:: Transitive Cognition ::

You Betcha This is Funny!

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:34:00 +0000

Playtime in Ponyville: A Deviant Artist Interpretation

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:24:00 +0000

Meet Princess Leia. She is no ordinary sci-fi princess, but one of the My Little Pony variety.

Just when I though I was crazy, (which is probably mostly true, but that's irrelevant) I saw this. One artist at DeviantArt.com has shamelessly transformed the"My Little Pony" sensation we all took seriously as little girls into a cinematicly adventurous pursuit. Clearly, this appreciation can only be understood by adults with time-tested experience in the My Little Pony generation.

C'mon girls, admit yourselves. (okay yes, my mom still has all of mine in a box somewhere in her basement).

But, don't look twice, Leia is only the beginning. The original six -- Blossom, Minty, Butterscotch, Cotton Candy, Blue Belle and Snuzzle have evolved into new characterizations.

For die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts, we now have Darth Vader Pony, exhibited to your right. Look closely, you will not be dissapointed.

For the yet-to-be satisfied, there is also Batman Pony, of course.

"My Little Cthulhu." I won't lie, I had to look this one up.

Finally, folks, a personal favorite, the My Little Edward Scissorhands. Truely a great deal of thought went into this pony's production.

Now to all the first generation My Little Pony enthusiasts - given the original association we all have with My Little Ponies, in your honest opinion, is this artist at Deviant Art simply taking it too far? Is the "essence" of the original MLP still present in these modifications? If not, has corruption infiltrated our childhood fantasy? Should such a possible corruption be tolerated?

Personally, I think these modifications are generally fantastic, and fairly amusing. However, I welcome dissenters.

Bottom Line Folks: Sarah Palin is a Man...

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Stephen Colbert sets us straight on the official Palin position with the National Organization For Women (read: huge feminist organization). In classic manner, Colbert quickly punches NOW's argument out: All feminists are interested in equal rights for women. Discrimination against Palin is acceptable since she supports positions against women's rights. However, NOW clearly supports equal rights for ALL women (not just SOME women). But Palin's not interested in women's rights, she's not a feminist, and not interested in women. Thus, NOW is not interested in Palin. She is a woman though, but obviously she can't be interested in her own rights.

Colbert then brings his point to the fore, "Is Palin actually a woman then?"

Huh. Probably not.

NOW is probably just an organization for SOME women anyway. Okay... so it's not a clearly defined position for NOW, but hey, it's humorous. Sorry gals. Roll with it.

Wendy McElroy on "Financial Frugality"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:14:00 +0000

Any time is a good time to learn to live more efficiently. Right now, in fact, is a perfect time. In a recent post by Wendy McElroy, she outlines the personal significance added to her through engaging in daily yoga practice. On the one hand, the time it takes to practice yoga is negligible considering the outweighing increase in health. It also provides an enjoyable way to occupy time, leaving less time for doing other things that take time and money, like purchases or other activities.

Bottom line then...follow Wendy's point: find something inexpensively and enjoyably healthy to do while learning to spend less!

I cite her article partially below:

"Perhaps I should return to the theme of frugality. For me frugality is a choice and a tool through which to gain control of my time and life. Simply stated: if I do not waste time making money to purchase things/activities I don't value as much as the time they represent, then I am better able to pursue what I do value -- e.g. writing, the people for whom I care, my health. I think frugality is fun; I find cooking from scratch to be relaxing; I'm proud of owning a car that's old enough to have its own driver's license; and, home-grown tomatoes just taste better. (One reason I embrace frugality, however, is that it is a choice for me and not a driving necessity. )

One of the most frugal things I do is yoga because it helps to preserve a key aspect of my life -- one that makes all other aspects possible: health. It is not merely that medical care is ruinously high. Putting my life in the hands of a "medical system" that is notorious for getting even simple things wrong -- like the proper dose of a drug -- does not appeal one whit to me. Moreover, yoga (or any health regime) has the same goal as other forms of frugality...it deepens the quality of my life. If it extends my life, as I believe it will, then it also gives me more time."

Read the full article here.

The Merits of Failure - Sarcastic Comics

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:07:00 +0000

It's a shame the parallel one can see in today's Wall Street events with this comic, illustrated and written by Pat Oliphant. On thing is clear, reckless handouts of tax payer money only amount to a short term patch on a much bigger problem.

Death by Academia: The Brutally Honest Job Posting

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:05:00 +0000

I stumbled across a web site claiming access to a plethora of "urban legends," one of which, and I recite below, is said to have been written by a cynical SEMO philosophy department chair in the 1990's.

In any case, regardless of the element of "truth" found in this "job posting," it provides a good laugh at minimum, and just perhaps, a break sorely needed from all the non-stop banter on the horrific happenings on Wall-Street.

-------

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701

Enclosed is an announcement of a tenure-track position in philosophy at the rank of assistant professor. We hope to fill this position rapidly; the target date for our final decision is June 13. We are more interested in looking at candidates with real teaching experience than in newly minted Ph.D's, who might have unrealistic expectations about the possibilities for academic growth at an institution such as ours. Southeast Missouri State University is a regional university which serves students in the southeast portion of the state including St. Louis. Our students tend to be poorly prepared for college level work, intellectually passive, interested primarily in partying, and culturally provincial in the extreme. We offer a major in philosophy. but do not usually have more than two students officially declared as majors at any given time.

