Phi for All

The new security thread in US currency prevents most counterfeiting, and allows the government to track how much cash enters and leaves the country (banks also benefit by being able to count really fast now). Unlike taking "under God" out of the pledge, no children are being taught a religious littany in a public school, so I have no problem with it being printed on our money. I think the Federal Reserve system is a much more grievous problem than what our currency looks like. Don't forget, the power of the dollar is mostly electronic these days. I'll look it up, but I remember reading that there is less than $300 billion in Federal Reserve Notes (cash) floating around out there.

I wouldn't change your billing if it doesn't get you paid within 30 days. With your present system, are you getting checks once a month (from invoices 60 days old)? As long as you get your money regularly, you don't need to change. Sandi's idea of the credit card system is good, but she needs to pay vendors and employees so she needs the quick turnaround. I don't think losing the 5% is worth it for you. Remember, no one is matching your Social Security taxes anymore, you're paying it all. Every little bit helps. I don't know, but that would be a great queston for an accountant. Chances are, with just a few clients and expenses, you don't need to do it unless there is some reason you might be held liable personally for something business related that happens to you. I think the reason people set up LLCs is so they can't be sued personally for a business screw-up. Sandi may know more about LLCs.

Gah, I forgot about this. Sandi is right, you MUST make sure you're saving out your tax money. You should be making quarterly estimate payments (although I think the way it still works is that you have to have 90% of what you will owe in by your January payment, the last quarterly). And you should be taking everything into your business account (even if it's just in your name) and then write a check to yourself for payroll and other reimbursements (like ISP charges if you do job research on the web). Sandi, I'll bet you have a ton of info on how to deal with the government, with all your connections.

Are there any other areas within these programs where you can offer services that tie in to what you do now? Are there any other programs, businesses or agencies your current clients work with that could use your services? You create synergy by expanding your business from within your current clientele, asking for referral and tie-in business. These are non-reimbursed expenses. Keep careful track of them, they are all deductible at tax time. When you meet with employers, it doesn't have to be a formal thing, it could be as simple as speaking to the grocery store manager every time you shop for food, or the restaurant manager when you dine out. Just get into the habit of asking every business owner you personally deal with if they have any job openings for disabled people. Almost every bit of your daily travel can be written off as business-related. Unfortunately, you can't be reimbursed by the IRS for your time, so try to streamline your report process as much as possible. If you haven't bought an auto expense log, get one right away. Figure out what your starting mileage was January 1 and go from there. The IRS wants to know how many miles were for business as opposed to personal driving. Remember that driving to a friend's house can be deductible if that friend owns a business that might hire one of your consumers. Home offices are tricky. I believe you can get away with deducting 5% of your home expenses, but beyond that you have to have a separate entrance to your office that doesn't cross personal parts of your house. A definite red flag area with the Men in Black. A good accountant is worth every penny you pay him. He should be up on all the hundreds of changes the IRS makes every year to justify their pathetic existence. When you look for an accountant, don't be afraid to ask how much he/she paid in taxes last year. If they paid nothing, you've got someone who is real aggressive. If they paid a lot, they may be too meek. I would lean towards aggressive, but watch out. I know an accountant who told a construction worker to write off his dog's food and expenses since the dog stayed in the back of his truck and guarded his tools, and was therefore "an alarm system". The crazy has that man. Find out if there is any way to change your billing. If it saves them time if you bill once a month and you get paid every 30 days, everyone's better off. Again, I think the latest law says you have to have access to your office that doesn't go through the personal part of your home. If you do, I would work out an agreement with the maid that she charges double or triple to do your office, then cleans the personal part of your house for free.

How big is your client base? Do you use a database to keep track? What kinds of communication do you use with them? Do you ever meet face-to-face, take meals with them, or is it strictly over the phone? How often can your service be repeated with the same client? For invoicing, you have to remember that most people don't mind paying for your services, but they'll stay on top of payment about as well as you stay on top of invoicing. You need a system where you render your service and then go through a ritual that gets easier with practice. Try doing the service, then send out a one-question survey (On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you be to recommend me to someone else?) along with an invoice. When the invoice is paid, you enter it into accounting (QuickBooks or something), then schedule a follow up call or email (short emails get answered, long ones don't). Remember that expenses can be just about anything that helps you get your job done, and providing a service can include a lot of things. You can write off a lot of groceries if you serve snacks while meeting with clients (meals are computed differently). Let me know if any of this is applicable, Coral.

That's because no one else has it, no one, you squealy meat-child!

The egg, because the thing that laid the egg that became the first actual chicken was not quite a chicken yet. So philosophy has to be the egg, since without it, science was not quite science yet. But that's another thread. Welcome!

