But if you're making $100 Big per year in salary or other considerations, you should bloody well be taxed at 90%.
Why?
What do they owe that much money for? What incentive is there to work to succeed if the govt is to take it all from you?
This type of thing led to a lot of tax exiles from the UK back in the day, hence the Stones Exile on Main Street sessions in France when they had to leave London or basically give up everything they'd earned.
I have a fun question: Why do media reporters complain about CEO pay, when many of the really big media journalists themselves pull in $20+ million a year in salary?
Why don't they bitch about the high salaries professional athletes bring down? Famous rock stars? Movie stars?
My thing is, why do we complain at all about who makes how much?
I mean, it isn't really a zero sum game. A CEO or basketball star making millions of dollars a year, doesn't take money out of someone doing another job that make significantly less.
The salary of the vice president at McD's isn't taking money meant for the burger flippers pocket....
You know, if ICE is wanting to track or apprehend illegal aliens in the US, they could save the money on such a widespread and expensive system...and just send agents to watch in front of the various Home Depots and Lowe's stores, and grab all the illegals there every morning lookng for cash day jobs.
They are easy to spot for goodness sake, no need for tracking license plates.
Free international texting. In some areas of the globe it's use is near universal, from grandmas to the little kids. In the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, a WhatsApp account is literally on over 75% of smart phones.
Interesting, I'd never heard of the app till this story broke about the large $$$ sale.
So, is this more of a non-US popular app, or is it popular in parts of the US too?
If you haven't checked how do you know you aren't wasting water or electricity needlessly? Simple things like changing to a 1.25 gallon per minute shower head could greatly reduce your waste, yet some folks have an 8 gallon per minute and simply don't realize it. Most folks don't notice a difference in shower quality by doing this, it costs 10 bucks for a shower head (and 3-5 for plumber's tape if you don't have any) and less than 5 minutes of time. Seriously, you can order this crap from Amazon and it'll show up at your house, you don't even have to drive for it. Yet, do you know what your usage is? What do you have installed? If you do, you're in the minority. Most people do not and this is an attempt to fix easy issues like that.
Honestly, until reading this article, my usage never crossed my mind before for water or power.
I barely look at the bill, I open it, see the amount owed, and click to pay it from my bank. Simple forgotten the second the button is pushed till next month.
I don't open and read my bills, I just pay them, unless it seems WAY too high. I have levelized billing for power, so it is about the same each month. Water comes every couple of months or so I think like gas, and I just open, click and trash the bill.
I've never known anyone that really "studied" their utility bills like some here profound to do.
To me, these are things that I have to have to do my life...I need utilities, I pay without much study. Even for gas, I really don't know exactly how much per gallon it is, I just stop,slide the card fill till it stops, click no for receipt...and am on my way.
Unfortunately, "average folks" can't tell the difference, so your point is moot.
Then, those people are not your customers.
You don't usually make good money pandering to the dregs of the land.
You make money by selling to people with money. People with money are willing to spend it too. The more you charge, often the more they think you are worth and will seek you out to give you money.
I believe the topic was whether or not there was a viable profession in photography.
I'd say the answer is yes.
I was watching year before last a Wedding Photog Bootcamp by Sal Cincotta, based out of St. Louis.
This guy is first and foremost and business man.
He said that year they billed out about $1M.
You have to be very savvy about business and work towards the higher end of things, but if so, you can indeed make money.
You're NOT going to make it if you're just a shoot and burn person like you see for $200 on craigslist.
There are 3 things that will always happen on planet earth, no matter what the economy:
1. Babies will be born.
2. Seniors will graduate HS
3. People will get married.
And...there will always be folks out there with plenty of money and willing to pay GOOD money for pictures for all 3x of those events. But you gotta hustle, you need to be business savvy, and you have to be very willing to know that many people, the cheap ones...are not your customers and you do not cater to them.
There are pro photographers out there that gross well into the middle to upper 6 figure ranges out there.
Just drop the "professional" photog bullshit already. No one needs to pay to have their picture taken. Do you know why? Because it's not 1964 anymore, and every fucking person walks around with some kind of camera on them.
Well, anyone can push a button to take a picture.
I find very few people know how to set up lighting, posing, get the white balance right, have the proper aperture and/or shutter speed (if they have cameras that can control all these features) to take a properly exposed image for a pro look.
