Just Joshin' ya

Rain already

2008-12-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

I first thought about writing this post as the snow (the most abundant snow in 15 years) was finally melting. Although we thoroughly enjoyed playing with the snow, it isn't really the reason that we moved to Seattle. Rain is fine, but snow is a bit of an inconvenience. I mean, with snow you need to drive in low gears (which I still find my self doing although the roads are clear) and when I walk my socks get wet. I really hate wet socks.

On the other hand snow is essentially Cali crack. When we go for a walk in the snow she gets over-excited and romps all over the place, especially if there are small birds. If we are playing ball she loves to burrow into the powder and make a mess. If the snow is crunchy she hops around and breaks the crust. Cali makes snow fun, so I guess it is a good thing that as I write the perfectly clear, black roads are getting a fresh dusting of powder.

Thanks, Washington!

2008-12-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my archives today and found this post about how living in Sacramento was awesome. Although living in Sacramento was wonderful, I am still thrilled to be living in the Seattle area (no snow yet...). I love the weather, I love the city, and I love the surrounding countryside. Also, it doesn't hurt that there is no state income tax in Washington. Thanks for the raise!

Sage Wisdom

2008-12-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

I saw this quote yesterday and had to share it:

“This should be bullish for Berkshire. With great foresight, I long ago entered the mattress business in a big way through our furniture operation. Now mattresses have become fully competitive as a place to put your money, and sales will soon take off.”

- Warren Buffett
Via Fortune

Rain Rain Rain

2008-12-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

We were warned by many Californians that our recent move to the Seattle area would be a shock. Washington is supposed to be wet and cold in comparison to Sacramento's more temperate climate.

Toni and I have found that it is is colder here. When we returned to Sacramento for Thanksgiving I was shocked by how warm it was. I annoyed Toni incessantly by complaining that it was too hot in California. Truth be told, the visit confirmed in my mind that we made the right choice to move here.

The rain is a different issue all together. Seattle is famous for its rain. I would say that it has rained almost every day that we have been up here. But, and this is a huge but, the rain is different here. The rain passes through. On a typical rainy day we will wake up with the rain and by afternoon we are looking at bright blue skies filled with white puffy clouds. Moreover, by far the hardest rainfall is in the middle of the night.

Right about now you may be thinking that Washington is the land of milk and honey, but here is the deal; in is supposed to snow Friday. We shall see how I feel about it here after a winter dusting.

So Full, So Hungry.

2008-10-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

Toni made tacos tonight and they were awesome. As a result, I am full and couldn't possibly eat another bite. That said, we are eating at the Kitchen tomorrow night (Thanks to my awesome sisters and brother-in-law). I am getting hungry already.

NetFlix Origami!

2008-09-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier today Toni introduced me to a great way to use up the flaps that come with our NetFlix DVDs!

www.NetFlixOrigami.com

I made a crab.

And while I'm at it...

2008-09-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

I love the Estate Tax. I hope that someday I (well, my estate) need to pay it (or that I properly plan with charity, etc.). In any case, the Estate Tax rocks.

First, you can't call it a "death tax" because everyone would need to pay a death tax an in reality only a small number of Americans ever qualify for the Estate Tax. You see, under 2011 (Bush tax cuts change the Estate Tax annually) law estates valued over $1,000,000 are subject to a 55% tax. So, you need to be a millionaire to qualify. My opinion is that $1,000,000 is too low of a threshold as many upper-middle class Americans have homes that are worth that much, or more. The Estate Tax should only affect the richest of Americans, and not invade the middle class. 55% is a high rate too. A rate closer to a high-bracket income tax rate makes more sense.

That said, the Estate Tax does some wonderful things. It ensures that charities are funded because donations are tax deductible. Also, it helps to ensure that we do not have hereditary wealth on a massive scale. The decedents of J.P. Morgan or Andrew Carnegie don't retain the wealth and power of their ancestors. If the tax remains in place, then the children of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet will need to work hard to become as wealthy as their parents. Basically, the Estate Tax helps realize the American value that there is no hereditary upper class. If the wealthy want to remain wealthy, then they will need to work.

If you don't want to take my word for it, then listen to Mr. Buffett. His opinion can be found here.

People Pay Taxes

2008-09-05T16:24:00.001-07:00

The speech that John McCain gave at the RNC last night got me to thinking about taxes. I don't even remember what McCain said that set me off (As a Republican he probably mentioned something about cutting taxes), but it made me think about corporate income taxes.

Corporations do not pay taxes. People pay taxes. There, I said it and it is true. Granted, corporations pay tax in that they write quarterly checks to the IRS, but that money comes from somewhere. That money comes right out of the pocket of people. Actually, it comes from three different groups of people: shareholders, employees, or customers. Most Americans fit into all three categories.

The group of people paying the corporate income tax depends upon the company. If the company sells a product in high demand, like oil, then it can pass most of the tax on to customers. This is why an increased tax on oil companies would probably result in an increase in gasoline prices (laws limiting gas prices would result in shortages like we saw in the 1970s).