There are a few good students, however, and we are proud to say that our current graduating major, William Knorpp, won the 1985 Analysis competition and will be undertaking graduate study in philosophy at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill next year. Mr. Knorpp's upper level work was mainly accomplished through independent tutorials; and prospective candidate must understand that there will be virtually no opportunity to teach upper-division seminars in philosophy. We also offer a religious studies minor; most of the students who declare this minor are shocked to learn that Moses might not have written the Pentateuch and regard higher criticism as secular humanist propaganda. The 12 hrs/semester teaching load is devoted mainly to general education courses at the freshman/sophomore level. In another five years, if the general education curriculum is revised as promised, there may be seminars which are to "capstone" the G.E. program.

The academic environment at SEMO is distinctly non-intellectual — somewhat like a Norman Rockwell painting — and the candidate cannot expect to attract students by offering courses that assume innate curiosity about ideas and books, or intellectual playfulness, or independence of moral and political thought. Nevertheless. in order to earn promotion and tenure it is necessary to be involved in curriculum development and to sustain an interest in research and publication. It has occurred to me that the best candidate would be someone who has held the Ph.D. for more than two years, has taught at a community college or a rural state institution, and who would like to continue in somewhat the same vein but at a slightly higher level.I will be interviewing at the Central Division Meetings in St. Louis. If you have any questions, you may call me at my office.

McCain's Miracle!

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:17:00 +0000

Recently an adviser of McCain's declared him as "having helped" create what we all know today as the Blackberry (or, as my husband has resentfully at times called my little device, and rightly so, a Crackberry). But c'mon folks. Clearly McCain has done no such "miracle" creation. Rather, the adviser was making a reference to McCain's prior voting stances on the telecom industry. In the article cited below, when confronted, the adviser ambiguously qualifies the Blackberry remark as true since McCain both facilitated in "regulating" and "deregulating" the tele-com industry. Real shocker here! Of course this makes complete sense!

Ah, politics is great, isn't it?

Check the full article out here.

First Time Homebuyer Credit – Will It Really Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Here is an interesting article from AccountantsWorld.com by Michael E. Mares, CPA/ABV, JD, on the new "first-time home buyer credit" that Congress recently passed. It is not your typical "credit," albeit first glance lends that impression. It is, in fact, an interest free loan that must be re-paid to the IRS ratably over a period of fifteen years.

If you know of anyone or perhaps fall under the eligibility requirements for this credit, please keep in mind this new so-called "credit" implemented to "jump-start" the economy will essentially prove complicated for good faith attempts at compliance later on with said law.

"Leave it to Congress to take a good idea and complicate it beyond all hope of salvation. That's pretty much what happened with the mis-named first-time homebuyer credit passed as part of the Housing Assistance Act of 2008.

The credit was supposedly designed to help jump start the housing market again, but whether it will be effective remains to be seen. While the credit applies to acquisitions of principal residences, some acquisitions are excluded – those acquired by gift, inheritance or a purchase from a related party.

Let's start with the basics. The credit is the lesser of $7,500 or 10% of the purchase price of the home ($3,750 for married taxpayers filing separately) and applies to home purchases after 4-8-08 and before 7-1-09.

For joint filers, each is deemed to receive 50% of the credit for recapture purposes. The credit is phased-out for taxpayers with modified AGI between $75,000 and $95,000 ($150,000 and $170,000 for joint filers). For unmarried taxpayers buying a house together, the maximum credit is $7,500. A bit of good news is that the credit is refundable and applicable against both the regular tax and alternative minimum tax.

That doesn't sound so complicated does it? Unfortunately, the credit is recaptured over a 15 year period. That's right, this "credit" is really just an interest free loan from the government to help middle-income taxpayers purchase a home. The "credit" must be repaid ratably over 15 years, and no interest is charged on the unpaid balance.

The recapture period begins in the second year following the purchase. Thus, the credit recipient's tax for each of the following 15 years is increased by $500, or 1/15th of the maximum credit claimed). If the home is sold before the end of the 15 year recapture period, the remainder of the credit is recaptured in the year of sale. However, any recapture is limited to the amount of gain on the sale. Thus, for example, a seller who has claimed the credit and subsequently sells at a loss, won't have any recapture in the year of sale, but will still have the credit recapture in years before the sale.

Recapture is also accelerated if the home ceases to be the principal residence of the taxpayer or spouse. Fortunately, the new law provides some exceptions to the accelerated recapture rules. For example:

1. There is no acceleration of recapture on death or because of an involuntary conversion.

2. There's no acceleration of recapture where the transfer is incidental to divorce. However, the transferee will be liable for any further recapture. The transferor will have no recapture liability.

The new law also contains an interesting twist. If a taxpayer purchases a residence after 12-31-08 and before 7-1-09, the taxpayer can elect to treat the purchase as if it were made on 12-31-08, thus claiming the credit in 2008. If the 2008 return has been filed, an amended return can be filed to claim the credit. It appears that if the other requirements are met, but the 2009 income exceeds the threshold, an election to treat the property as acquired in 2008 (assuming that modified AGI is less than the threshold in 2008) will permit use of the credit.

Since the new rules apply to a first-time homebuyer, defining that term is important. A first-time homebuyer is one who has not had an ownership interest in a principal residence during the three-year period ending on the date of the purchase of the residence for which the credit is to be claimed. If married, neither spouse can have had an ownership interest in a principal residence during the three-year period, which will create some problems in divorce-remarriage situations.