Once that is done, how many avg. folks know how to or would even bother to learn the software out there needed to post process the images to get what would generally be considered a professional image?
Sure, everyone on earth has cameras with them leaps ahead of what used to be available only to pros, however....they still don't know how to use them to get the images that are of quality that is on the level that people make a living taking and selling.
You speed to such a degree that when people go the posted speed limit you all totally go bonkers road rage.
LOL, yeah, we do like to drive fast down here, that's for sure.
I don't so much get road rage, but I do get quite annoyed if you don't get the fuck out of the left passing lane when it is obvious that I want to go faster than you and pass you.
If you wanna go slow, stick to the right hand side of the hwy.
The only time I get a bit raged, is when I see someone in the left and they are obviously trying to hold traffic back, like they are in charge of keeping everyone else at the speed limit.
My avg speed on a HWY trip is about 85mph or closer to 90mph and I get passed up at times. I do tend to drive with both a high end radar detector and a CB radio.
We've lived in a neighborhood (Fairfax VA) with all buried utility wires since 2002. In that time, our power has gone out several times, including once for three days. We've also lost cable/internet (Cox) numerous times. The vast majority of these outages were very local issues. So, for us, the only advantage has been missing the eyesore of wires strung everywhere. On the downside, whenever a neighbor wants to dig for something in their yard, all the utility companies come through to spray paint on our lawn (it's been about a couple times a year), marking where the wires run.
No problems with that down here in New Orleans, everything is above ground here.
If there is a problem with voice calls bothering other people on a plane, why does the airline provide phones built into the seats. How does that differ from me using my cell phone? Oh yeah, I have to pay the airline to use their phone.
Wow, do they still have those phones in the seats on any airlines anymore?
I've not seen those for at least a decade or more.
You know what is a real problem on planes? SCREAMING BABIES. Solution: ban babies from all public transportation. 'nuff said.
Hear Hear!!
I once had to ring the flight attendant button on an EARLY flight out, and when she came I asked if we could please put the screaming child just behind me in the overhead compartment.
Thankfully this worked, the flight attendant smiled at me and said it looked like I needed a Bloody Mary, and got me one...and the lady behind me finally started to quieten her offspring.
If it has the same challenge/response system, then you have to generate a code with your card & reader in order to buy something. Something you have & something you know...
You're implying that everyone in the US will now have to buy and install a card reader on their home computers for purchasing online?
I don't guess I'd mind as much the insert card physically thing, but everything I've seen so far, has some kind of radio payment (RFID or NFC, etc..).
Also, I'm concerned that I don't know what all they're storing on that chip on the card...is it just confirmation codes or does it carry more personally identifiable information that would be vulnerable once the chip/card thing gets hacked?
Slashdot Mirror
Why?
What do they owe that much money for? What incentive is there to work to succeed if the govt is to take it all from you?
This type of thing led to a lot of tax exiles from the UK back in the day, hence the Stones Exile on Main Street sessions in France when they had to leave London or basically give up everything they'd earned.
Two words for you: Radar Detector
They work and they work well. Now, go get that Porsche, I can speak from experience, they are fun to own and drive fast in the US.
Why don't they bitch about the high salaries professional athletes bring down? Famous rock stars? Movie stars?
My thing is, why do we complain at all about who makes how much?
I mean, it isn't really a zero sum game. A CEO or basketball star making millions of dollars a year, doesn't take money out of someone doing another job that make significantly less.
The salary of the vice president at McD's isn't taking money meant for the burger flippers pocket....
Is there any good way to block this from auto reading, but leave for human eye reading?
Could surrounding your license plate with infrared LEDs block these cameras but still make things perfectly visible to the naked eye?
They are easy to spot for goodness sake, no need for tracking license plates.
Interesting, I'd never heard of the app till this story broke about the large $$$ sale.
So, is this more of a non-US popular app, or is it popular in parts of the US too?
Am I the only person that had never heard of "WhatsApp" prior to news of this buyout?
You can ask all you want, but the best answer is, "because it is".
If you are wanting to sell your house, the lawn and landscaping is gonna be one of the big items for selling at a good price.
I also want a toilet that goes FLUSH, in a bold way, and never leaves anything swimming in the bowl when done.
I don't give a shit if switching would save me $0.25 each time. I've got a real job, I can afford it.
