The official E9x OT thread!

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Debt per citizen: $182,000.

Man... maybe we could have saved that few trillion it took us to get rid of Saddam. It wasn't worth tens of thousands of dollars to my family.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Debt per citizen: $182,000.

Man... maybe we could have saved that few trillion it took us to get rid of Saddam.

Dayum, what a novel concept.

It wasn't worth tens of thousands of dollars to my family.

It sure was worth it for Halliburton....

Well... I'm happy to know I've helped with Cheney's retirement fund...

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

Well... I'm happy to know I've helped with Cheney's retirement fund...

He and his family thank you for your help....

Today was a good car day. I washed and detailed the outside of my wife's RX-350, and then did a wipe down on my car (which was still very clean from its last detail). Then we went for a drive in the country to see spring in the bluegrass - lots of horses and foals out this time of year. 70 and sunny. Perfect.

Then I went to Lowes and got 2 2x8x8s to make wood ramps (I let them cut them) so I can easily get the car up high enough to get my new floor jack to the center lift points. Came home and put them together, and I tested out the ramps and the new floor jack (didn't use the stands, still need to make pads for them) just by driving onto the ramp, chocking wheels, and seeing if I could lift it from the front center point. Very easy

Now all I need is to make some wood block pads for the jack stands to be used in the side lift points, wait for the circular jack pads to arrive, and order/buy a torque wrench and one of those nifty 17mm 6 point sockets with the plastic/teflon/whatever it is protection around it...

Tasks to use this stuff for, in no particular order: Pull wheels for thorough cleaning/detailing, paint calipers, and be ready for next oil change

[QUOTE=ProfessorCook;6800349]

I'm suspicious of these graphs. It would seem that the Vietnam war didn't give us any debt! I know that I personally contributed at least $5 million due to ammunition expenditures...where's that in the graph!! How is the "ultra inflation" of the 70s portrayed? Oil crisis? The debt scale is so large that the RVN war doesn't even register. I guess LBJ was right...the country COULD have guns and butter!

The nation's debt isn't a blue or red thing...the country appreciated the Bush tax cuts..continued under Obama...the country appreciated the "false wealth" accumulated during the real estate boom, blame Congress and lax banking rules...both parties are to blame...WE voted them into office, and WE voted Obama into office. He made some PROMISES...where are the results?
Since when have politicians not made unreasonable and undeliverable promises?
Politics as usual.

No matter how you graph it, it's clear that Reagan's tax cuts resulted in a huge increase in the national debt... and Bush II cut even more with "temporary" tax relief. IMHO we all need to pay more taxes in addition to spending cuts and the military spending has to be on the table for potential cutting as well. It's not complicated. Cut spending, increase revenue. And simplify the damned tax code. Throw the whole thing out and start over. Cut corporate taxes, yes... but eliminate all the ways they avoid paying the taxes imposed.

(sigh)

'Sorry.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

No matter how you graph it, it's clear that Reagan's tax cuts resulted in a huge increase in the national debt... and Bush II cut even more with "temporary" tax relief. IMHO we all need to pay more taxes in addition to spending cuts and the military spending has to be on the table for potential cutting as well. It's not complicated. Cut spending, increase revenue. And simplify the damned tax code. Throw the whole thing out and start over. Cut corporate taxes, yes... but eliminate all the ways they avoid paying the taxes imposed.

(sigh)

'Sorry.

+1. It is despicable when Exxon-Mobil, GE and company avoid paying taxes.

Edit: Here is but one example of how corporations are able to avoid paying taxes: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/bu...s.html?_r=1&hp

Originally Posted by pointandgo

and WE voted Obama into office. He made some PROMISES...where are the results?

Presidents can make all the promises they like, but we seem to conveniently forget (for every president) that they do not make law, the propose law and congress decides what laws to enact (barring presidential veto or supreme court strike). So any president can say "I want to do this"...then once the president gets into office there are a ton of factors...two general ones 1) Congress taking the "piss off" stance, 2) Higher priorities (e.g., war).

If every president could have it his way, then they would keep their promises - they want to look good...but like all political races...there are campaign promises and then there is reality.
With regards to Obama - like it or dislike it (and i dislike it) he did promise a health care bill and he did deliver.

Originally Posted by anE934fun

+1. It is despicable when Exxon-Mobil, GE and company avoid paying taxes.

Edit: Here is but one example of how corporations are able to avoid paying taxes: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/bu...s.html?_r=1&hp

What's wrong with that? My consulting service is right next door! How do you think I can afford my E90?
Sent from my complimentary iPad

Originally Posted by pointandgo

What's wrong with that? My consulting service is right next door! How do you think I can afford my E90?
Sent from my complimentary iPad

There is a slight matter of tax equity involved. The fact that Apple pays less in taxes as a percent of its pre-tax profits than even Mittens pays is despicable.

If your consulting practice counsels high net-worth individuals on tax minimization strategies, that is not much different than my CPA advising me how to reduce my tax bill.

