovurite artist was cliché. Not that the artist himself was cliché, but that picking him as a favourite was cliché. Whatever.
In the coming day's I'll be posting scans of some of my favourite pieces by this well-known artist. And while the artist is well known, hopefully the pieces I post will be ones you're not familiar with yet.
In the following posts, you'll have no problem in identifying the painter, but for now, can you tell who the artist is by this piece? |
| posted by Brett Crockett @ 8:30 PM |
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| Friday, February 01, 2008 |
| Know a Mac user? |
Interesting findings from a research project by Mindset Media came out in Advertising Age's Jan 28th issue that I thought I'd plagiarize share here. I've hand-picked the good stuff from a study by Mindset of 7,500 Nielsen online consumers. They found the following characteristics typical of Mac owners:
- They are more assured of their superiority
- Less modest
- More open
- More likely to buy organic
- Drink Starbucks or coffehouse coffee every day
- Drive a hybrid
And here's where it gets good. Mac users:
- Notice imperfections in things and stress over them more than average
- Are more likely to have purchased five or more pairs of shoes in the past year
- Use teeth whitening strips
- Drive station wagons as their main car
- May be seen as self-centered, arrogant or conceited by others and have a strong desire for recognition
- They listen to way more music than PC owners. Half of mac owners paid to download music in the 3rd quarter of 2007 compared to only 16% of PC owners
So what did the study show about PC users?
Apparently not much. PC users showed far less cohesiveness in traits (probably because with PC market share at 95%, they are actually the "average" computer user), but they did stand out in an area of creativity: Low Creativity. Mindset media found them to be "realists who are emotionally steady and work well with what they are given."
For the record, I own a PC.
-info picked from Jan 28, 2008 Ad Age "Mac Owners Just Like, Well, The Mac Guy" |
| posted by Brett Crockett @ 8:00 AM |
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| Monday, January 07, 2008 |
| Firesafe but Secure? |
After a couple of kitchen mishaps (but only minor smoke damage), I realized the fire alarms didn't seem to be working. I still haven't given them the good old manual test but I figure if real smoke doesn't trigger them, there's not a good chance that I'll have time to manually set them off during an actual fire anyway. I did decide it was time for a little added security, though.
So a couple of days ago the Mrs. and I bought a safe to store our valuable collection of Garbage Pail Kids.
The safe has been great so far, but then again, we haven't had many people try to break into it. The other good news is there have been no additional fires in the house (at least that I'm aware of).
But—I did notice a disconcerting image on the box the safe came in (see above). It seems that while the safe will do a good job standing up to fire, it has a tough time standing up to a fireman with a walkie-talkie. Apparently firefighters have no problem taking a break from battling the fire currently consuming your house (and pets) to crack open your safe and take a look inside. I know they say it's a "Dramatization", but...doesn't seem like good marketing to me. I'd put a picture of the safe with a dead burglar next to it. And his eyebrows would be on fire or something.
Sentry must be a pretty funny company to work for though. If you took time to click the link to the product page for the safe, make sure you check out the product picture. Apparently this particular model is also good for storing those small golden boots you've been saving for retirement.
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| posted by Brett Crockett @ 11:00 PM |
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