Honestly, until reading this article, my usage never crossed my mind before for water or power.
I barely look at the bill, I open it, see the amount owed, and click to pay it from my bank. Simple forgotten the second the button is pushed till next month.
I don't open and read my bills, I just pay them, unless it seems WAY too high. I have levelized billing for power, so it is about the same each month. Water comes every couple of months or so I think like gas, and I just open, click and trash the bill.
I've never known anyone that really "studied" their utility bills like some here profound to do.
To me, these are things that I have to have to do my life...I need utilities, I pay without much study. Even for gas, I really don't know exactly how much per gallon it is, I just stop,slide the card fill till it stops, click no for receipt...and am on my way.
So, how else do you propose to keep up your home value (and enjoyment) with a nice yard, and garden (for looks and for food).?
Do you think everyone should dig up all the grass and use astro turf?
I use the power and water levels I do, because I want to, and the serve my purposes in life, and I can afford to pay the levels I do.
I can't imagine myself lowering (or raising) my usage levels at all based on those others around me..??
Do people seriously keep up with the Joneses that much this day in age in everything?
Then, those people are not your customers.
You don't usually make good money pandering to the dregs of the land.
You make money by selling to people with money. People with money are willing to spend it too. The more you charge, often the more they think you are worth and will seek you out to give you money.
I'd say the answer is yes.
I was watching year before last a Wedding Photog Bootcamp by Sal Cincotta, based out of St. Louis.
This guy is first and foremost and business man.
He said that year they billed out about $1M.
You have to be very savvy about business and work towards the higher end of things, but if so, you can indeed make money.
You're NOT going to make it if you're just a shoot and burn person like you see for $200 on craigslist.
There are 3 things that will always happen on planet earth, no matter what the economy:
1. Babies will be born.
2. Seniors will graduate HS
3. People will get married.
And...there will always be folks out there with plenty of money and willing to pay GOOD money for pictures for all 3x of those events. But you gotta hustle, you need to be business savvy, and you have to be very willing to know that many people, the cheap ones...are not your customers and you do not cater to them.
There are pro photographers out there that gross well into the middle to upper 6 figure ranges out there.
I'm still learning, but, getting better all the time.
Well, anyone can push a button to take a picture.
I find very few people know how to set up lighting, posing, get the white balance right, have the proper aperture and/or shutter speed (if they have cameras that can control all these features) to take a properly exposed image for a pro look.
Once that is done, how many avg. folks know how to or would even bother to learn the software out there needed to post process the images to get what would generally be considered a professional image?
Sure, everyone on earth has cameras with them leaps ahead of what used to be available only to pros, however....they still don't know how to use them to get the images that are of quality that is on the level that people make a living taking and selling.
1. You have a dick.
2. You do not have a dick.
Pick one.
Dammit..please finish this...
A. What is Martimer?
B. What does peeling the label off long neck beer bottles mean?
LOL, yeah, we do like to drive fast down here, that's for sure.
I don't so much get road rage, but I do get quite annoyed if you don't get the fuck out of the left passing lane when it is obvious that I want to go faster than you and pass you.
If you wanna go slow, stick to the right hand side of the hwy.
The only time I get a bit raged, is when I see someone in the left and they are obviously trying to hold traffic back, like they are in charge of keeping everyone else at the speed limit.
My avg speed on a HWY trip is about 85mph or closer to 90mph and I get passed up at times. I do tend to drive with both a high end radar detector and a CB radio.
No problems with that down here in New Orleans, everything is above ground here.
Hell, we don't even bury out DEAD here.
Crush up a little benadryl into their pre-flight snack?
Wow, do they still have those phones in the seats on any airlines anymore?
I've not seen those for at least a decade or more.
Hear Hear!!
I once had to ring the flight attendant button on an EARLY flight out, and when she came I asked if we could please put the screaming child just behind me in the overhead compartment.
Thankfully this worked, the flight attendant smiled at me and said it looked like I needed a Bloody Mary, and got me one...and the lady behind me finally started to quieten her offspring.
You're implying that everyone in the US will now have to buy and install a card reader on their home computers for purchasing online?
Yeah...that'll work.
[rolls eyes]
Also, I'm concerned that I don't know what all they're storing on that chip on the card...is it just confirmation codes or does it carry more personally identifiable information that would be vulnerable once the chip/card thing gets hacked?