my days at the office

Will They Blame YouTube on the Sixth Version?

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:58:42 GMT

Lol: "Employers eye bare-bones health plans under new law." Well, duh: if the budget for health insurance is $x, and a good plan will cost $x + $y, the solution is to offer bare bones plans. This will further increase the costs of ObamaCare, making a bad system worse. [Note: Link likely won't work unless you subscribe to the WSJ] The National Review has some excerpts from the Journal story.

The Department of Justice not only spied on AP, but a FoxNews reporter, too. Possibly two other FoxNews reporters also had their emails read.

As Randy reported, the smear on the Fast & Furious whistleblower will only make things worse for the DOJ and the Obama Administration. Meanwhile, a State Department employee says he was the scapegoat for Benghazi. I expect he'll get to testify in Congress.

Richard Milhous Obama.

The White House is on its fifth version of the IRS scandal. Perhaps on the sixth version they'll blame a YouTube Video.

Blah: The Wings outplayed the Hawks...

Please...

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:07:31 GMT

Some things are just beyond belief. We found out this weekend that the White House Chief Counsel found out about the scandal in April; President Obama insists he didn't find out until it was released in the press (May 10). Please: Either we have the most inept White House Chief Counsel in history or a lie.

The Washington Post has reported that there's surprise over the scandal amongst IRS employees in Cincinnati: “Everything comes from the top. We don’t have any authority to make those decisions without someone signing off on them. There has to be a directive.” And that matches how I've seen the IRS behave. There's no chance this scandal was caused by two or four low-level employees in Cincinnati; it was caused by either rogue middle managers (note the plural) or orders from others. I suspect the latter given my dealings with the IRS.

How to tell there's a cover-up.

How to shoot yourself in the foot: Maryland passes gun control law, alienating large manufacturer of guns (Beretta). Beretta will move production out of Maryland.

I hope you don't wonder why Tea Party groups campaign against tax increases. Your tax dollars at work: Prison Poetry.

Some music for a Monday morning:

IRS Scandal Gets Worse / Why 97% Is Wrong

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:24:28 GMT

Why the IRS scandal won't go away: Congressman Paul Ryan asked IRS Acting Commissioner Stephen Miller if the IRS targeted any groups that have "progressive" in their title. The answer was no.

Next, the Democrats' answer to the scandal is "Citizens United is bad, give the IRS more money." Hmmm, Citizens United might be bad (or it might not--that's not the issue here), but giving the IRS more money would not have impacted this at all. Indeed, if there were more bureaucrats they might have gone after more groups!

Peggy Noonan got it right. (See Randy's post.)

Lanny Davis: Did the White House General Counsel know about the IRS scandal?

IRS reportedly denied tax-exempt status to pro-life groups on behalf of Planned Parenthood.

IRS: Tax-exempt applications increased to 501(c)(4) organizations. Oops: IRS scrutiny of organizations began in 2010, and applications for 501(c)(4) organizations decreased in the year ending September 30, 2010.

Oh, this will make you want Obamacare: The IRS official in charge of tax exempt organizations when the IRS targeted Tea Party groups is now running the IRS office responsible for Obamacare. And she got over $100,000 in bonuses!

A small business owner explains the facts of Obamacare to employees.

Bob Woodward: Don't forget Benghazi. The emails the White House released don't cover September 12th or 13th, and even the ones on the 14th show ineptitude at best, and peshaps something worse.

Anthony Watts demolishes the 97% of scientists favor anthropogenic global warming. (Even if it were the case, it's irrelevant.)

Scandalrama

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:50:46 GMT

Scandalrama: We have the IRS Scandal, Benghazi, and now in what must be a really, really dumb decision, the DOJ decided to grab two months' of phone records from the AP and their reporters. Now, I'm sure that will make a favorable impression on the reporters covering the IRS Scandal and Benghazi....

Nate Silver on the IRS scandal having legs. Well, when you've lost Massachusetts Democrats....

Obama gets four Pinocchios on saying that Benghazi was an act of terror.

While the IRS has relented on seizing emails without a warrant, the DOJ hasn't.

So will there be an independent counsel for the IRS scandal? I doubt it. The problem is that I don't think President Obama thinks anything was done that was fundamentally wrong...other than getting caught. That, I suspect, is the issue. I find it impossible to believe that this is the result of spontaneous actions of low-level IRS employees. There's no way that's the case when this is occurring in multiple offices.