How is all of this ever going to be tracked? The law gives the IRS the authority to require increased reporting of home sales (there's currently an exception for principal residence sales of $250,000 or less ($500,000 where the seller is married) to make sure the recapture is made.

Is it worthwhile to claim the credit? It depends on the client's circumstances. However, the client should clearly understand that this "credit" is really just a loan that must be repaid to the government over 15 years. This credit is no free lunch."

SNL Short: Palin & Clinton Address "Sexism"

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Hilarious! How to Ride a Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:13:00 +0000

If my husband were as into horses as I, surely he'd say watch this, because it's simply epic.

And now, Disney's "Goofy" shows us ALL how it's done.

Welsh Singer Jem....Libertarian?

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Before writing this off as mere “pop vocal” music, check the lyrics out along with the implications going on in the video. Personally, I dig her music, even though the melody in this song isn’t my favorite. Beware anti-popists, it might astound you that this talented gal may be culpable for a striking statement with that stunning voice. See lyrics below:

Who made up all the rules?
We follow them like fools.
Believe them to be true;
Don’t care to think them through/

I’m sorry, so sorry.
I’m sorry it’s like this.
I’m sorry, so sorry.
I’m sorry we do this.

And it’s ironic too…
‘Cos what we tend to do
Is act on what they say,
And then it is that way.

I’m sorry, so sorry
I’m sorry it’s like this,
I’m sorry, so sorry
I’m sorry we do this,

Who are they?
Where are they?
How can they possibly
Know all this?
Who are they?
Where are they?
How can they possibly
Know all this?

Do you see what I see?
Why do we live like this?
Is it because it’s true:
That ignorance is bliss.

Who are they?
Where are they?
How do they
Know all this?
I’m sorry, so sorry.
I’m sorry it’s like this.

Do you see what I see?
Why do we live like this?
Is it because it’s true:
That ignorance is bliss.

Who are they?
Where are they?
How can they
Know all this?
And I’m sorry, so sorry.
I’m sorry we do this.

Why I'm Not Here, But Over There

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:13:00 +0000

So, apparently one of the perks of being married to an IT guy is that I’ll eventually get some bad-ass websites in my name. This site was not exactly built, but set up by my dear hubby wubby (sorry for the pet names… I know.) It’s fairly similar to Blogger, but I’m still in the “test phase” so we’ll see if it works out for good. I have to admit, I don’t like changing blog sites, but I do like change when it amounts to something better, so here goes, I’ll give this a shot.

Yay WordPress!

Merry Christmas From Achmed (The Terrorist)

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 07:09:00 +0000

Ah, nothing beats a warm greeting from Jeff Dunham's Achmed, especially as he sings "Jingle Bombs."

Third Time's A Charm

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 02:19:00 +0000

Lately, I've been reading quite a bit on individualist anarchism and feminism, specifically focusing on the works of Wendy McElroy.

These readings have led me into the historical events behind third-wave feminism, which is essentially a cumulative critique of all the events and circumstances arising after 1848, or when the Seneca Falls Convention (SFC) took place. If you have some time, please amuse yourself with the "declaration of sentiments" pertaining to the SFC or wade casually through Eleanor Roosevelt's Presidential Commission on The Status of Women. They are both well worth the read - and created for the sole purpose of igniting thought. I'm delving into this stuff rigorously as I concurrently prepare to attend a week-long Austrian economics conference next summer. Yes, I said economics. Before giving me a weird look, know that I can tie the two topics together --and actually quite harmoniously.

This evening, however, I was more in the mood for prose. So after reading some McElroy, I decided to springboard off a few of her provocations. So here it is, I landed on this lovely little piece by early political activist and feminist Olive Schreiner (a favorite of Sara Elizabeth Holmes, also a notable feminist writer). Wow. Quite a discovery, I might add. It's quite lengthy for a blog post, however anything worthwhile I've ever read has been lengthy, so I won't apologize for that. Simply put, investments take time. In any case, I have posted it in its entirety since it is available freely online and without copyright restriction.

Be forewarned, those sensitive to the analysis of gender issues and embittered by the ill-too-often confused and highly unwarranted connotation associated with feminism should stop treading here immediately.

Um, can you handle it?

V.  THREE DREAMS IN A DESERT.

Under a Mimosa-Tree.

As I travelled across an African plain the sun shone down hotly.  Then I
drew my horse up under a mimosa-tree, and I took the saddle from him and
left him to feed among the parched bushes.  And all to right and to left
stretched the brown earth.  And I sat down under the tree, because the heat
beat fiercely, and all along the horizon the air throbbed.  And after a
while a heavy drowsiness came over me, and I laid my head down against my
saddle, and I fell asleep there.  And, in my sleep, I had a curious dream.

I thought I stood on the border of a great desert, and the sand blew about
everywhere.  And I thought I saw two great figures like beasts of burden of
the desert, and one lay upon the sand with its neck stretched out, and one
stood by it.  And I looked curiously at the one that lay upon the ground,
for it had a great burden on its back, and the sand was thick about it, so
that it seemed to have piled over it for centuries.

And I looked very curiously at it.  And there stood one beside me watching.
And I said to him, "What is this huge creature who lies here on the sand?"

And he said, "This is woman; she that bears men in her body."

And I said, "Why does she lie here motionless with the sand piled round
her?"