The tax equity issue is something that needs to be addressed at a legislative level (but won't be). Apple realizes all of the benefits of doing business in the U.S. (patent protection, ability to enforce its patents, and, and, and), yet IMO does not pay its fair share to maintain the system that it is realizing so much benefit from.

I don't blame corporations and individuals for playing by the rules to avoid taxes... I blame the rules. And those that can't afford the legal team to know all the little details in the rules are at a disadvantage.

All the talk about land of opportunity and basic American values of fairness sound hollow when it's all so complicated, only the big dogs can figure it out.

My wife and I both have PhDs from Cornell. We can't do our own taxes. And our financial situation is really quite simple. (No investment property, no businesses, etc...)

The system is broken for everybody but the insiders and everybody knows it. The Tea Party folks have a point. So do the Occupy people. And a goodly number of independents, Democrats, and Republicans.

It's time to s!@# or get off the pot.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

I don't blame corporations and individuals for playing by the rules to avoid taxes... I blame the rules. And those that can't afford the legal team to know all the little details in the rules are at a disadvantage.

All the talk about land of opportunity and basic American values of fairness sound hollow when it's all so complicated, only the big dogs can figure it out.

My wife and I both have PhDs from Cornell. We can't do our own taxes. And our financial situation is really quite simple. (No investment property, no businesses, etc...)

The system is broken for everybody but the insiders and everybody knows it. The Tea Party folks have a point. So do the Occupy people. And a goodly number of independents, Democrats, and Republicans.

It's time to s!@# or get off the pot.

That's it in a nutshell. Which is probably the most appropriate statement I could make.
Prof, I know you're otherwise entertained during the day today, but after you post your trip report I suggest you come back to the subject and let's discuss where we go from here.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

Very cool. But I'm sad about it. It's pretty much the first time in my lifetime that the U.S. is behind other countries in our space capability.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nas...levelan,28024/

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

I don't blame corporations and individuals for playing by the rules to avoid taxes... I blame the rules. And those that can't afford the legal team to know all the little details in the rules are at a disadvantage.

All the talk about land of opportunity and basic American values of fairness sound hollow when it's all so complicated, only the big dogs can figure it out.

My wife and I both have PhDs from Cornell. We can't do our own taxes. And our financial situation is really quite simple. (No investment property, no businesses, etc...)

The system is broken for everybody but the insiders and everybody knows it. The Tea Party folks have a point. So do the Occupy people. And a goodly number of independents, Democrats, and Republicans.

It's time to s!@# or get off the pot.

Can you imagine what unemployment would look like if most of the population could fill out a 1 page piece of paper and send it in? But in all honesty, you of course have a point. The only times I have done my own taxes here was when I held a part-time, hourly job and owned nothing taxable. In fact, I recall coming here in 2002 and picking up a university job for 20 hours a week in October. When I did my taxes for those few months of 2002 using the 1040-EZ provided on the IRS website, I ended up owing $42!! I paid $11 a month for cable at that time, so that was a chunk of money to owe! Anyway, tax reform is important but which way it should go I haven't the foggiest of ideas. The one point that keeps coming back in my mind is that every year when I'm done running through TurboTax and it shows me my actual tax rate I'm quite glad I'm in the US and not in Germany, where I'd be taxed 2 to 3 times as much.

Call me naive, but I believe in the basic goodness of Americans. Ask us to step up, and we will. I think we're all willing (well... almost all of us) to pay our fair share. The thing that gets everybody upset is that we don't think the other guy is paying his fair share and we have no way of figuring out whether or not that's true. I've heard (and am quite willing to believe) that if you call the IRS for help, half the time THEY get the answer wrong.

Stupid.

I've heard that if we went to a flat tax, something like 17% would be revenue neutral. Hey... if everybody pays 20%... 25%... if that helps us dig out from this mess we're in and everybody chips in, count me in.

How could we be at war in two countries for so long and not obviously sacrifice anything? No rations... no higher taxes... Nothing. How? Because the politicians didn't want us to face it straight on. They didn't think we could handle it. Like Bush not wanting us to see fallen soldiers coming back from Iraq. Give me a break.

Rant over. Flame suit on.

Originally Posted by ProfessorCook

Call me naive, but I believe in the basic goodness of Americans. Ask us to step up, and we will. I think we're all willing (well... almost all of us) to pay our fair share. The thing that gets everybody upset is that we don't think the other guy is paying his fair share and we have no way of figuring out whether or not that's true.

My issue with paying the "fair" share is that it is not fair. The fair share assumes a family of four making about $42,000/year. So anyone who is making more then that is paying the "fair" share and then some. Anyone making less then that is paying less then their "fair share". I make more then that - and I am happy to pay more then that...no I don't want to pay taxes, but I realize in society that is how things work....I don't get any better services then the family of four making $42,000/year. Cops don't treat me better, the streets that I drive on are no better, the military does not protect me any more or less...in fact, there are plenty of services I do not qualify for because I make more money. Trust me, I would rather be on the higher end of the pay scale then the lower end - but I take offense when people say "they" are not paying "their fair share"...it's offensive and rude, to be quite honest.