That then IRS Chief Counsel and now Acting Commissioner Steven Miller was briefed on this in May 2012 and didn't tell Congress says volumes. There were orders to do this. How high those orders go will be the interesting thing to find out, but I have no doubt that low-level IRS employees were told to focus on these groups. It is theoretically possible that a manager in Washington is responsible...but it's far more likely to be someone in the White House.

Congratulations to the Toronto Maple Leafs at continuing their tradition of excellence...in choking. Yes, they're the Cubs of the NHL.

Michael Smith on Climate Change: Zealotry rather than science at work. Oh yes, carbon dioxide levels didn't reach 400ppm last week (not that that really matters).

Stupidity on a Breathtaking Scale (Or Worse)

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:08:07 GMT

There's always this feeling among skeptics and cynics that others are out to get us. Sometimes its true. In the cut below is my post from my tax blog on the IRS scandal regarding investigating only conservative groups.

Yesterday I wrote about the scandal with tax exempt organizations at the IRS. Basically, “low-level employees” according to Lois Lerner of the IRS independently decided to target tax exempt groups with “Tea Party,” “Conservative,” or “Patriot” in their names. Of course that contradicted former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman who testified to Congress that there was no such targeting.

However, the AP is now saying that the targeting began in 2011:

Senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups as early as 2011, according to a draft of an inspector general’s report obtained by The Associated Press that seemingly contradicts public statements by the IRS commissioner.

The AP report states that TIGTA (the Treasury Department’s Inspector General for Tax Administration) will be releasing a report this coming week on the issue (the report has been a year in the making). I expect that TIGTA report to get a lot more reading than the tax nerds who usually read TIGTA reports. But I digress….

While it’s unclear if former Commissioner Shulman knew of the targeting, it appears that the IRS Chief Counsel’s office knew. From the AP story:

Among the other revelations, on Aug. 4, 2011, staffers in the IRS’ Rulings and Agreements office “held a meeting with chief counsel so that everyone would have the latest information on the issue.”

When the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal agree editorially you know you have a problem. Today, the Post editorialized that they were aghast over the revelations.

The IRS insisted emphatically that partisanship had nothing to do with it. However, it seems that groups with “progressive” in their titles did not receive the same scrutiny.

If it was not partisanship, was it incompetence? Stupidity, on a breathtaking scale? At this point, the IRS has lost any standing to determine and report on what exactly happened. Certainly Congress will investigate, as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) promised.

The Journal editorial is similarly scathing toward the IRS:

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean the IRS isn’t out to get you. We only wish that were a joke…

Republicans were up in arms Friday about the IRS disclosure, and rightly so. We assume they will use their oversight power in the House to find out what happened, and whether these Cincinnati kids were really operating on their own.

Other than the power to prosecute, the taxing authority is the most awesome power the government has. It can ruin people and companies. When wielded for political purposes, it is a violation of the basic contract the American people have with their government. The abuse admitted by Ms. Lerner can’t be dismissed in a casual apology on a casual Friday as no big deal. It’s a very big and bad deal.

I recommend reading both editorials in their entirety.

There are lots of questions that need answering:

- Why were politically conservative groups targeted?
- Who at the IRS condoned these actions?
- Was this truly a spontaneous action by “low-level” employees at the Cincinnati Service Center or was this coordinated by Ms. Lerner or others?
- Was outside pressure (e.g. from the White House) put on the IRS to look at these groups?

I’m sure you may be able to think of others. I also suspect that the timing of the apology by Ms. Lerner has a lot to do with the upcoming TIGTA report.

I try to avoid talking politics in this blog. I happen to be a political conservative, but I would be furious if the IRS targeted groups with the word “Progressive” in their title. This is a huge deal, and with the IRS set to be the enforcement arm of Obamacare, expect Republicans to rightly wonder about it. If President Obama was expecting a budget increase for the IRS, this scandal almost certainly eliminated any chance of that happening.

I have not added some of the latest revelations. A Jewish organization (Z Street) sued the IRS alleging that because the organization was connected to Israel they would receive extra scrutiny. This is ugly, and likely going to get worse.

FIRE: Government has mandated speech codes on all campuses. This won't end well (for the Department of Education).

Obama orders top aides to praise Obamacare during commencement speeches. The public still hates the law.

There's a lot that came out regarding the UB scandal this weekend. On one tape, Russ Hamilton states that Annie Duke had access to God-mode (being able to see the hole cards) on a "15-minute delay" on some occasions. Annie Duke stated on Twitter that she only used it while doing commentary. @Mitzula on Twitter has the great line, "I hear Annie Duke is pissed that Gus Hansen already wrote Every Hand Revealed she wanted it for her autobiography."