And he answered, "Listen, I will tell you!  Ages and ages long she has lain
here, and the wind has blown over her.  The oldest, oldest, oldest man
living has never seen her move:  the oldest, oldest book records that she
lay here then, as she lies here now, with the sand about her.  But listen!
Older than the oldest book, older than the oldest recorded memory of man,
on the Rocks of Language, on the hard-baked clay of Ancient Customs, now
crumbling to decay, are found the marks of her footsteps!  Side by side
with his who stands beside her you may trace them; and you know that she
who now lies there once wandered free over the rocks with him."

And I said, "Why does she lie there now?"

And he said, "I take it, ages ago the Age-of-dominion-of-muscular-force
found her, and when she stooped low to give suck to her young, and her back
was broad, he put his burden of subjection on to it, and tied it on with
the broad band of Inevitable Necessity.  Then she looked at the earth and
the sky, and knew there was no hope for her; and she lay down on the sand
with the burden she could not loosen.  Ever since she has lain here.  And
the ages have come, and the ages have gone, but the band of Inevitable
Necessity has not been cut."

And I looked and saw in her eyes the terrible patience of the centuries;
the ground was wet with her tears, and her nostrils blew up the sand.

And I said, "Has she ever tried to move?"

And he said, "Sometimes a limb has quivered.  But she is wise; she knows
she cannot rise with the burden on her."

And I said, "Why does not he who stands by her leave her and go on?"

And he said, "He cannot.  Look--"

And I saw a broad band passing along the ground from one to the other, and
it bound them together.

He said, "While she lies there he must stand and look across the desert."

And I said, "Does he know why he cannot move?"

And he said, "No."

And I heard a sound of something cracking, and I looked, and I saw the band
that bound the burden on to her back broken asunder; and the burden rolled
on to the ground.

And I said, "What is this?"

And he said, "The Age-of-muscular-force is dead.  The Age-of-nervous-force
has killed him with the knife he holds in his hand; and silently and
invisibly he has crept up to the woman, and with that knife of Mechanical
Invention he has cut the band that bound the burden to her back.  The
Inevitable Necessity it broken.  She might rise now."

And I saw that she still lay motionless on the sand, with her eyes open and
her neck stretched out.  And she seemed to look for something on the far-
off border of the desert that never came.  And I wondered if she were awake
or asleep.  And as I looked her body quivered, and a light came into her
eyes, like when a sunbeam breaks into a dark room.

I said, "What is it?"

He whispered "Hush! the thought has come to her, 'Might I not rise?'"

And I looked.  And she raised her head from the sand, and I saw the dent
where her neck had lain so long.  And she looked at the earth, and she
looked at the sky, and she looked at him who stood by her:  but he looked
out across the desert.

And I saw her body quiver; and she pressed her front knees to the earth,
and veins stood out; and I cried; "She is going to rise!"

But only her sides heaved, and she lay still where she was.

But her head she held up; she did not lay it down again.  And he beside me
said, "She is very weak.  See, her legs have been crushed under her so
long."

And I saw the creature struggle:  and the drops stood out on her.

And I said, "Surely he who stands beside her will help her?"

And he beside me answered, "He cannot help her:  she must help herself.
Let her struggle till she is strong."

And I cried, "At least he will not hinder her!  See, he moves farther from
her, and tightens the cord between them, and he drags her down."

And he answered, "He does not understand.  When she moves she draws the
band that binds them, and hurts him, and he moves farther from her.  The
day will come when he will understand, and will know what she is doing.
Let her once stagger on to her knees.  In that day he will stand close to
her, and look into her eyes with sympathy."

And she stretched her neck, and the drops fell from her.  And the creature
rose an inch from the earth and sank back.

And I cried, "Oh, she is too weak! she cannot walk!  The long years have
taken all her strength from her.  Can she never move?"

And he answered me, "See the light in her eyes!"

And slowly the creature staggered on to its knees.

And I awoke:  and all to the east and to the west stretched the barren
earth, with the dry bushes on it.  The ants ran up and down in the red
sand, and the heat beat fiercely.  I looked up through the thin branches of
the tree at the blue sky overhead.  I stretched myself, and I mused over
the dream I had had.  And I fell asleep again, with my head on my saddle.
And in the fierce heat I had another dream.

I saw a desert and I saw a woman coming out of it.  And she came to the
bank of a dark river; and the bank was steep and high.  (The banks of an
African river are sometimes a hundred feet high, and consist of deep
shifting sands, through which in the course of ages the river has worn its
gigantic bed.)  And on it an old man met her, who had a long white beard;
and a stick that curled was in his hand, and on it was written Reason.  And
he asked her what she wanted; and she said "I am woman; and I am seeking
for the land of Freedom."

And he said, "It is before you."

And she said, "I see nothing before me but a dark flowing river, and a bank
steep and high, and cuttings here and there with heavy sand in them."

And he said, "And beyond that?"

She said, "I see nothing, but sometimes, when I shade my eyes with my hand,
I think I see on the further bank trees and hills, and the sun shining on
them!"

He said, "That is the Land of Freedom."

She said, "How am I to get there?"

He said, "There is one way, and one only.  Down the banks of Labour,
through the water of Suffering.  There is no other."

She said, "Is there no bridge?"

He answered.  "None."

She said, "Is the water deep?"

He said, "Deep."

She said, "Is the floor worn?"

He said, "It is.  Your foot may slip at any time, and you may be lost."

She said, "Have any crossed already?"

He said, "Some have tried!"