I don't know what Apple pays in corporate taxes, and to be frank I don't believe the media hype. Most of the media now comes out with reality tv show type information - they try and make it sensational. What I do know is that companies like Apple innovate, create jobs, and help stimulate the market place. So let's not revile them that much. Just to note, I only own an old iPod...my mom gave it to me as a gift. I use it maybe 3-4 times a year. I prefer my DROID.

What does all this have to do with ABS? ABS explained:



How's that for changing an upleasant subject.

Originally Posted by pointandgo

What does all this have to do with ABS? ABS explained:

How's that for changing an upleasant subject.

I can top that...

Sales of BMW Motorcycles surge on the news!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1465033.html

Originally Posted by DSXMachina

I can top that...

Sales of BMW Motorcycles surge on the news!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1465033.html

Good grief...TWO years! I note that his wife isn't suing. How do you select a jury for something like this? BMW to rename their bike? What would an appropriate name be?

Originally Posted by pointandgo

What does all this have to do with ABS? ABS explained:



How's that for changing an upleasant subject.

Your picture is broken. Pay more taxes and we can make it work.

Originally Posted by DSXMachina

I can top that...

Sales of BMW Motorcycles surge on the news!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1465033.html

Guy has a perm erection and the solution for him did not involve going into the porn industry?

I got to go out yesterday to a large stadium parking lot and spend upwards of 4 hours thrashing various new BMW models through an autocross course and wet skidpad.

Didn't kill TOO many cones, even in the X5 diesel (at the end, everyone believed me that it was going to be one of the more fun vehicles to drive, after the 135 and the z4). Although one guy, in the last part of the course where they included the "panic turn", when the instructor makes you accelerate to the marking cones and then tells you left or right, decided to just drive at speed over top of all 6 cones marking the barrier.

He got out and said "well, it's an x5, it ought to just be able to go over that obstacle"

All courtesy of a local dealer. Whee!

Originally Posted by furby076

Your picture is broken. Pay more taxes and we can make it work.

You're not from California where Gov. "Moonbeam" is asking us to pay more taxes, allegedly for schools, when in fact it's for unfunded UNION pension plans. Retire at 55 with a "muncipal job" in this state (and other DEMOCRAT dominated states) with your last year's INFLATED salary will get you $100+K annual retirement with CADILLAC health care benefits for LIFE...while taxpayers are on the HOOK for unfunded pensions...about HALF A BILLION $ now. CA is held hostage to CA ultra liberal Dems...see how we've benefited under huge taxes and DEMOCRATIC control. Huge unemployment...corporations are FLEEING this state in droves. More taxes, anti-business regulations. Let's look to So. Carolina. Texas, and other places. Even Apple has seen fit to move jobs to Texas...thousands of them.
Show me a case where ultra-lib Dems have created JOBS. Tax and spend...that's all they know how to do. Appeal to the UNIONS...a LOST cause.

Originally Posted by pointandgo

You're not from California where Gov. "Moonbeam" is asking us to pay more taxes, allegedly for schools, when in fact it's for unfunded UNION pension plans. Retire at 55 with a "muncipal job" in this state (and other DEMOCRAT dominated states) with your last year's INFLATED salary will get you $100+K annual retirement with CADILLAC health care benefits for LIFE...while taxpayers are on the HOOK for unfunded pensions...about HALF A BILLION $ now. CA is held hostage to CA ultra liberal Dems...see how we've benefited under huge taxes and DEMOCRATIC control. Huge unemployment...corporations are FLEEING this state in droves. More taxes, anti-business regulations. Let's look to So. Carolina. Texas, and other places. Even Apple has seen fit to move jobs to Texas...thousands of them.
Show me a case where ultra-lib Dems have created JOBS. Tax and spend...that's all they know how to do. Appeal to the UNIONS...a LOST cause.

It is unfortunate that you have chosen to regurgitate the Faux Noise talking points. As much as you want to trash the state of California being beholding to unions, the state of California is also being undermined by R representatives and senators exercising a tyranny of the minority by blocking any reform of the tax code - a 2/3 majority is required in both houses to send legislation to the governor for signature. Want to simplify the state tax code to make it less confusing to prepare a tax return? If you can't find a 2/3s majority in both houses, the bill dies.

That kind of tyranny doesn't even exist in D.C. where things are pretty disfunctional by any measure.

Originally Posted by pointandgo

Good grief...TWO years! I note that his wife isn't suing. How do you select a jury for something like this? BMW to rename their bike? What would an appropriate name be?

My vote would be a relevant twist on an old saw: Break My Wiener. No change to the marketing materials and when the court can manage to stop laughing, it would likely toss out the case!

Oh, and here's an unfortunate bit of editing from the article:

[W]hat if you had an erection [for] say two years--and it arose not after taking a pill but following a motorcycle ride?

(SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO)

No I will NOT, TYVM!