Links: The Cynics Are Right; BBC; ACLU & CEI Find a Database in Immigration; UB Rears Its Head in UP

Sat, 11 May 2013 03:35:15 GMT

The IRS scandal with tea party organizations gets worse.

When the BBC thinks that Benghazi is a problem....

If the immigration bill passes, a biometric database of all Americans will be created. This is something that is uniting the ACLU and the Competitive Enterprise Institute (a conservative think tank).

California: Schools may lose one of the best programs around, International Baccalaureate.

An interesting look at what Utah did to make its state capital building earthquake resistant. The Wasatch Fault runs extremely close to the building.

Uh oh: Travis Makar released tapes tonight that allegedly show that Russ Hamilton and the head of Iovation are talking about ways to get out of paying cheated players in the UB scandal. That's not particularly surprising. The problem is that the head of Iovation then is still the head of the company today, and Iovation is being used as a location/identity verification product for Ultimate Poker. Now, UP isn't contracting directly with Iovation (UP is contracting with another company that is using Iovation). Here, it's guilt by association.

Gun Violence in the US

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:12:46 GMT

So what has happened with gun violence in the United States over the last 20 years? Let's do a poll and see if the results match reality (per the US Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics). For the last twenty years, what has happened with firearm homicide rates nationally?

View Poll: Firearm Homicide Poll

I'll post the actual results tomorrow.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon--one of the ancient wonders of the world--may have been found...but not in Babylon.

Transparency (not), Ayotte Wows, Cover-up (again)

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:30:28 GMT

The most transparent Administration in history is being sued--again--over allegations of an EPA official using private email. Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson lost her job because of this.

Small business owners sue the IRS over Obamacare. The issue has to do with tax credits being offered. IRS: "The relevant legislative history does not demonstrate the Congress intended to limit the premium tax credit to State Exchanges." Plaintiffs: Not true.

“ObamaCare is already an incredibly massive program. For the IRS to expand it even more, without congressional authorization and in a manner aimed at undercutting state choice, is flagrantly illegal," said Sam Kazman, general counsel of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which is coordinating the lawsuit.

For clutch_c: Ayotte told she 'looks presidential,' town hall crowd erupts in cheers. Yeah, the gun control vote is hurting her standing in New Hampshire. The protesters apparently are being bused in from out-of-state....

Mish: California facing $1 Trillion in pension debt. (Article by Ed Ring of Union Watch.)

The Benghazi hearings will be this week. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton allegedly sought an end-run around the counterterrorism bureau on the night of the attack. As usual, it's the cover-up that gets you.

"Those Who Cannot Remember the Past Are Condemned to Repeat It"

Fri, 03 May 2013 02:33:44 GMT

George Santayana is the author of that famous quote. Republicans learned about its application when they dealt with an unpopular war. I suspect Democrats will be noting the same thing in a couple of years.

Harry Reid: Obamacare needs more money for implementation. Of course, Obamacare was promised to us (the voters) as self-funding. Indeed, the taxes kicked in before most of the bill so that funding wasn't an issue. Oops.

It may be more of an issue. Josh Kraushaar argues that Obamacare will end up trashing the Democratic party.

Obama’s health care law was designed to expand access to the uninsured. It’s a noble goal, if not necessarily a smart political priority. (It’s more popular to advocate for improved health care, not expanded access.) But to win support for the law, Obama claimed it would lower costs, improve the quality of care and not force anyone off their current health care plan. That’s not shaping up to be the case. Premiums are rising, employer uncertainty is growing and voters aren’t viewing the law favorably – with many not even aware of the frontloaded benefits already in place. And even on the access side, the law of unintended consequences is kicking in: Some large retail companies are cutting back employee hours so they won’t have to offer health insurance. That’s not good for the economy or health care access.
The conventional wisdom today is that the incessant conservative drumbeat against ObamaCare, is confined to the base and that the more “mainstream” position would be to accept and improve the legislation. (Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat makes a persuasive case on the policy side of that argument this week.) But politically speaking, it sounds awfully similar to the advice moderate Democrats advocated as public support for the Iraq war dipped – change strategy in Iraq, but don’t advocate for withdrawal. What became the winning political position, and what propelled Barack Obama into the presidency over Hillary Clinton, was an unequivocal opposition to the war.
Likewise, the advocates for repeal may now hold the upper hand politically, especially if there’s blowback as the health care law gets implemented. Every problem with health care, fairly or unfairly, will be blamed on Democrats. Like Republicans with Iraq, Democrats own the issue, and the headwinds coming with it in future elections.