Other companies that sell products with less-robust demand cannot pass the full effect of their taxes on to the customer. These companies will pass the tax on to the employees or shareholders. Employees may see lower wages or reduced benefits due to corporate taxes. This is especially true for lower-skilled workers because they are more easily replaced. Shareholders experience reduced stock returns and smaller dividends.

When the largest corporations are targeted for tax increases we all suffer. For example, if the corporate tax rate were increased for S&P500 companies the entire country would be affected. Most of the Americans that buy products or services offered by these companies would be faced with some sort of price increase (just what we want with inflation as it is today). The millions of Americans employed by these companies could face additional wage or benefits decreases. Finally, the stock market could see a smaller rate of return which affects anyone invested in the stock market (Most middle-class Americans have a 401(k), IRA, or other investment account and S&P 500 based funds are the most popular investments).

If corporations actually see a reduction in taxes, we all win. Prices drop, profit increases, and wages increase.

We cannot think of corporations as faceless entities that will foot all of our bills. Increasing the corporate tax rate affects all Americans, including the poor and middle class. It is important to think about the unintended consequences of taxes before implementing them.

I guess I miss class already...

Seriously?

2008-04-17T15:20:00.001-07:00

Check out this Reuters story about the Pope's Washington mass.

This is mass, people. We do not eat at mass. We do not even eat before mass. Understand what it means and fall in line.

Too long between posts?

2008-03-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am in a delicious revolt against the pressures and guilt associated with not posting here more often. If you are seriously feeling the need to get your daily (yeah right, don't count on that) dose of me, then check out http://twitter.com//jjpoppe.

Oh, and certain web filtering application used by a certain unamed company blocks the link above. I am sorry, but you will just need to get your fix at home.

OMG, too excited to sleep

2008-02-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

Only 96 days, 7 hours, and 46 minutes of waiting left.

So excited!

Snow Day!

2008-02-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Toni, Cali, and I went for a hike at Donner Memorial State Park in Truckee. As you can see, it was beautiful! You can see more pictures here.

Deadly Sin?

2008-01-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

Just had a glorious dinner of 2 1/2 pieces of bacon with a bull's eye (an egg fried in a piece of bread). Of course I fried the bull's eye in the bacon grease... OMG, so delicious!

Happy Boxing Day

2007-12-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Libation, lasagna, and cakes. I could get used to this Boxing Day thing.

Seriously?

2007-12-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

I listen to the previous day's Marketplace in the morning (dorky, no?). Friday's marketplace had a bumper that I thought was a little odd. It was a harmonica version of Outkast's Hey Ya. Awesome.

Snuggles with Muggles

2007-12-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

Cali has decided that certain parts of the day should be devoted to snuggles. These are typically right before she is supposed to go to bed or outside. I have a feeling that she has ulterior motives.

Puppy Kindergarden

2007-11-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of days into kindergarden you learn what type of student you have. Some puppies will be the good students, learning the commands quickly and always listening to the teacher. Other puppies only like recess. Of course our Cali is a puppy in her own league; she likes recess and disrupting class. We love her.

Sad times?

2007-09-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today lost an old friend. The hard disk in my iPod died by the kiss of death. Yes, the dreaded HD click death. Although I am saddened by loss, I am consoled by the fact that I am writing this post on my new iPhone. Let's hope that it stays with me as long as the last one!

Happy Constitution Day

2007-09-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

Today was Constitution Day, celebrating the 220th Anniversary of the Ratification of the Constitution of the United States Constitution. You may find out some funtastic Facts about the Constitution at the UC Davis Constitution Day Website. The National Archives also has downloadable high-resolution Images of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence too!

You may have noticed that I have capitalized every Noun in this Post. Josh's random Constitution Fact: During the 17th and 18th Centuries it was fashionable to capitalize every Noun, not just the Proper Nouns as we do Today. If you view a high-quality Image (such as one available from the National Archives via the Link above), you will see that all Nouns in the United States Constitution are capitalized. Bring that Fact up at a Party, and you will be super popular!

What should we call her?

2007-08-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

The best ever!

2007-07-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Toni and I are watching Celebrity Jeopardy and we noticed a particularly awesome and celebritytastic category: Shiny Things.

Love it!

Picnic Day!

2007-04-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

This year was wet, but it was fun anyway. Here is the traditional picture...

Too much of something...

2007-04-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

You know that something just isn't quite right when you eat uncooked oats for breakfast all week long. Is it Picnic Day yet?

On a side note, one of my favorite instructors at UC Davis is one of this year's marshals!

I guess it has sprung...

2007-03-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

Living (well, dead) History!

2007-02-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

So as I was driving to class this evening (quite late due to traffic I might add), I passed through the intersection of 28th and L which is adjacent to Sutter's Fort. In my already bitter, anti-driving mood I noticed that the intersection was thoroughly thrashed. There must be like 10 different steel plates covering holes in the middle of the street. I hate holes in the middle of the street.

After a great class I opened a bottle of wine and checked in with my RSS feeds. MSNBC had an intersting little story about an archaeological dig by Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. Apparently they found some Gold Rush era human remains. Radar images suggest that the road may be directly above an unmarked cemetery.

I guess that the Sutter's Fort route to class is out for the rest of this year...

Hey B, maybe we can drag the other Rops out for a little living history mixed with archeology? I am so for it!