Today is truly a hump day
I'm supposed to be in three different places at various parts of the early and mid-day and thanks to something coming up, I may get to none of them. Or one of them. Or maybe two of them.
What does it take to let me know that I'm running low enough on a medication that I need to order a refill; BEFORE dispensing the last pill? Once again I'm going to have to trek to the VA and get refills "live", which means sitting there for an hour waiting for the overworked pharmacy to fill a prescription. Or in this case, four prescriptions. How hard is it to look in the bottle and notice that what was once 90 pills is now 12 to 15?
There was a news item yesterday that in the year 2011, the U.S. was victimized by $3.5 billion in unemployment fraud, involving people who received benefits while working, while in prison, or after their death. It tried to use the 99% argument in pointing out that people who earned more than $1 million collected XX amount of unemployment dollars. And it tried to make it all better in the last graph, by pointing out that the loss in fraudulent claims is more than offset by the number of people who are eligible for benefits who don't take advantage of them.
Unemployment is not a benefit that is subjected to means testing, except that in fixing the benefit amount, the wage amount is involved in the calculation. Just because you have so much money in the bank, or earned so much money during a period doesn't mean you shouldn't get benefits. Not without changing the law. So reporters and commentators that dwell on this seem to me to be identifying with the OWS agenda.
That people choose not to take unemployment when eligible is no one else's business, except in the unlikely event they don't know how to apply or that they qualify. I've told several of my friends and tax clients over the years that they qualified and should apply for benefits but they said they were focused on finding work and would make it on their own. If they treasure their independence and are not uninformed, that's their call.
Someone I've been trying to reach finally texted me back. At 4:28 this morning. Since I use my phone as my alarm clock, I can't put it on vibrate and it has to be close enough to the bed so I can hear it, and turn it off. Naturally the text awoke me. Naturally it didn't explain why it had to be done so early, or what the urgency was. So I was awakened for no good reason. Fortunately it only took five or ten minutes to fall back to sleep. I made up for the lost sleep by hitting "snooze" twice.
Tomorrow night we are going to see Iron Man 3 at a 9:00 p.m. show. I'm so focused on wanting to get good seats (this theater sells tickets on a general admission basis, rather than the reserved seating situation I am used to) that I may get in line at 6:00 or 6:30. Last time I went to a blockbuster at this theater, I got the last good seat. I'm going with two good friends, so I want us to get three good seats, together. If that means being in line for awhile, so be it.
I can't believe that there are so many people interested in knowing which 1,974 movies disappeared from Netflix today that I can't get onto the site that lists them all. It has overwhelmed by traffic since I first learned about this mess. I do know that "Dr. No" is among the films disappearing. They need to be expanding their offerings, not reducing them.
Heather Locklear has a new boyfriend and he isn't a singer, or a rock star. He's a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. Wonder if they met at work?
You're at a carnival. You see an XBox you want that you can win by playing a ball toss game. So you give it a shot. You quickly burn through every cent of the $300 in your pocket. What would you do at that point? Considering you can buy the top of the line XBox console and several games for under $500, you give it up and go buy it. Not this guy. A New Hampshire man went home after doing this, got his $2,300 life savings and returned to the carnival. Where he promptly lost every single dollar and still didn't win the game. He could have bought five or six XBox consoles with what he lost, AFTER losing the first $300. Now he wants to sue, saying the game was rigged. If I ran the carnival, I'd give him the XBox. The note that reads "thanks a lot, sucker", I'd keep to myself.
This Date in History:
On this date in 1328, the Wars for Scottish Independence end.
On this date in 1751, the first cricket match is played in America.
On this date in 1759, the Wedgewood pottery company is founded.
On this date in 1785, the Kingdom of Hawaii is established.
On this date in 1869, the Folies Bergere open in Paris.
On this date in 1884, Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black to play in a professional baseball game.
On this date in 1893, the Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago.
On this date in 1898, the U.S. Navy destroys the Spanish Pacific Fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay.
On this date in 1930, Pluto is officially named Pluto.
On this date in 1940, the 1940 Summer Olympic Games are officially cancelled, due to the war. First scheduled to be held in Tokyo, and then re-scheduled for Helsinki.
On this date in 1945, Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda follow in the footsteps of Hitler, committing suicide.
On this date in 1950, Guam becomes a U.S. commonwealth.
On this date in 1960, the U-2 piloted over the USSR by Gary Francis Powers is shot down.
On this date in 1991, Ricky Henderson breaks the all-time record for stolen bases. But his achievement is overshadowed later that night when Nolan Ryan hurls his 7th no-hitter.
Famous Folk Born on this Date:
King Kamehameha I
Calamity Jane
Marcel Prevost
Kate Smith
Louis Nye
Glenn Ford
Jack Paar
Joseph Heller
Art Fleming (I'll take famous game show hosts for $100, Art)
Scott Carpenter
Judy Collins
Stephen Macht
John Woo
Dann Florek
Ray Parker Jr.
Marilyn Milian
Tim McGraw
Wes Anderson
Austin Croshere
Wes Welker
Movie Quote of the Day is from "Risky Business":
Miles: I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp.
Tax Tip of the Day:
The IRS is not perfect or omnipotent. If you get a notice saying you owe additional tax, don't just sign it and write the check. Talk with a tax professional. I got a notice like that once, saying I owed over $2,000 in tax and another $500+ in interest and penalties. I owed nothing. Never assume they are right and you are wrong. Make sure!