Read the whole piece--it's worth the few minutes.

Interestingly, this could become a humungous albatross for Democrats in 2016. Assume Obamacare's implementation is as much of a train wreck as those on the right think it will be. (There's no chance for additional funding--Republicans won't go along with that.) Add in the 20 taxes from Obamacare, and you have a possible catastrophe for whoever is the Democratic nominee in 2016. Sure, I'm speculating...but it's reasonable speculation.

New Hampshire's largest newspaper is attacking those attacking Senator Kelly Ayotte. In an editorial, they note:

No, what is disgusting is deliberately mischaracterizing someone's position for the purpose of portraying that person as a willing accomplice to murder. That has been the left's strategy since Newtown. It is a testament to the Senate that a majority of its members, including Ayotte, did not cave to such bullying.

Yes, I know it wasn't a majority that voted against the bill (the bill failed on a 54 yes, 46 no vote). Math is hard....

What to do with opinions you don't like? San Jose State University's meteorology department decided that 451 F was the appropriate response. The Heartland Institute sent SJSU a book titled "The Mad, Mad, Made World of Climatism." As noted in the caption of this picture, they decided to burn the book. Free thinking personified!

Given the record cold snap--snow in Des Moines today; Saskatchewan has its coldest spring in 50 years; etc.--perhaps this headline is true: "Al Gore Caught Warming Globe to Increase Box Office Profits." Well, not really; it's from the Onion.

If this guy was local, I'd be offering to represent him pro bono. Jacksonville, Florida man has $895 of his tax refund offset. (Offsets are used when an individual owes money to a government agency. Instead of the individual receiving his tax refund, the refund is offset so that the government gets paid back.) That in itself isn't unusual. What makes this, well, ridiculous is that he doesn't owe a penny to the government. The money relates to an $895 overpayment made regarding his father to his mother (who passed away five years ago). And that payment was made in 1971!

A Potpourri of Problems

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:49:20 GMT

An interesting piece on labor force participation: The jobless rate is misleadingly low.

"Dem resolution wanrs climate change could push women to 'transactional sex.'" That's another word for brothels, or prostitution. It's just amazing what climate change can do....Meanwhile, it's snowing in Des Moines, Iowa...in May. Russ's prediction: In 20 years people will be looking at climate change having occurred in this decade--a cooling of the earth.

You likely didn't hear about the music store owner in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

A music store owner shot and killed a man who walked into the store and tried to attack him and his wife on Saturday afternoon in Bethel Park.

Police and medics said they were dispatched to Armen’s House of Music on Library Road at 12:17 p.m. for a reported stabbing/shooting.

Silvia Armen said her husband, Alfred Armen, came to her rescue when an intruder attacked her with a wooden night stick in the music store she and her husband own.

The Koch brothers (aka evil personified in the view of the left) are apparently bidding for the Los Angeles Times. The horror! Of course, the Times has been bleeding money and readers with its current left-wing views; perhaps a change might do the paper some good. Meanwhile, I find it hilarious that three left-wing LA city council members (including a mayoral candidate) have threatened the investment firm that owns the Times if they sell to buyers who do not support "professional and objective journalism." (If the LA City Council were to do this because of the views of individuals, can you say "first amendment lawsuit?")

Benghazi still simmers in the background, and there are reports that the Obama Administration has issued threats against the alleged Benghazi whistleblowers. (It's always the cover-up that gets you.)

The Obamacare train wreck progresses onward. This op-ed gives the gory details. I wouldn't want to be a supporter of the legislation running for office next year.

California Legislature Wants to Drive More Business Out-of-State / Guns Work / Twinkies!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:54:39 GMT

The California legislature: trying to drive even more business out-of-state by giving a "Homeless Bill of Rights." This is a local issue, that local lawmakers should control. From the Sacramento Bee:

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, framed Assembly Bill 5 as an attempt to create a statewide baseline of homeless civil rights, citing a proliferation of municipal ordinances cracking down on behavior like lying or sleeping on the sidewalk as examples of the “criminalization of poor people.”

“Today numerous laws infringe on poor peoples’ ability to exist in public space, to acquire housing, employment and basic services and to equal protection under the laws,” Ammiano said at a Tuesday morning hearing.