Think about it. Completely diffferent sperm with their individual characteristics are involved for every hour of difference in conception. A different egg with it's hereditary information is used every month. This isn't evolutionary change we're talking about, it's hereditary characteristics, what makes a person a person. If Bettina's parents had had another daughter one year after Bettina, the two sisters may not even resemble one another.

100' extension cord = no sweat, messin' with mom's microwave = dicey at best. Don't forget varying thicknesses of tinfoil. In front of the RC controller, not in the microwave.

I think you guys have a great idea. Try also putting a microwave oven between the car and the signal. Soemtimes I get interference on my cordless voice-over IP phone line when the microwave is on. Also, I'm going to move this thread to the Homework Help section and leave a redirect. I think you'll get more response there as opposed to GD.

Exactly. Prepare yourself where you think it is necessary and feasible. Don't worry about the things you can't prevent or prepare for. There are steps you can take to minimize the danger in this instance. Take karate. Or stay at home. Or hire a bodyguard. Or anything else you feel may help. But if you can't do any of these things, you can't control someone someone who pulls an unexpected weapon on you, so why worry about it? You're more likely to die from the stress of needless worry. What steps are you going to take to minimize the danger of dying from a global event that destroys us all?

I noticed the serial number on the condom I used last night was 777,777,777,777. Serial number?! Condoms don't have serial numbers! I guess you don't unroll them as far as I do!

You have it backwards, actually. Hypotheses are often skewed by a desire to have them proven, but true scientific experimentation shows whether a hypothesis is true or false.

Congrats, man, we missed you. Have a cup of coffee and a breath mint and start reading.

I still don't get this one. I assumed they used a Mardi Gras party because it was on a Mensa calendar and it is timely. At first I thought it odd that she would be a bargain hunter but also need to "fight", but that led me nowhere. I still get hung up on the fact that she is buying by the 100s, but would end up with 5 less if she paid 4 cents more. There are no clues with tricky names for Mardi Gras favors that I could find. Even with the answer of 96 I can't see what they are getting at. Mensa bastards!

Mine is a composite picture of the Helix Nebula, using images from the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

I decided to bump this old thread rather than create a new one. Please read through it, it's not long. Then read this NY Times article. I think this typifies the Bush administration and indeed all politicians who cater to huge business interests. Spin doctors are working with the media to spoon-feed us exactly what they want us to know.

No. If you were to change even the time your parents conceived you by one month, a different egg would be fertilized, and the you that exists today would be different.

You only have to go back to your parents. The event that caused them to meet gets cancelled, they never meet, you aren't born. If you go back any further, your father may not get born but your mother does, but she doesn't have a child with your father, she has a child with another man, but it isn't you. You can go back as far as you want in your geneology, wiping out whole branches of your family tree with accidents and happenstance, but the only thing that keeps YOU from being born is if something stops your mom and dad from getting together.

Do you have a purpose in mind? Are you making something that will explode upon impact?

"I disagree" added, "I don't know" removed (no votes removed). If you would like to vote I don't know, PM a staff member, or move on to something you do know about.

I do believe we're narrowing this down a bit. I know I have a better grasp of things, so thanks. There are many different species of anteaters, but only one Aardvark. Ah, but as we all know, (x) 50 + government does not equal 50x. Add in extra training due to multi-lingual needs and all the myriad expenses it takes to go from serving the needs of 3 million to the needs of 147 million, all of whom are new to the system and needing investment info, and you have a nightmare. On the employers end, it gets worse. Mid-size companies on down will need extra staff to handle the paperwork. Large companies will need extra training for existing admin people. The costs will continue to multiply. I've seen what his judgement has done to his own companies, this country and the world.

You had implied that my suggestion was a reversion to the feudal system where the poor were taken care of for life. This is a system for retirement. Not so subtle a distinction. Some expenses? Fifty times the current number of counselors, for one. Another of your subtle distinctions? A systemic problem with the Bush administration, seemingly. If they would consider practicalities a little more often, they could spend less time, resources and even human lives on cleaning up their messes. This seems to be oxymoronic. I would simply like to see a government sponsered plan that insured a bit of pride and independence for people who are too old to work full time anymore. I would like to see a plan that can be trusted because it is sponsored by the government, not some privateers who are looking to make a profit from people's earnings. I don't know how it can be accomplished, but I do know Bush is again ignoring top advisors, I know that any privatized portion of Social Security monies will be exploited, and I know this whole scheme stinks of corruption and cronyism.

I agree completely. Exactly the way we have to live with the SCOTUS decision on the pledge. See where I was coming from? Of course we're all entitled to our opinions. I would go one step further and say that it is our duty as free citizens to challenge laws we feel are unjust. Challenge, not flout or break.