What does it take to let me know that I'm running low enough on a medication that I need to order a refill; BEFORE dispensing the last pill? Once again I'm going to have to trek to the VA and get refills "live", which means sitting there for an hour waiting for the overworked pharmacy to fill a prescription. Or in this case, four prescriptions. How hard is it to look in the bottle and notice that what was once 90 pills is now 12 to 15?
There was a news item yesterday that in the year 2011, the U.S. was victimized by $3.5 billion in unemployment fraud, involving people who received benefits while working, while in prison, or after their death. It tried to use the 99% argument in pointing out that people who earned more than $1 million collected XX amount of unemployment dollars. And it tried to make it all better in the last graph, by pointing out that the loss in fraudulent claims is more than offset by the number of people who are eligible for benefits who don't take advantage of them.
Unemployment is not a benefit that is subjected to means testing, except that in fixing the benefit amount, the wage amount is involved in the calculation. Just because you have so much money in the bank, or earned so much money during a period doesn't mean you shouldn't get benefits. Not without changing the law. So reporters and commentators that dwell on this seem to me to be identifying with the OWS agenda.
That people choose not to take unemployment when eligible is no one else's business, except in the unlikely event they don't know how to apply or that they qualify. I've told several of my friends and tax clients over the years that they qualified and should apply for benefits but they said they were focused on finding work and would make it on their own. If they treasure their independence and are not uninformed, that's their call.
Someone I've been trying to reach finally texted me back. At 4:28 this morning. Since I use my phone as my alarm clock, I can't put it on vibrate and it has to be close enough to the bed so I can hear it, and turn it off. Naturally the text awoke me. Naturally it didn't explain why it had to be done so early, or what the urgency was. So I was awakened for no good reason. Fortunately it only took five or ten minutes to fall back to sleep. I made up for the lost sleep by hitting "snooze" twice.
Tomorrow night we are going to see Iron Man 3 at a 9:00 p.m. show. I'm so focused on wanting to get good seats (this theater sells tickets on a general admission basis, rather than the reserved seating situation I am used to) that I may get in line at 6:00 or 6:30. Last time I went to a blockbuster at this theater, I got the last good seat. I'm going with two good friends, so I want us to get three good seats, together. If that means being in line for awhile, so be it.
I can't believe that there are so many people interested in knowing which 1,974 movies disappeared from Netflix today that I can't get onto the site that lists them all. It has overwhelmed by traffic since I first learned about this mess. I do know that "Dr. No" is among the films disappearing. They need to be expanding their offerings, not reducing them.
Heather Locklear has a new boyfriend and he isn't a singer, or a rock star. He's a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. Wonder if they met at work?
You're at a carnival. You see an XBox you want that you can win by playing a ball toss game. So you give it a shot. You quickly burn through every cent of the $300 in your pocket. What would you do at that point? Considering you can buy the top of the line XBox console and several games for under $500, you give it up and go buy it. Not this guy. A New Hampshire man went home after doing this, got his $2,300 life savings and returned to the carnival. Where he promptly lost every single dollar and still didn't win the game. He could have bought five or six XBox consoles with what he lost, AFTER losing the first $300. Now he wants to sue, saying the game was rigged. If I ran the carnival, I'd give him the XBox. The note that reads "thanks a lot, sucker", I'd keep to myself.
This Date in History:
On this date in 1328, the Wars for Scottish Independence end.
On this date in 1751, the first cricket match is played in America.
On this date in 1759, the Wedgewood pottery company is founded.
On this date in 1785, the Kingdom of Hawaii is established.
On this date in 1869, the Folies Bergere open in Paris.
On this date in 1884, Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black to play in a professional baseball game.
On this date in 1893, the Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago.
On this date in 1898, the U.S. Navy destroys the Spanish Pacific Fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay.
On this date in 1930, Pluto is officially named Pluto.
On this date in 1940, the 1940 Summer Olympic Games are officially cancelled, due to the war. First scheduled to be held in Tokyo, and then re-scheduled for Helsinki.
On this date in 1945, Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda follow in the footsteps of Hitler, committing suicide.
On this date in 1950, Guam becomes a U.S. commonwealth.
On this date in 1960, the U-2 piloted over the USSR by Gary Francis Powers is shot down.
On this date in 1991, Ricky Henderson breaks the all-time record for stolen bases. But his achievement is overshadowed later that night when Nolan Ryan hurls his 7th no-hitter.
Famous Folk Born on this Date:
King Kamehameha I
Calamity Jane
Marcel Prevost
Kate Smith
Louis Nye
Glenn Ford
Jack Paar
Joseph Heller
Art Fleming (I'll take famous game show hosts for $100, Art)
Scott Carpenter
Judy Collins
Stephen Macht
John Woo
Dann Florek
Ray Parker Jr.
Marilyn Milian
Tim McGraw
Wes Anderson
Austin Croshere
Wes Welker
Movie Quote of the Day is from "Risky Business":
Miles: I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp.
Tax Tip of the Day:
The IRS is not perfect or omnipotent. If you get a notice saying you owe additional tax, don't just sign it and write the check. Talk with a tax professional. I got a notice like that once, saying I owed over $2,000 in tax and another $500+ in interest and penalties. I owed nothing. Never assume they are right and you are wrong. Make sure!
posted by me at 8:06 AM
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