Ammiano’s legislation faced a backlash from critics who said the bill would sanction behavior like urinating in public while exposing businesses to new litigation, undercutting the will of voters who had passed local ordinances and handcuffing city-level efforts to deal with homelessness. The California Chamber of Commerce included AB 5 on its annual list of “job killers” because it imposes “costly and unreasonable mandates on employers.”

Businesses don't want to move, but if you make the costs too high they will. This lesson hasn't been learned by Democrats in Sacramento...yet.

This made the local Salt Lake City news but not national: "Gun Carrying Man Ends Stabbing Spree at Salt Lake Grocery Store." Guns that stop violence don't fit the msm's narrative.

Twinkies: Coming back sans the union label. (Link is to WSJ, so likely won't work for most.) Only four of the 11 plants will reopen so that the junk food, er, snack cakes can be made efficiently.

A Bad Day on the Judicial Front for the Obama Administration

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:08:52 GMT

A couple of court hearings yesterday, one of which made the news though even that wasn't anywhere near a page 1 story.

Story 1: "Obama resists Republican bid to see gun smuggling documents." As noted in the article, the Justice Department said that the Obama Administration should be free to ignore a subpoena from Congress.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson was skeptical and told Gershengorn, "There are three branches here, not just two." She did not say how she would rule, but questioned [Justice Department attorney] Gershengorn for more than twice as long as she did House of Representatives lawyer Kerry Kircher.

This relates to Fast and Furious, a scandal that won't die.

Story 2: The Obama Administration decided to stop immigration deportation despite the law (which has no provision to do so). Not so fast:

A court challenge by federal immigration agents seeking to block President Barack Obama’s deferred-deportation initiative will probably succeed, a judge said...“The court finds that DHS does not have discretion to refuse to initiate removal proceedings” when the requirements for deportation under a federal statute are met, O’Connor said today in a 38-page decision, referring to the Department of Homeland Security.

The court didn't put into place a preliminary injunction but it appears that once one area that needs to be briefed is briefed, that the Obama Administration will lose.

In an unrelated story, Congress may be looking to exempt itself from Obamacare. My view: If Congress doesn't want Obamacare to apply to them, repeal the law.

Why were the bombs planted in Boston? You have to go to the end of the link to see:

Seven months later, authorities say he told FBI agents that he and his brother planted bombs along the route of the revered sporting event and killed a police officer. The reason he gave, according to authorities, was that Muslims are at war with the US.

Meanwhile, from Paris comes word that a man slashed a Rabbi's throat while screaming "Allahu Akbar." The police are trying to find a motive. It reminds me of the sign, "Behead all who portray Islam as violent."

Ethel Merman, Where Are You?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:27:35 GMT

I'll get to Ms. Merman in a bit.

First, durable goods orders fell like a turkey that you know will fold. Why? As I've been pointing out from nearly day one of the Obama presidency, this administration is completely clueless regarding the economy. Expect the double or triple-dip recession to restart later this year (especially as the public learns about the hikes in taxes they now must pay and will pay in future years).

Meanwhile, remember Solyndra? Well, Fisker Automotive--that wonderful looking hybrid that was trumpeted by the Obama Administration--looks like a complete lemon. While the Obama administration was asking for more money, the Department of Energy knew that the company was failing. This sounds exactly like Solyndra.

Shhh: Public says legal immigration should be reduced. That's not a surprise: Much of the public is out-of-work and see immigrants as a threat to their jobs.

So why did I bring up Ms. Merman?

This administration reminds me of one that is like a bad Broadway musical. The complete cluelessness of this administration on economics, and the (until now) complete unwillingness of the Press to challenge them, is a joke.

Where There's Smoke, I Hope There's Not Fire

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:32:35 GMT

Numbersmuncher has an excellent tweet: "If say Target setup a site to thank Boston responders & saved emails for sals push later, they would be crucified. DNC [Democratic National Committee] does it and silence."

President Obama likes to say that gun control has 90% support. Well, the support for the legislation that failed in the Senate is now less than 50%.

When President Obama ran for office, he promised that "...no family making less than $250,000 will see any form of tax increase -- not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." His newest budget has lots of tax increases on people making well less than $250,000. Obamacare--which President Obama signed--has 20 different tax increases (some of which impact everyone).

