A Day At The Races

"Legends" are 80 mph, precisely-responding, sophisticated racing machines. Conceived about 10 years ago, they are designed from the ground up like a NASCAR Cup car, with coil-over shocks, weightjackers and tube-frame steel construction covered with fiberglass bodies resembling the original "legendary" NASCAR stock cars of the 30s and 40s. They are powered by four-cylinder, 1250 cc, 125 hp Yamaha air-cooled engines with 5-speed sequential transmissions. And personalized with slick-looking professional paint jobs.

The 2009 Oval Schedule is in full swing at Sandia Motor Speedway, New Mexico's premier racing facility. Bonnie and Mike were provided a Pit Pass by Katy on Saturday 9 May and were witness to "The Miracle of Duct Tape." The 10-lap heat started well for the Legends however in the back stretch it was Cardenas on Cardenas as Car #7 (Matthew) spun out while trying to pass and Car #23 (Tony Jr.) ran up over him.

Then it was truly a race against time as Tony Sr. and crew attempted to put Car #7 back into racing condition in time for the 25-lap main event. Many hands working with many tools (and significant duct tape) helping made it happen and Matthew was out racing again - and spun out again - but finished in good shape. An excellent adventure all around!

Jiking the Jemez

Bonnie planned a wonderful Valentine's surprise for me - a ride into the country to parts unknown (to me). Unfortunately, or rather, as it happened, we had an early Valentine's Dinner at Cervantes where we split a Silver Margarita. We were both wiped out after that, so the trip was postponed until Sunday 15 February.

Wonderful adventure, any of you readers can repeat it: Head toward Bernalillo and take Route 4 West. Then look for 485, and take it about two miles into the Jemez Recreational Area of the Santa Fe National Forest. The last three miles (through the tunnels) are on 367.

What great photos! The originals are of course larger and thus more spectacular. Perhaps we should make this "from our house to yours" for 2009?

Sally

We are conducting the ultimate family business - Bonnie's mother Sally died last week and the services are tomorrow. Sally was quite a woman, a mother, a grandmother, great- and great-great. Sharp mind for 94 years and fortunately no real suffering at the transition. I only got to know her for these last two years however I felt a bond and a welcoming - even though we tried to team up on Bonnie in a spirited game of Boggle we still could not defeat her. Which brings me to the Second Reading.


Beth will deliver the Second Reading at the services, and even for a true atheist, these words have meaning and feeling and move me:

"For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Originally Bonnie came out after her mother had been admitted to the hospital to assist her sister in bedside vigils. Eventually she returned home, then returned with me via automobile. The feeling was surrealistic in that Sally was at home on hospice in a hospital bed in the living room while visitors came and went, talked and enjoyed each other's company, meals were eaten, drinks were consumed.

I certainly would never make light of Bonnie's loss, yet she was fortunate to have her mother so far into her own life. I for example lost my mother at my age of 29, when my mother was 64. Hardly a week goes by when I wish I had the opportunity to talk with her again, to ask her questions. Thus perhaps the popularity of Mitch Albom's third book, "For One More Day."

I will truly miss Sally. Bonnie usually called her each day (Sally told each of her daughters that the other two were calling daily!) and sometimes the phone was turned over to me. We had taken her down to San Clemente, and the photo is one I look at and enjoy from those times. She was indeed an inspirational lady.

Tax Preparation Software

In the "olden days" (i.e., mid 1980s, during Lotus 1-2-3 Era but before Turbo Tax), before the Gentleman Pensioner was a pensioner, each year I would painstakingly create all the Federal Income Tax forms in Lotus. I had them connected, so the data would pass from one form to the next, just as the instructions would indicate. Then the following year, I would have to take each form and update it for the changes the IRS had made for that year. This took several hours of update, however I thought it was worth it. Of course, I could not send in 'my' forms, but I would print them out and use them to enter the 'final version' of my submitted taxes.