She said, "Is there a track to show where the best fording is?"

He said, "It has to be made."

She shaded her eyes with her hand; and she said, "I will go."

And he said, "You must take off the clothes you wore in the desert:  they
are dragged down by them who go into the water so clothed."

And she threw from her gladly the mantle of Ancient-received-opinions she
wore, for it was worn full of holes.  And she took the girdle from her
waist that she had treasured so long, and the moths flew out of it in a
cloud.  And he said, "Take the shoes of dependence off your feet."

And she stood there naked, but for one white garment that clung close to
her.

And he said, "That you may keep.  So they wear clothes in the Land of
Freedom.  In the water it buoys; it always swims."

And I saw on its breast was written Truth; and it was white; the sun had
not often shone on it; the other clothes had covered it up.  And he said,
"Take this stick; hold it fast.  In that day when it slips from your hand
you are lost.  Put it down before you; feel your way:  where it cannot find
a bottom do not set your foot."

And she said, "I am ready; let me go."

And he said, "No--but stay; what is that--in your breast?"

She was silent.

He said, "Open it, and let me see."

And she opened it.  And against her breast was a tiny thing, who drank from
it, and the yellow curls above his forehead pressed against it; and his
knees were drawn up to her, and he held her breast fast with his hands.

And Reason said, "Who is he, and what is he doing here?"

And she said, "See his little wings--"

And Reason said, "Put him down."

And she said, "He is asleep, and he is drinking!  I will carry him to the
Land of Freedom.  He has been a child so long, so long, I have carried him.
In the Land of Freedom he will be a man.  We will walk together there, and
his great white wings will overshadow me.  He has lisped one word only to
me in the desert--'Passion!'  I have dreamed he might learn to say
'Friendship' in that land."

And Reason said, "Put him down!"

And she said, "I will carry him so--with one arm, and with the other I will
fight the water."

He said, "Lay him down on the ground.  When you are in the water you will
forget to fight, you will think only of him.  Lay him down."  He said, "He
will not die.  When he finds you have left him alone he will open his wings
and fly.  He will be in the Land of Freedom before you.  Those who reach
the Land of Freedom, the first hand they see stretching down the bank to
help them shall be Love's.  He will be a man then, not a child.  In your
breast he cannot thrive; put him down that he may grow."

And she took her bosom from his mouth, and he bit her, so that the blood
ran down on to the ground.  And she laid him down on the earth; and she
covered her wound.  And she bent and stroked his wings.  And I saw the hair
on her forehead turned white as snow, and she had changed from youth to
age.

And she stood far off on the bank of the river.  And she said, "For what do
I go to this far land which no one has ever reached?  Oh, I am alone!  I am
utterly alone!"

And Reason, that old man, said to her, "Silence!  What do you hear?"

And she listened intently, and she said, "I hear a sound of feet, a
thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, and they beat this
way!"

He said, "They are the feet of those that shall follow you.  Lead on! make
a track to the water's edge!  Where you stand now, the ground will be
beaten flat by ten thousand times ten thousand feet."  And he said, "Have
you seen the locusts how they cross a stream?  First one comes down to the
water-edge, and it is swept away, and then another comes and then another,
and then another, and at last with their bodies piled up a bridge is built
and the rest pass over."

She said, "And, of those that come first, some are swept away, and are
heard of no more; their bodies do not even build the bridge?"

"And are swept away, and are heard of no more--and what of that?" he said.

"And what of that--" she said.

"They make a track to the water's edge."

"They make a track to the water's edge--."  And she said, "Over that bridge
which shall be built with our bodies, who will pass?"

He said, "The entire human race."

And the woman grasped her staff.

And I saw her turn down that dark path to the river.

And I awoke; and all about me was the yellow afternoon light:  the sinking
sun lit up the fingers of the milk bushes; and my horse stood by me quietly
feeding.  And I turned on my side, and I watched the ants run by thousands
in the red sand.  I thought I would go on my way now--the afternoon was
cooler.  Then a drowsiness crept over me again, and I laid back my head and
fell asleep.

And I dreamed a dream.

I dreamed I saw a land.  And on the hills walked brave women and brave men,
hand in hand.  And they looked into each other's eyes, and they were not
afraid.

And I saw the women also hold each other's hands.

And I said to him beside me, "What place is this?"

And he said, "This is heaven."

And I said, "Where is it?"

And he answered, "On earth."

And I said, "When shall these things be?"

And he answered, "IN THE FUTURE."

And I awoke, and all about me was the sunset light; and on the low hills
the sun lay, and a delicious coolness had crept over everything; and the
ants were going slowly home.  And I walked towards my horse, who stood
quietly feeding.  Then the sun passed down behind the hills; but I knew
that the next day he would arise again.

Ah, what an enjoyable piece of prose!!!

Hold On To That Thought

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:25:00 +0000

Goin' South For The Winter

I have my first solo out of town assignment this Thurs and Fri. I'll be going to the well-known bustling cities of Fancy Farm, KY and Union City, TN. I'm helping the auditors with their year-end inventory counts. So yes, this is the part of my job that fits the stereotype of counting beans. Even though I am not sure precisely what I will be counting, the mystery element fascinates me. On another note, I do know I'll be counting donuts near Chicago as well at the end of Jan. It'll be nice to get out of the office before the International busy season throttles into full swing.