Yesterday, my shredder died. First, as I was emptying it a wheel broke. Then the sensor (noting when the bin was full) stopped working. Then I smelled smoke coming from it. I immediately unplugged it, and given the situation decided that the shredder was done. Last night I carried the nonworking and quite dangerous shredder to the curb (today was trash day). I had checked with the trash company and they take shredders. I put the shredder next to my garbage can.

This morning when I got back from the gym someone had taken the shredder. Now, hopefully there won't be any issues wherever that shredder now is but let's assume that someone finds a plug that will work the shredder (I did not include the plug with the shredder), plugs it in, and not only does smoke come out but flames. I don't consider myself to be at fault but it's an interesting issue. (The cord for the shredder uses a non-standard plug though presumably one can order another.)

Yay, BARGE is coming. So is the WSOP. JP will be happy to hear that I will definitely be playing the Chinese Poker. I'll probably skip the lowball (as usual) and the other forms of the "triathalon" (I'm just not that interested in tournament VP or Blackjack). I don't know about anything else this early.

Thoughts on the Tsarnaevs and Islam, Pictures of a Gun, and Stupid eBay Merchant

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:01:31 GMT

With the Tsarnaevs's capture and demise, it's interesting to note that it appears they were Islamists. I'm just shocked to find that (yeah, right). Sure, most people who are Muslim live normal lives, have normal beliefs, and have no hatred of America or Americans. Yet it appears that for whatever reason Islamists want to kill innocent people. While Islam has popped up in some stories about the Tsarnaevs, you won't see it in this story on Yahoo. This CBS story states that Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) has no idea what motivated the Tsarnaevs. I would change that to, "We don't want to admit that Islam was a motivating force." There is this Boston Globe story that notes Islam.

Let's be honest: There are people out there that want to destroy us in the name of religion (Islam). Let's admit that and move on.

Amusingly, the Tsarnaev's didn't have gun permits. This reminds me of a South Carolina law that states that anyone who wants to commit an act of terrorism in South Carolina has to get a $100 permit first. (I don't remember the exact details, but I definitely remember when this passed the South Carolina legislature and was signed into law.) The chance of any criminal actually paying for a permit right before committing a wanton act of violence is about the same as it snowing today in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, out of West Virginia comes word that an 8th grade student was suspended and criminally charged because of guns. Did he bring a gun to class (something that just might warrant a suspension)? No. Did he threaten fellow students with a gun (something that might warrant an arrest)? No. His horrible offense: He wore an NRA t-shirt that has a picture of a gun. I am not making this up.

The end result of this will be a lawsuit (almost guaranteed) and the school apologizing (sooner or later). I suspect that school administrators may want to read the first amendment to the Constitution.

What not to do if you are an online seller (or its attorney). Cliffs: Online seller wants to maintain perfect satisfaction record on eBay. Any customers who give negative reviews get sued.

I am not making this up.

Oh, Those Unintended Consequences

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:13:23 GMT

Obamacare is looking more and more like a lemon. (Well, it's always looked like one to me.) Now Democrats are beginning to figure out it makes sense to read the legislation to learn about it before voting for it. Anyway, Democrat Max Baucus says he fears Obamacare is headed for a "huge train wreck." The nation's largest movie chain is cutting hours for its employees so they don't have to deal with Obamacare. And the first union has said they want Obamacare repealed.

I'm sort of "so what" on the Senate turning down gun legislation. It wasn't going to get anywhere in the House, so let's just move on. Democrats (including President Obama) make this a signature issue at their own risk. The public -- well over 90% of the public -- want lower unemployment (with people staying in the workforce; that is, unemployment reduction by jobs not workforce decline). President Obama hasn't delivered on that one.

I suspect 2014 will be a very good year for Republicans in Congressional races.

President Obama released his budget this past week (only 2 1/2 months late). Not that this budget is ever going to be passed--it likely could be unanimously rejected again by Congress--it's just interesting to see some of the tax proposals. Yep, lots of tax increases (including an estate tax increase).

I'm finally caught up on sleep.

Another Season Down (but not the drain)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:02:07 GMT

#14 regular season is done.

I have more paper to shred then I have ever had at the end of a tax season.

There was an indictment of a sports betting/money laundering/RICO group that has alleged links to Russian organized crime. Included in the indictments were poker players William Edler, Peter Feldman, and Justin "BoostedJ" Smith. The three poker players are allegedly involved with bookmaking. I didn't care to read an 84 page indictment today, but this isn't good news.

I'm shocked, just shocked! to find out that the Ducks (the Oregon Ducks) football team committed major NCAA violations.