Then I found Personal Tax Edge, and said: hey, that $9.99 is worth the amount of time I'm putting into this each year. For several (about five) years, I used Personal Tax Edge. Ultimately, of course, Turbo Tax bought out PTE - and gave me one free year of Turbo Tax for my being a loyal Personal Tax Edge customer. That year convinced me that Turbo Tax was no better than Tax Cut, the only (I thought) competitor on the market.

For Tax Year 2007 (last year), here was the deal, as validated on 17 Jan 2008: TaxCut now had its cheapest version (was called basic, now called Premium Federal) for $19.95 (boo!); the next step up, (also called Premium Federal plus State filing plus e-filing) for $39.95. I don't know where TurboTax cost is at this time, however I have confirmed that even if one downloads TaxCut Premium Federal only from the TaxCut.com web site, the biscuits still charge you $19.95! On 17 Jan 2008 I was able to purchase at CompUSA for "going out of business" discount of $4 which made it $17.01 after tax (yes, gross receipts tax, no pun here). For Tax Year 2006, I couldn’t find Tax Cut for less than $18.95 !!! (and that was at BX). Most of them were at the list $19.95 even for the Basic package. For Tax Year 2007, I looked into downloading the Tax Cut from their web site – still costs the same, and as mentioned several times in here, I never have used the CD after the initial installation – and once you do that installation, it says, “let’s go check the web site for latest changes” so you have no choice but to use Internet version download anyway – so start with it.

Then a month ago, on Dec 15 of 2008, Tax Cut sent me a CD which is nothing but a forced download of the Premium Federal for $34.95 (prepare plus e-file; state is more, that should kick it up to $39.95). I don't want that crap. I want the "basic" [prepare only] so I was thinking where can I get a price break? may need to go back to BX or Comp USA... but they all seem to be in lockstep on price ...


Because of the cost of both Tax Cut (and Turbo Tax), I looked around and was amazed to find TaxACT (which apparently has been around for 10 years!). TaxACT (created by Second Story Software) has a better price: FREE (Standard version) software and FREE e-file! The ~13MB install program is downloaded from their web site. (you can also file on-line, however for me download is the only way to go.) The [free] Standard version is limited in that you can only create one tax return and cannot import data from previous years.

I am currently trying TaxACT and evaluating it as I go - my initial reaction is: so far it looks quite good. I can already see ways that it is better than Tax Cut, e.g., in the Forms view which is my primary entry method. Tax Cut just shows you the list of forms, e.g., 1099-Div and says you have, say, six copies. TaxACT lists the six copies and shows the Payer for each. Also I found I can copy from Tax Cut (once I open the form) and paste the identifying info into TaxACT. ( Deluxe version allows you to bring in all info from LAST YEAR's TaxACT but since this is my first year ... ) Deluxe costs $13 and also gives you access to Lassiter tax law explanations as well as allows you to save forms as PDF documents so you don't have to keep the software version around for five years or whatever.

Here is an excellent comparison/review of the top ten tax preparation (online) software packages - I had no idea that there were more than two candidates until this year! Some of these offer purely on-line versions, and I prefer the desktop version for feelings of privacy and control. The comparison ranks Turbo Tax #1, TaxACT #2, and Tax Cut #3. I would appreciate your comments (if you wish email to me Mike@Blackledge.com and I will post your comments below) - have you heard of TaxACT? Used it?

Elf in a Bag

GL and The SF had decided to run away for Christmas - yet to whence dost we goest? Argentina had been in the running, however it turned out that Christmas can be quite hot and humid in that part of the world. The conundrum was solved when Barbara and Ron invited us to Springfield for the Holidays. Our situation became even better when it turned out that Ron was a college bowl football fan (see "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode at Amy and Robert's house with no television at Thanksgiving dinner.)

