Well, I guess I'm a 1%er here. I started using Win 8 when it first arrived and although it is not my primary OS, I do have to manage a number of systems that run it. Personally, I still HATE, HATE, HATE that metro user interface and the fact that it's not just an option, you have to run it. Win 8 is a certified pain in the .... to manage too. I'm happy to hear Win 10 is doing away with this Metro mistake....

You are mistaken. Even if the IRS COULD track every transaction, they wouldn't know enough.

Given our current set of tax regulations it would be generally impossible for the IRS to figure out your tax liability by watching all your transactions. In many cases there are multiple options for the tax treatment of a transactions which may result in different tax liabilities. There are even non-financial transactions (ones that don't involve money changing hands) that can drive differing tax bills. And you cannot just say you will take the minimum liability every time because some times you WANT to pay more now for the opportunity to pay less later (Like a ROTH IRA). There is no way for the IRS to figure these choices out for you.

This regulation difficulty plus the *fact* that it is totally impossible to track every transaction made by US citizens/tax payer world wide, makes it impossible for the IRS to just calculate your tax burden directly.

Other countries have different ways to levy taxes than the USA. Where they may have the ability to track transactions and their regulations allow them to automatically collect taxes, such an option will not work here without a lot of very disruptive tax law changes. IMHO the tax code here is WAY too complex and needs to be simplified, but until that's done, there will be no "automatic" way to calculate and collect taxes and products like TurboTax will be viable. However, woe is the politician that attempts to overhaul the tax system, their opponents will howl about how unfair their simplification is or how it ignores this pet tax break or two and nothing will get done.

Yes.... a million times YES

The "Be Prepared" motto isn't just for Boy Scouts, and it is not just about having what you need at hand, it's also about KNOWING what to do and being mentally prepared to do it quickly when required.

They simply do not have enough information to do what you suggest. Unless they could track *every* transaction every taxpayer made, even when in cash, there is no way to be sure they could catch everything correctly.

Also, *some* people make money but don't get a paycheck so there is nothing to deduct money from.

If you want to go to College to "find yourself" feel free, but I think there might be cheaper ways than making student load payments for 20 years. It's the DEBT that is the problem here, not the experience or education that college provides and IMHO strapping yourself with massive debt though student loans is a REALLY stupid move that will haunt you for decades. Education is a great thing, but sensible people don't pay more for something than they have too, even if that something is education.

I've never tried that exact configuration with mine (Model Wife SN 0001). But I had some short term success when I was forced to install in in-law's basement when moving with Child (Model Girl, SN 0001). Both remained functional for the 3 months it took to secure a more private basement of my own, even if I didn't far that well.

I think in this case PICK ONE is more the truth.

You said I could pick two.... I think that in reality, you only get one choice.

He said "cheap" you know.. Your idea is neither cheap nor is it easy to properly configure/train.

Of course there *might* be some fringe benefits to your idea if you can find the right model...

Very good point. Switching line voltage loads is the kind of thing that kills, catches fire and otherwise takes a "cheap" project and makes it into an expensive life changing event...

So.. Where do you find the OWNER'S MANUAL for kids? I've searched and beyond the "What to Expect..." series of books written by someone who OBVIOUSLY hadn't seen my two kids, there isn't much out there that seems authoritative on the subject.

I thought about throwing it over the back fence into his yard, but I figured the point would have been lost on him.

The document was pretty well written and very specific about "above ground pools". I did notice that some of the restrictions where legally unenforceable, namely the restrictions on antennas which violated the OTARD rules of the FCC, but apart from that... Problem was/is that these rules where not actually recorded on my property so I had no idea they existed.

If I had the time I would be happy to serve on the board and "fix" this mess, or at least reign in the property management company a bit. My guess is, at least for my HOA, the property management company we pay to do the legal work of collecting fees sometimes gets a bee in their bonnet and starts issuing warning letters about stuff to prove they are doing something to justify their costs. There has been three new "property managers" in as many years there, so each new one has to show they are doing a better job than the last I guess. I used to be able to recognize the manager's car as she drove around looking at stuff, but not any more...

Not on your life will costs go down if it is subsidized by the government. Costs will go up, way up, for both tuition because the target customers will be able to pay more.

Want proof of that? Consider what happened when student loans got subsidized by the government... Schools sprang up out of nowhere and build huge facilities to draw in students so they could collect tuition from them. The Students where just spending borrowed money so they didn't care that much about the cost and demand when up, prices went up and the schools started to rake in the dough.

Problem was that at the time, student loans would not survive bankruptcy so many students just went to school, got out and once they hit their first financial snag would just file for bankruptcy and be done with it. After 10 years the bankruptcy would fall off your credit report. They did away with this loophole because the lenders (and the fed who was backing the loans) was loosing too much money. Now student loans stay with you until you die, no matter what. And now we have people paying their loans off for their whole lives.

Then you went to the wrong school and took the wrong courses and borrowed too much money.

My first is in college right now, and we are paying just about $600/semester (Plus books) for full time at the local community college. She can go there two years then head to the 4 year state school where the costs is something like $5k/semester plus books. She's going to graduate college with a STEM degree for something like $25K if we get no scholarships. However, I'm guessing her 4.0 thus far might get us a few thousand off that. After that, if she wants to move on to graduate school, she's going to have to look for a job and get her employer to pay for some of that.

My youngest is looking at the same schools for about the same price, though he's 4 years away from starting that.

Your mileage may vary, but if you graduate from college facing a 20 year struggle to pay off the debt, you did something wrong and would have been better off going into one of the skilled trades or something. It never ceases to amaze me when people get 70K into debt going to a 4 year school getting a secondary education degree or something, where the starting annual pay is half their debt load. It's a really stupid move... Not the education, but going into debt like that.

Be honest, the idea blew you way.....

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That's no lady! That's MY WIFE!...

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That's right folks, I'm here all week! No cover charge with a drink purchase and PLEASE tip the waitress!