Ginger is More Than A Spice

My husband's childhood dog is staying with us until Christmas (they say mixed breeds outlive pure ones, but wow, she must be ancient). It was not difficult to persuade me once I found out she needed a place to stay. In my opinion, there cannot be enough animals in the house, or outside the house. In fact, we really should invest in a farm.

Thievery Comes In Garages

To my dismay, along with most everyone else in my office, I discovered that my registration tags have been stolen off of my car in the adjacent garage at work. Apparently, I have to go through the trouble of getting a form notarized in order to have them replaced. I pay over a hundred dollars a month to park downtown, you'd think tighter security would be imperative.

Babies Come In All Sizes

My husband has been under the weather lately. He will mutter things like "Can I have some soupie" etc. Then, he will do the pout. The "I know I can have anything I want" pout. His lower lip poofs way out and then quivers a little. It's adorable. Almost makes me want babies. I said almost....

The Shattered Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 06:12:00 +0000

A rush of steadiness fades hastily into the background. Christmas lights dangle like icicles overhead. Palm trees and sassafras finally come into focus. With every movement, the city lights penetrate through the massive windows, longing, wandering as to find festivity. High rise buildings tower like companions among the horizon. An outline for the scene rises undeniably into view: success and glamour reverberate through everything visible.

"Would you like champagne, my dear?"

"Why, of course," she says, as she savours the fineness given to her with subtle graciousness, knowing fully what uncertainty the object in her hand may represent.

She takes a long, deep breath, conscientiously inventorying the status of her composure. Lifting her drink, she toasts the air, saying satisfactorily, "Yes, I am here."

Without reserve, moments fly from next to next. Effortless, all things fall serenely into place. What once had been apprehension diffuses entirely into euphoric numbness. Whispers surround her by the hundreds saying candidly, it's meant to happen-- here is perfection--here is fulfillment-- and it's high time that you knew.

Then, a moment of dread, like a draft of death, quickly surges into the room. But she unabashedly waits-- as it is for what she had been waiting. She sees the shuddering stillness reflecting against what appears at the end of a mirrored gauntlet. The early anticipation of which she had made herself aware astounds everyone yet leaves her entirely unmoved. Sweeping across the room, the mirrored reflection emerges with the most horrid presence glaring into view. The presence… yes, the inevitable presence -- it is what silences those who crave to thrive; it is the source of hollow existence. To sacrifice first passions--this is a specialty. To find pleasure in static helplessness--this is given gladly if brave enough to cling forever in bored security. One gaze, one seduction is all that is necessary. The beauty of the presence: flawless. Everything that sways to lean for a touch fails to revive. Yet, the sparkling sequins of hypocrisy spread in tandem through the wind of her gown. The aesthetical aura she creates toxifies until stupor all who venture close enough.

Unmistakably, she proceeds to introduce herself.

"Hello, my name is Power & Prestige."

Abruptly, laughter once again fills the room. The orchestral music lightens the mood, and dampens all tendencies for serious interaction. Suddenly everyone forgets about the encounter. Instead, everyone smiles, everyone loves, and everyone gives without discretion. Ah, the simple perfection.

Slowly, yet firmly he grabs her hand. Time has frozen. The city lights, like a vacuous portal, suddenly siphon everyone without worth out of the room. There is nothing more, only the hollow shells of bodies taking up space. Their souls have been obliterated. She is alone. He is with her. Her heels begin to smash carelessly as she begins to run against the shards of the broken:

--her glass has fallen.

"Slow down," he says.

And so she walks, gladly aware of certainty for the first time in her life.

"Let's go," he says. "There is nothing more to be found."

History of LOL cats....Oh Please Make It Stop.

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:50:00 +0000

Wow. I'm speechless. Who has time to make ridiculous stuff like this?

Ron Paul Doesn't Need A Nanny

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:23:00 +0000

In a recent interview with Ron Paul, he answers the question as to why his supporters show such fervor for his candidacy -- it's essentially because his ideas are based on a solid foundation in Austrian Economics. Here's what he says about these supporters (and rightly so) :

"I think they're sick and tired of what they're getting. They've lost all trust and faith in the government. They believe in the American Dream, and they're getting a nightmare. And they're rallying behind the program I've been working on for 30 years—defending the Constitution, limited government, free markets, sound money, and self-reliance; believing people can take care of themselves better than government can. The nanny state doesn't work, the police state doesn't work, and neither does the warfare. And they know it. "

Read the entire article from BusinessWeek here.

Thumbing Through Chaos

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:07:00 +0000

Crunch Time

I take another section of the CPA exam (i.e., forced state manipulation on accountants for extra revenue) on the 30th of Nov. Hence, my engagement in various social frequencies will decrease rapidly during the next couple of weeks, but will resume in time for the PwC christmas party (oh yeah, and I already have a dress. Dress = chocolate halter worn at Megan's wedding. Reduction in "cost per wear" is my objective here. Less shopping makes me happy. Although shopping with other people's money and for shoes certainly makes me happy, thus the statement before that is not an absolute statement.) Oh damn the mindless banter! Anyway, the temporary plug is all encompassing except the social functions below, of course. Now that I think of it, I do think the months of Oct, Nov, and Dec, would be better off blurring into one ginormous month of holiday festivities and strange traditions that bring people together. Can we have an "Octovember" once a year or something? Gosh, it's hard to find time to study without saying "no" to various activities and friends a seeming thousand times and feeling like a jerk for saying so.