I will play a HORSE tournament on Friday. That should be enjoyable.

I'm getting old. Today I was speaking to someone about the Mary Tyler Moore show and Chuckles the Clown:

The individual I was speaking with had only vaguely heard of this. That show won an Emmy, btw.

For Hockey Fans

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 03:19:51 GMT

A somewhat hilarious video:

Welcome to Wisconsin // WSOP Thoughts

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:59:40 GMT

I assume this is fake (well, the "Welcome to Wisconsin" is likely real), but it is great:

It's once again time to consider what events I'm going to play at the WSOP this summer. This is, of course, dependent on work and also my general disdain for 5pm events:

Events I'm certain to play:
$1500 HORSE Friday 6/7 12n
$1000 Seniors NLHE Friday 6/14 10am
$1500 PLO8 Monday 6/17 12n

Possibles:
$1500 Stud-8 Friday 6/21 5pm
$10,000 Main Event Sunday 7/7 12n

Venetian Deep Stack Series:
Probables:
$400 HORSE Sunday 5/26 11am
$400 PLO8 Monday 5/27 4pm

Possibles:
$600 HORSE Wednesday 6/12 11am
$600 Stud-8 Tuesday 6/18 11am
$600 HORSE Thursday 6/20 11am
$600 Triple Stud Monday 6/24 11am

Golden Nugget
Possibles:
$230 Stud-8/O8 Saturday 6/1 12n
$230 HORSE Tuesday 6/4 12n
$230 HORSE Saturday 6/8 12n
$230 PLO8 Sunday 6/16 12n
$230 HORSE Tuesday 6/25 12n
$125 PLO8 Thursday 6/27

Binion's schedule is not up yet.

I expect main event attendance to fall another 5% or so this year because of the lack of online poker in the US and the bad economy. Indeed, I think a 5% falloff in most events is likely.

This and That

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:05:44 GMT

As seen on a tweet: "Rudy Giuliani took on the Mob, Wall Street crooks & Islamic terrorists. Mike Bloomberg took on Mountain Dew...and failed.

Today through Thursday is a horribly busy time for me: Corporate returns are due. And I've got lots of procrastinators this year.

I'm shocked, shocked, that insurers are raising California health insurance rates because costs keep going up. And Obamacare is behind it, of course. No wonder the public continues to want it repealed.

The weather forecast for the end of this week has temperatures of 85 and 87. Sigh....

Does It Matter if California Loses People?

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:50:22 GMT

Spencer asks if it matters if people leave California, and takes up the "Myth of the Rich who Flee From Taxes." Let's examine this, using statistics.

Late in 2011, I noted that statistics showed that California lost tax returns and AGI. Here's the table I presented:

Net Increase/	Net Increase/
	(Decrease) of	(Decrease) of
	CA Returns	CA AGI
		[$ in 000s]

1993	(138,251)	$ (7,398,356)
1994	(111,940)	$ (6,320,105)
1995	(73,660)	$ (4,295,887)
1996	(28,611)	$ (1,611,444)
1997	(8,583)	$ (524,257)
1998	(9,676)	$ (735,147)
1999	(6,273)	$ (458,276)
2000	7,591	$ 467,012
2001	(29,959)	$ (2,805,962)
2002	(27,379)	$ (2,671,237)
2003	(42,672)	$ (3,247,756)
2004	(71,963)	$ (5,093,362)
2005	(79,589)	$ (5,659,718)
2006	(68,454)	$ (4,774,491)
2007	(34,379)	$ (2,524,154)
2008	3,667	$ (828,842)

Total	(720,131)	$ (48,481,982)

So over a 16-year period beginning in 1993, California lost, on average, a little more than $3 billion in federal Adjusted Gross Income annually. Let's consider what that means to California's coffers. California is a high-tax state; the top tax bracket* begins at around $47,000 (it is indexed for inflation, so this number does change annually). (*I am ignoring the $1 million AGI Mental Health Services Tax and the new tax increase that went into effect in 2012.) We can see that California lost a little over 45,000 tax returns a year. The average AGI on those returns was $66,655. We don't know if these are married, single, head of household, etc. Let's assume rather that there's an average 6% paid to California. That's only $180 million a year.

Well, that doesn't make much of a difference, does it, right? Wrong. Over the 16 years that's $2.8 billion of additional income. This year, California might actually have a surplus. It's pretty certain they would have if those individuals had stayed.