Traditions past, present, and a touch surreal began with the building of the Gingerbread House. We began with a three-generation sojourn through the Springfield Wildlife Preserve, locating a very cooperative Great Blue Heron and several interested white-tail deer. On Christmas Eve, the Blessing of the creche ("Holy Water is not magic, just sacred") at St. John's Episcopal became a family affair with both kids chosen to participate. Then when Father Williams released the elf from the garbage bag, it was a mind-altering encounter for many of us. Apparently elves have no particular gender. We learned more than we had ever realized about the relationship betwixt angels, elves, Santa Claus and God's helpers.

Christmas morning had us out on the lookout for Children's Advil and we arrived on the home front just in time for the opening of the presents. So what do you give a geologist? Answer is here.

The Day After we were on the road again, heading up to Saddlebred Country to visit with Jan and Don, including a trip to our new favorite steak house, The Longhorn. The next day Bonnie visited the H.S. Truman Library as well as the Truman Home after dropping Mike at the Mid West Genealogy Center - it don't get any better than this.

Summary: There was much to do in Missouri, even without visiting Branson. Every day was an adventure - the weather was cold (one morning we woke up to 4, yes, 4 degrees) however the roads were clear and sunny. Let's run away every Christmas!

Let There Be Lamp

Prior to Thanksgiving, some extensive furniture acquisitions and moving and the transfer of electron transmissions from Comcast to the Qwest-DIRECTV partnership within the ol' homestead produced a flurry of comments by the extended family of the GP. Yes, they all loved the Media Room - however what was that we still see in the Conversation Pit? What was the bad-looking lamp with the too-long lampshade doing in there? Brother Pete had discovered a fowl underpinning to the entire event (see photo at left). Even Brother Jerry from Perkasie was appalled - what are we going to do about that #*%@ lamp?

Fear not, brave family - unbeknownst to you, the Magnifique Marmot (Ms Bonnie) had been out shopping for months and yesterday she hit the jackpot at Tuesday Morning, one of her favorite stores. The lamps she has been tracking for months were on sale - take a look at this in situ photo - these are $225 MSRP lamps, and Bonnie got them for a song - following a little negotiations - would you believe less that $40 each? Wow! Is this woman a shopper or what?

We are both very happy with them as they preserve and enhance the masculinity of the GP's conversation pit. The lamp-lighting occurred just in time for this month's Last Thursday Book Club meeting - I can't wait to see what the guys say!

In truth, this lamp switch out was in the works for some time. Meanwhile we thank all of you for your comments and continuing interest.

For our Christmas-Holiday image, we offer a semi-traditional Southwestern crèche - from the Elena collection.

Happy Holidays to all.

Senate Bill 3683

Senate Bill 3683

I am deeply concerned that Congress completely abdicated its responsibility by signing a truly blank check over to the Treasury Secretary. This past week, Treasury Secretary Paulson deepened that concern by announcing that he has completed a remarkable about -face (summarized elsewhere, e.g. by the November 13th Investor's Business Daily front page headline as linked here: In Major Reversal, Treasury Won't Buy Bad Mortgage Debt). Treasury should have formulated a comprehensive plan earlier in the crisis.

However, the lame duck session of Congress offers us a tremendous opportunity to change course. We should take it. On Monday, November 17, 2008, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced legislation to amend Section 115 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) to require an affirmative vote on the part of Congress to approve Treasury's plan for the remaining $350 billion and require a freeze on any remaining funds of the first $350 billion, stating, "It is imperative that we not allow that amount of money to be added to a deficit approaching $1 trillion this year without any input from the legislative branch."

Sen. Inhofe provides the text of his rationale at Inhofe.senate.gov - his legislation, Senate Bill 3683, may be our best opportunity to change course. When 70 Senators voted for the EESA I realize they did so in good conscience but with some reservations - Congress should have oversight over the Secretary's actions. Please now encourage your senators to vote to place some congressional control over knowing and approving how any additional monies would be spent under the EESA bailout.