Hold Me, Texas

I will play in the annual PCS PwC Texas Hold 'em Tournament this Tuesday. Can I bring home the cash and prizes? It's almost an $800 dollar pot. Let's hope so. Shhh...I've been practicing my bluff in my room at night. I won't lie, this is my game of choice. However, I will have to watch the increased expressiveness that comes with beer though, as that could certainly mark the beginning of my demise. Keep all fingers crossed.

May You Give Me Cincinnati

It's winter, meaning excellent training time. I've got the hotel, time off work, and I'm already registered for the Flying Pig Half-Marathon in May. My hair diva and friend Kate pulled off the Full for this same race last year, while I was still recovering from running the Spirit of St. Louis Half two weeks earlier. What a role model for me, she is. I'm also ditching Club Fitness since it doesn't do a great job keeping its stuff up-to-date at its north county location. Instead I'm joining the huge Gold's Gym which just opened up next to our house last month, complete with extra cross-training must haves Club Fitness did not have, like a lap pool, yoga ambience room, and hot tub. Not to mention the membership includes access to a real-sized theater room with tons of workout machinery, and the theater room shows continuous new-releases throughout the day (and it's 24 hrs M-F). Enough said for Gold's.

I'm also getting accustomed to ripping through old town florissant again regularly with my fresh New Balances. Also, been trying out and enjoying my "Nike Plus" shoe microchip which syncs excellently with my Ipod Nano. I've gotta admit, running regularly again feels pretty good. I need to keep my rambunctious body in check, or I know it will control me. Summer busy season kinda killed that. Oh, but to start from ground zero once again. Gotta make it through the pain to the other side. Will not give up.

Going International

As a newbie at PwC, they place us in starting "classes" and we do rotations into different specialty departments. This is much like getting to try out a field of knowledge before choosing a major in college. Many of the "rotaters" get vitriolic in discussions over the pros and cons of this rotation program. Most are against it, and, like all big corporate programs, negative feedback might cause it to fade away rather quickly. However, I am an advocate of this program mainly on grounds that short term cuts to efficiency will pan out in the long-term through the increased adeptness of its employees. In any case, I find myself a part of this program for the time-being. Given that, I am currently in the process of transitioning into another department, specifically from Private Company Services (PCS) into International Tax Services (ITS). I'm very excited about this transition, as I know the assignment I have coming up will be challenging. It's with a fortune 500 company which includes dealing with very current research and reporting issues in international law and taxation, namely the Foreign Tax Credit, subpart f, controlled foreign corporations, and disregarded entities. I will post more on these subjects once I delve more in depth with them. In the meantime, my excitement hardly suffices to contain me.

Nicholas' Birthday

I can't believe my husband just turned 26. Yeah he's now got more Bastiat, Rand and Mises. For sure, good times went down at the Cloud house with our buddies this weekend. In fact, I think its been at least a good year since we've thrown a kick-ass party at our house. Go figure, I always said I was going to be cool when I grew up. How lame is that? Too much work and study I suppose. Which is not so bad, actually. It's weird too when you're laughing with beer in hand, just having a good time and you think "Wow, I'm tired, it must be getting late" and you look at your watch to realize it's only 10pm. That kind of goes along with how I randomly found myself cursing out loud at a Cosmo magazine recently. After saying to myself "gosh if only these girls would just put on some clothes" I immediately lashed out at myself for sounding like my grandma when I was nine years old. That line of thinking seriously freaks me out. I imagine that's why people get married. Yeah. Since it's not only me that's getting old, too. And fat with wrinkles. Yuck. We can do it together. Yay.

Disclaimer: I did not just say you were old and fat, honey. It's nothing on you.

Chuck Norris Takes Down Google

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 05:22:00 +0000

I took it upon myself to do a search for Chuck Norris, and here's what I found.

Don't be fooled, this is entirely real.....

Philosophy of Accountancy

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:15:00 +0000

Friend: "I spent all my Christmas money on my boyfriend's Christmas present, a Wii. "

Me: "I hope you saved some of your bonus to earn interest until you're ready for the downpayment on your house."

Friend: "Don't worry, I did. I also saved 10% by opening a target card and then I paid it off at customer service that day."

Me: "How magninimous of you for spending that much on your man."

Friend: "I don't know what "magninimous" means. Let me dictionary.com it."

Me: "That's because I made it up. You're forgetting I also have a philosophy degree - it gives me that right."

Friend: "Not necessarily, I have an accounting degree so I can make things up too."

Boo. Yah. Truth is revealed.

Cambridge Women's Pornography Cooperative

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:33:00 +0000

AMT 101: Because Every Middle Class Citizen Should Know

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:17:00 +0000

Here is a very nicely explained article on the Alternative Minimum Tax, a potential tax crisis that's affecting millions more each year. Congress is currently working to fix this potential nightmare with a "one year patch" which as of two days ago, still needs to make it through the Senate. The main discrepancy exists over where the offset in revenue will take place. The current bill proposes sharp increases in tax fees for management of private equity fund portfolios. In my opinion, a revenue "off-set" is not what we really need, but rather a revenue reduction across the board. The current plan is better than nothing, however...

