Sequester This

We now have a new word in the English dictionary...Sequestration.  It is a scary word.  Apparently the government is going to come to halt on March 1 as it is implemented, cutting federal programs to the core.  Children will be starving.  Crime will run rampant in the street.  Schools will close for lack of teachers.  You will die in your house because there will be no EMT's to answer you 9-1-1 calls.  Planes will fall from the sky.  Did I mention children will be starving?  Obama and his cohorts are on the rampage preaching Armageddon if all of these spending cuts are implemented.  Build an ark.  The second flood is coming. 

So let's see how much Drama Obama is BS'ing us now.  Sequestration is not a spending cut.  It is a decrease in the rate of increase over the next seven years.  It amounts to a 2 1/2 percent cut in the rate of increase.   Here are the figures:

Defense spending increases 18% instead of 20% with sequestration.

Non-defense discretionary increases 12% instead of 14% with sequestration.

No change in the increase in Medicare.

Interest expenses rise 136% instead 152% with sequestration.

Total government spending the first year with sequestration would be 3.62 trillion vs. 3.69 trillion; and by year seven would rise to 5.26 trillion vs. 5.42 trillion.

So....over a seven year period, spending would rise 1.6 trillion instead of 1.7 trillion.

Let's put this in terms that you understand.  Let's say that your monthly budget is $2,000.00/month.  You were supposed to get a 5% raise over next year generating an additional $100.00 per month that you can spend.  But things are tough at the shop, so the boss announces that instead of a 5% raise, he has to reduce your raise to 2 1/2% which is a "cut" in your pay raise.  Instead of having $2,100.00 per month next year to spend, you will have $2,050.00 per month to spend.  Now....that's not a cut in your monthly budget, but a smaller increase.  I'm sure you would adjust without too much pain, unless you had already spent the extra $100.00 per month, which Obama has done.

Notwithstanding, you would make adjustments and the world would not end.  Here are some adjustments Obama can make.  Don't vacation in Hawaii.  Go to your home in Chicago instead.  And don't take separate vacations.  Take Michele to Florida with you, instead of spending an additional million to send her to Colorado to ski while you go to Florida to golf.  I haven't gone anywhere on vacation for the past several years.  How about going to Camp David to save some money?

As in all things Obama...look at what he does, not what he says.  And as far as the Sequester goes:  Mr. President, sequester this!!!

Put Some Clothes On Part Trois

This is another put on some clothes rant.  I frequent a pizza place which is primarily takeout.  The pizza has always been good.  It has great reputation.  Has been there for years.  It has always done a good business.   My trips there have been somewhat limited as of late because it is a distance from where I live, but we still go there occasionally when we tire of the pizza closer to home.

Last night was one of those nights.  I ordered the pizza and was told it was going to be at least a 40 minute wait, but it worked for me because I could finish watching my movie.   It has been awhile since I had been there.  I know personnel changes over a period of time, but I was dumbfounded what I saw when I got there.

I know I should have an open mind.  I have been told by every liberal do-gooder I should be tolerant.  My church tells me we are all God's children...and the fact that these folks are actually working says something for them.  But at the end of the day, the appearance of the staff was deplorable, and I almost walked out.   And I feel bad because their pizza was, and is, very good!

The guy making the pizzas had a pair of baggy shorts on...looked scraggly and unshaven...and had those huge round earrings in his pierced ears.  Another lady was wearing a bandanna and had piercings going across part of her upper lip.  Still another employee...and this one needed an attitude adjustment... was wearing flannel skin tight pajama bottoms that didn't go up very high and a tube top which didn't god down very low showing way much more than I wanted to see.

Now....I know working in a pizza shop is hard work and hot work.  And this particular place was the busiest I have seen it years with people taking out pizzas five at a time.  And all of the above folks were working very hard save the pajama lady who was moving slow and it made it verbally clear she didn't want to be there.  And my pizza was as good as ever.

BUT....appearances count, and by all accounts I would normally walk out of a place with a serving staff that looked like that. This anything goes attitude in America needs to change.  IF they want to express themselves, that's fine!  But don't expect me to spend my money there.  And I am not going to be made to feel guilty by those saying how intolerant I am.  When it comes to business, any business, appearances count.

There are those who are going to tell me I am an old fogey and times change.  Yes they do.  But the acceptance of this type of professional appearance, even working in a pizza shop, degrades and insults the customers.  Does everything have to be reduced to the lowest common denominator in this country?  At what level do we say enough?  They say I shouldn't judge people by appearances, but this kind of in your face dressing invites exactly that. 

I love business, and I pull for everyone who is out there trying to make it in a difficult world.  I am glad these folks are enjoying the success they are because by any measure, they are successful.  Those who dress like that are asking me to accept and tolerate them.  It is a two way street.  They need to set some standards too.  What the owner showed last night was disrespect to me, and I count as much as they do.  They are selling to me, not the other way around,.

Will I go back there for a pizza?  I'm not sure.  I suspect that the attitude their appearance conveys does not translate into what is a very good product.  But you know what?  After 63 years, I just don't want to look at that anymore.  We'll see.   

Computer Virus

There’s a lot to rant about this week, but none as up close and personal as my computer. I sounded like the old coot that I am when after spending several hours trying to fix it I shouted at my wife: "There ought to be a law.”

The troubles started at the office when I decided to upgrade my QuickBooks program because I am taking on a new responsibility and want to make sure it is done right, plus I don’t want to have to bring my computer to my accountant because my old QuickBooks program was SO old that a copy on a flash drive wouldn’t work on his new and improved version.

