If by average joe you mean people who live on a budget and can't always afford quality.
Well, people have always been on a budget.
My family didn't have much money when I grew up...and until recent years, I've never had a ton of money.
But...growing up and ever since then, I've usually had NICE quality things. I'd save.....I'd not buiy crap....but I'd save and get that nice thing. Sure, it might take longer...and I had to wait, but hell, savoring the prize turns out to be half the fun!!
Even to this day....I don't buy a lot of piddly crap.
I save, and drop a good chunk of change one 1, maybe 2 big treats to myself a year.
Example..last year, I paid cash for a loaded up Macbook pro. I knew that soon I'd be doing some audio video editing....because, I was planning for this year.
This year, I dropped about $4400 on the new Canon 5D Mark III with the kit lens. That is my 'toy' for the year, and to me, it has been worth every penny. I'm really getting into photography, and videography and all the post production that goes with it.
Could I have gotten cheaper camera and computer, etc...sure. But to me, it was worth waiting to buy something as top of the line as I could afford and wanted. I'm not out eating fucking McD's or fast food.....I cook 99% of my own meals and eat leftovers. I'd rather save my eating out money for some place nice...with quality food (easy to find in New Orleans) and a good bottle of wine, fine single malt scotch...etc.
I can afford much more now...but I still work for quality over quantity..which was instilled into me as I grew up without much money, and always on a budget. It can be done, if you know what you want...and have a little self control.
To do anything like that...I'd first have to learn what all tools I'd have to buy. I really don't own any. I think I have a hammer and a couple of screwdrivers somewhere...but that's it.
Then, I'd have to learn what wood to buy, and scour the internet (thank God for YouTube these days where you can find any info and instructions you want..but this is a pretty recent resource.).
A lot of my current friends, have extensive tool sets and machines and actual garage workshops. Me? I don't know how to do a damned thing, and don't own any of it. I like working on stuff with them....but I never learned any of it growning up. My Dad was usually off working somewhere, so I never had anyone around me that did things like wood work, or worked on cars, etc. When something goes wrong on the car or the house...I call someone to come fix it. I thought that was generally the norm, not for one to do it all themselves.
So, when I have something break or need help hauling something (I only have a 2x seat sports car)..I call one of them....buy beer and materials they tell me I need....I learn how to do some things which is fun too.
But I wouldn't know how to put a curtain rod up in a house.....just didn't' grow up that way.
A city kid might ask, "what are these 'woods' and 'streams' you speak of'? As well as a -safe- parking lot, baseball field, or place to play hide and seek. My image of a 'latch key' kid is one who is stuck at home between the time school ends and their parents' work ends, because there is nowhere else safe to be.
Well, the neighborhood I grew up in really (grades 5th - first year of college) was typical, for me...surburbia.
We were, about the first house in the neighborhood...but after the first year, pretty much it completely built up around us. We did have woods we could go play in....before it got developed, and we raided newly built houses for our supplies to build our forts in the woods...and big ramps for skateboards at the end of the dead end road near us.
We were all latch-key kids for the most part...all parents worked, and we kids ran around the neighborhood after school...and all summer long.
Our neighborhood did have a pool and couple of tennis courts that the neighborhood association that was formed some time after everything was built (not the draconian crap they have today that tries to tell you what you can/can't do with your own house) and everyone joined. So, we kids did have a pool to hang at most of the summer, etc.
We all played at each others' houses, and when I was young, my only real rule was that I had to call and check in with Mom at work or when she was home every couple hours or so....that went away as I got older.
Most everyone I know grew up in similar fashion. I was a latchkey type kid from about 2nd grade on up. I walked to and from school 1st - 4th grade public school...let myself in when I got home, and then played in the neighborhood with neighbor kids or just sometimes at home by myself. I'm an only kid, so I knew how to entertain myself, read...etc.