I do agree with the study that Spencer cited that for the very rich, an additional tax increase likely won't make many of those move. But for the middle class (which includes small business owners and the upper middle class), tax increases matter. Regulations matter. And these are driving the creators of businesses out of California.

My brother says that Silicon Valley is different; that because of the concentration of high tech, venture capital, universities, etc., that it will always be different. Hogwash! If California continues down this path, sooner or later VC funds will ask, "Are we better off backing Acme start-up in Palo Alto or Beta start-up in Salt Lake City or Phoenix or Austin or wherever?" Taxes and regulations do matter. The golden goose can get killed.

Businesses don't like to move; it's disruptive and costly. Consider the ongoing debate on increased gun control in some states. Gun manufacturers in Maryland and Colorado (both states are debating stricter gun control) are considering moving to friendlier environments. Regulations matter. So do profits.

So let's go back to the question I asked at the beginning: Does it matter if California loses people? It does, but it's not a huge impact. Senator Everett Dirksen supposedly said, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money." For California, it's death by a million paper cuts. The fact that John Smith or Jane Doe moved to another state by itself is irrelevant. The fact that 45,000 families that are part of the middle class are doing so annually does.

The Woodlake International Airport and Other Stories

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:58:11 GMT

When I worked in Visalia, we often went to lunch at the Woodlake International Airport. You haven't flown into Woodlake? OK, I'm joking (sort of). The runway is only 3,000 feet in length (it's a general aviation facility). The airport features the Runway Cafe, a place that farmers from around the area go to...because the food is great.

So why Woodlake International Airport? The cafe, in a bit of fun, has a customs facility...an outhouse. Here's a video of a plane landing at Woodlake for breakfast at the cafe.

If you're ever in the area, it's a great place to eat good food. Warning: Huge portions. The Runway Cafe is at 861 S Valencia Blvd at Avenue 337 in Woodlake. It's about 15 minutes northeast of downtown Visalia. Note that the cafe is closed on Monday and Tuesday and is open only for breakfast and lunch.

(For those who don't know where Visalia is, it's the county seat of Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley, It's on Highway 99, between Bakersfield and Fresno.)

For those who hadn't heard, the Keystone Pipeline passed environmental review. The Sierra Club is outraged. Hint: The Canadian tar sands will be developed; the only question is which direction the output will flow.

De Paul University in Chicago punishes a student for exposing vandals of a pro-life display.

Conn Carroll of the Examiner has had a series on why California is falling apart. His last part notes the train to nowhere. The whole series is well worth reading.

Graeme Zielinski, a Democratic Party spokesman in Wisconsin, compared Governor Scott Walker to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. It's nice to see Democrats espousing the civility that the President wants to see. (Mr. Zielinski later issued a public apology.)

Maxine Waters Is Bad at Math; Girls Gone Wild Enters a New Chapter (11); Hurricane Formation

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:10:31 GMT

Shock: Girls Gone Wild starts a new chapter of the business...Chapter 11. Money is owed to the Wynn and the IRS...

Democrats ask for tax hikes. Maybe it would help if they paid the taxes they owe...like the head of the North Carolina Democratic Party who owes $286,000...

Maxine Waters: Sequester will cost 170 million Americans their jobs. That's 20 million more people than are employed in the United States. As I said before, the sequester is a cut in the rate of increase of spending, not a cut in spending.

An interesting article on why some tropical storms spin into hurricanes, and others don't.

A Few Links for a Tuesday Morning

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:39:31 GMT

Give money to the President's campaign, get special access to the President. A scandal back during the early 2000s. Of course, today it gets a mention in the New York Times and gets ignored by everyone else.

Did you know that, according to the White House, sequestration will eliminate the National Drug Intelligence Center? That's an amazing feat: The NDIC closed on June 15, 2012.

Beretta (a gun manufacturer) may leave Maryland over Maryland's anti-gun proposals. The last time Maryland enacted anti-gun legislation, Beretta located a new factory in pro-gun Virginia.

A possible super supercapacitor. It would be able to be used as a battery...a very long lasting battery that doesn't need much time to gather charge.

NHL Realignment Blues // Caffeine Is Good For You

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 05:25:33 GMT

Via Second City Hockey comes word of the apparently proposed NHL realignment:

Conference I: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
Conference II: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto
Conference III: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg
Conference IV: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver

Call me not thrilled with this.

Good news for all: Caffeine leads to long life. Who knew there was a Journal of Caffeine Research?