I bought the update online after talking to the sales rep over the phone demanding assurances that it would not be a problem. He assured it would not be, but gave me an 800 number for tech support in case I had a problem that he said I wouldn't have. It didn’t take too long in the process before I knew I was in trouble. The new stuff didn’t work, and the old stuff was gone. But at least I was smart enough to back everything up before I started installation. Three hours later the tech guy finally worked through the glitches after taking control of my computer remotely (creepy) and things work sort of fine. I liked the 2007 version better, but at least I got what I need to do my work and keep my accountant happy.

The bigger problem was on my four year old computer at home. This has been a work horse, but it only has 4 gigs of RAM. I wouldn’t recommend less than 8 for most things now. At any rate, when I would sign onto You Tube I kept getting message that my movie player was out of date and should be upgraded. After looking at that for 4 weeks, I gave it a go yesterday morning because my movie player was old. My Norton virus protector said it was safe. Right!!!! Big mistake.

After the download there was a new tool bar on my screen I didn’t want. Pop ups were happening everywhere. Google Chrome was taken over by some other entity 100% with Bing being the browser provider. It was a mess. It took me several hours to undo what this thing did. Even more frustrating I noticed that when I typed certain words on Word, there was a link attached to those words that translated not only to my computer but to my website. It was my website program that discovered the problem by highlighting the words. NOTHING could get rid of the links to something called SmashButtons, which is a site that sells audio equipment.

I did a full computer scan on Norton and a full computer scan on Windows Defender (which took five hours). They found nothing. Finally, after trying everything else, I moved my mouse very slowly over the words that were affected, and ever so briefly it flashed Sidekick Sales Plug In. Some research told me where to find the plug in on my computer. There it was in plain sight as a complete program. I uninstalled it and the problem went away.

These folks didn’t even try to hide who they were!!  Sidekick is not a some spooky unknown hacker.  This is a business. To me, this is no different than someone breaking into your house. Breaking into my computer and wrecking havoc on it in the name of God knows what violates my property and can destroy my property. These folks should be prosecuted, and no new laws are needed. Ordinary breaking and entering laws as currently exist should suffice. The theories and elements are the same.

Given that this last escapade involved You Tube, Bing, Sidekick, plus numerous other websites that are not stealth sites….prosecutors should look at these folks and take action.

In the meantime, I am going back to my practice of not doing updates. New and improved usually means work and money.

America's Head in the Sand: What Obamacare Will Cost You!

As 2014 approaches, the implementation of Obamacare is drawing nigh. Businesses and unions are the canary in the coal mine relating to costs and pitfalls. Unfortunately, the general population and many small businesses and organizations still have their heads in the sand and will be caught unprepared when the proverbial “you know what” hits the fan. The below article appearing in CNS News this past week is a report on the regulations being developed by the Internal Revenue relating to the costs of Obamacare to businesses and individuals. It is scary. THIS is what Republicans voted against. Everyone should read it, and get their heads out of the sand.

FROM CNS NEWS.COM

by Matt Cover

In a final regulation issued Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumed that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year.

Under Obamacare, Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty to the IRS.

The IRS's assumption that the cheapest plan for a family will cost $20,000 per year is found in examples the IRS gives to help people understand how to calculate the penalty they will need to pay the government if they do not buy a mandated health plan.

The examples point to families of four and families of five, both of which the IRS expects in its assumptions to pay a minimum of $20,000 per year for a bronze plan.

“The annual national average bronze plan premium for a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 children) is $20,000,” the regulation says.

Bronze will be the lowest tier health-insurance plan available under Obamacare--after Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Under the law, the penalty for not buying health insurance is supposed to be capped at either the annual average Bronze premium, 2.5 percent of taxable income, or $2,085.00 per family in 2016.

In the new final rules published Wednesday, IRS set in law the rules for implementing the penalty Americans must pay if they fail to obey Obamacare's mandate to buy insurance.

To help illustrate these rules, the IRS presented examples of different situations families might find themselves in.

In the examples, the IRS assumes that families of five who are uninsured would need to pay an average of $20,000 per year to purchase a Bronze plan in 2016.

Using the conditions laid out in the regulations, the IRS calculates that a family earning $120,000 per year that did not buy insurance would need to pay a "penalty" (a word the IRS still uses despite the Supreme Court ruling that it is in fact a "tax") of $2,400 in 2016.

For those wondering how clear the IRS's clarifications of this new "penalty" rule are, here is one of the actual examples the IRS gives:

“Example 3. Family without minimum essential coverage.

"(i) In 2016, Taxpayers H and J are married and file a joint return. H and J have three children: K, age 21, L, age 15, and M, age 10. No member of the family has minimum essential coverage for any month in 2016. H and J’s household income is $120,000. H and J’s applicable filing threshold is $24,000. The annual national average bronze plan premium for a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 children) is $20,000.

"(ii) For each month in 2016, under paragraphs (b)(2)(ii) and (b)(2)(iii) of this section, the applicable dollar amount is $2,780 (($695 x 3 adults) + (($695/2) x 2 children)). Under paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, the flat dollar amount is $2,085 (the lesser of $2,780 and $2,085 ($695 x 3)). Under paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the excess income amount is $2,400 (($120,000 - $24,000) x 0.025). Therefore, under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the monthly penalty amount is $200 (the greater of $173.75 ($2,085/12) or $200 ($2,400/12)).

"(iii) The sum of the monthly penalty amounts is $2,400 ($200 x 12). The sum of the monthly national average bronze plan premiums is $20,000 ($20,000/12 x 12). Therefore, under paragraph (a) of this section, the shared responsibility payment imposed on H and J for 2016 is $2,400 (the lesser of $2,400 or $20,000).”

Republished without permission from CNS News.  See link above for original story.