GAO Gives "Eighth Annual Unqualified Opinion" for the IRS

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:45:00 +0000

An "unqualified opinion" on financial statements, despite its seeming connotation, is actually a good thing for the IRS. In auditor terms, an unqualified opinion means that based on substantive tests and analytical procedures, the company's financial reports represent accurately, in all material respects, the financial position of the company. So, essentially it's a good thing for the IRS. With that in mind, here is some food for thought:

The IRS is spending more money to make up for inefficiencies that keep getting worse:

"The IRS has had to put processes in place to make up for its "serious internal control and financial management systems deficiencies," the GAO notes, which subsequently cuts into the IRS's already crunched resources. The agency has continually been unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or consistently comply with the laws and regulations that govern it to keep up-to-date financial systems, according to the GAO."

Not only is the IRS out of date, but also risking its citizen's information security:

"The GAO also reminded the IRS of its previous recommendations for improving the agency's internal controls. Of the 144 outstanding recommendations, nearly half of them relate to material weakness in information security one of the major quibbles GAO noted in last year's audit."

On top of that, the convenient inability to stay up to date, somehow generates more revenue for the IRS, sending those involved into a tizzy:

"The result has been frustration on the part of taxpayers, including businesses. For example, the IRS once gave a business a nearly $5 million penalty for not including a supporting schedule with its quarterly payroll tax return. Later, the IRS discovered that that information had actually been attached to the return."

Read the full article from CFO.com here

Bogus Argumentation, Fluffy Principles, and Fodder for Debate

noreply@blogger.com (Britt) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 04:19:00 +0000

I attest that a good source of "comedic amusement" is to reflect on lawyer arguments, especially in Supreme Court debates. A recent article I read on a "subtle nuance" (hehe...is that redundant?) in tax law concerns a case currently up for debate and is one which illustrates my amusement quite well. It's also very relevant to individual taxation (corps, trusts, and partnership variations are also a fun-filled circus in themselves, but I won't get into that just yet).

Specifically I refer to this: Department of Revenue of Kentucky v. Davis, No. 06-666.

That sounds sexy already, doesn't it? If I also threw out the random fact we are dealing with a 2.5 trillion tax dollar market, and this revenue concerns 38 states in question, does that help the mental shift (read: kind of important) at all?

In tax law, there is a general rulestating that interest on municipal bonds (i.e., "bonds" just being long-term debt issued by a state, city or other local government) from a state will be exempt from income taxation within its own state of issuance. If an investor wishes to invest in bonds outside of one's residence state, the interest on these non-resident bonds will be taxable within that investor's resident state. Muni-bonds are also tax-free for Federal purposes, but that element is not the issue in question. Instead, the interstate impact of this rule is the focus.

Amid the captivating display given last week on Nov. 5th, I must sarcastically admit our resources were once again well spent to serve the greater good. That is, for the sole purpose of achieving justice, and setting straight the constitutional clarity of our times. In all seriousness, these reasons are precisely why the Supreme Court felt it necessary to saunter through a muck of nearly 50 years of "unclearly dictated conclusions" in precedent law only to find that the most relevant case rulings for the general bond rule above are a discussion over the essence of "garbage" versus "milk."

....huh?

Let me clarify how this kind of makes sense:

a) "Garbage," is an extensively pliable product (by-product?) to states in terms of its consideration for preferential tax treatment. States would like to say that non-resident bond interest can be taxed on the state level, since the commerce clause doesn't govern activities engaged in solely "on behalf of its people."

b) "Milk," however, is a commodity product of the dairy market, which in turn is a part of agriculture, an industry which has historically been protected by states through heavy Federal subsidization. Individual state treatment has been to exempt the dairy market from protectionism between states, also citing the commerce clause.

Here comes the fun part:

If munis are like "garbage," the rule should remain as it currently stands. Simply because the state has the ability to discriminate in favor of itself. This is the current position of 49 states, regardless of whether or not they actually have a state income tax. Why do states favor this decision on how to treat muni-bonds? It's not counter-intuitive. Discriminating in favor of oneself will most likely have the best outcome for oneself, at least in the short term. Here is where the annual $2.5 trillion comes into play. It's also useful to know that the current treatment of muni bonds is based on a particular garbage case where "rates charged by a state created monopoly in New York to dispose of trash were higher than those charged by private-sector competitors, but the state chose instead to use the public-monopoly." The states serve to gain from their actions by increased revenue, but will lose dearly as continual increases from inefficiencies decrease the useful value of this already enormous amount of income.

On the flip side (and the one to which I agree), if munis are like "milk," they shouldn't be given preferential treatment, since "preferential" means either they are taxed or exempted based on the outline to the general rule. According to state policy, munis cannot have protectionist barriers, similar to the treatment of agriculture. If bond interest is not protected by certain states through inter-state transactions then the only viable options under this assumption are to either tax all muni bond interest at the state level, including resident bonds, or exempt all muni interest altogether from any form of state-level taxation.

Is individual exploitation of labor a necessary wedge between determining the public good and the public's tax dollars? Obviously it shouldn't be, but the latter creates this exploitation. That is why I argue that all muni bonds should be exempted from taxation at the state level. It is, simply put, the only feasible way to eliminate the barriers existing between inter-state commerce. If state monopolies were not allowed to exist in the first place, they wouldn't have the option of choosing in favor of itself (whatever the elusive conglomerate of "state" is we speak of, anyway) even though it's not the best for all, as in the New York garbage case. There is way more to write here, but I'm sooooo sleepy.

Ugh, and this has easily turned into sounding like a written a paper or something. Why does that always happen when I least expect it?

For more on this, see here and here.

Ah, the sweet solace of sleep will shortly be upon me. I'm so there…….