None of where I lived was rural...I consider myself a city kid....not and URBAN kid, which to me is not generally the norm in the US, most of us don't live in or really near really packed urban cities like NYC.
If all (or most) of your income comes from one single source, and the reason for the income is your labor, IRS will treat you as an employee and the income as W2 wages.
Nope.....I've done it and it works just fine. I'm a "S" corp...and it was single person business...and my sole job was a sub to a sub on a govt. contract. Single source...all 1099, no problems at all. Gotta make sure it is corp to corp....the 'salary' I paid myself was for running the company. The rest of the income, not subject to SS and Medicare/Medicade taxation, just falls through to personal income at EOY....after all the deductions, of course.
So I guess you think Bush was a far, far better president than Obama.
I don't.
I do, however, think Obama is slightly worse than Bush Jr....at least to this point in his stay in office. I certainly hope Obama is a short timer, and doesn't get another 4 years to show that he is much, much worse that Bush Jr.
Well, I guess that's one big difference...that you apparently pool ALL of your money together.
I don't mind pooling for things for both of us....living necessities, home...etc.
But, I insist that I get to put aside money in my own account just for ME and my toy purchases. She can have the same, but I like to save my money, and buy myself 1-2 very, very, very nice toys a year. She can do as she pleases with her money, etc.
Of course, I do make more money than she does....so, I get to have a bit more of my money for my toys...but I'm also generous too.
I do expect my women I'm with...to have their own jobs and careers....and its my opinion when doing things like living together (I'm not having kids, so, no need to ever marry)...you split costs, etc...and pool for things enjoyed by each...but I gotta have my mad money that no one can tell me what to do with....and of course I would expect no less from any current mate I'm with.
I don't think systems of taxation should be designed to encourage imaginative methods of accounting. These are directly contrary to an open system.
Unfortunately, that's the system we're (in the US) stuck with.
The govt has put so damned many deductions/shelters with the sole purpose of defining and molding human and corporate behavior...that you have to take these jumps through the loopholes in order to hold onto as much of your hard earned cash as possible.
If you get to more of a simple, flat type tax...no deductions, no loopholes...then, everyone pays their fair share, burden distributed fairly to all citizens....etc.
They have to quit trying to use taxation to manipulate behavior first and foremost.
To get that, you would need a permanent state-provided income for the entire population. And that's very unlikely to happen in the U.S.
Well, it does seem to be one of the working goals of the current administration....hell, look at the push they've been doing to get as many people on food stamps as possible in recent years....
This can either be the dream of a paradise where everyone can live a life of leisure and self fulfillment, or it can be a horror where where the wealthy live in leisure while the teaming masses live in a perpetual state of starvation and poverty. We need to decide which way we will go, and move in that direction.
As long as I'm in the leisure side of the equation...I don't care which way it goes.
And what are the non-creative idiots going to do for a living? Working in the environments that most of us/.ers work in, it's easy to forget that they're still the majority, you know.
Well, the world still needs ditch diggers, janitors and burger flippers too you know.
Say goodbye to a whole lot more mid-level jobs. This is the path we are going down, labor is expensive.
Since when were manufacturing jobs considered "mid-level"? I mean, this is just manual labor....a few rungs up above flipping burgers, no skills or education required (hence the easy move to 3rd world countries).
I'd hardly consider any manual labor job to be a 'mid-level' job....mid-level is more white collar jobs on the lower end of the scale there.
One flaw with both your multiple-browsers and my multiple-profile approach is flash cookies - if you use flash in any browser, they all use the same cookie storage. I work around the problem by using the BetterPrivacy plugin to delete flash cookies after 5 minutes.
What about that 1 flash cooking (the master one?) that you aren't supposed to delete...is that one a problem?
Can it stay safely, or can it too be deleted regularly?
When you speak in public, your name IS our business. You can stand behind your words or you can keep quiet. Choose.
Persons at risk are excepted: children, whistleblowers, dissidents, people discussing medical conditions. If you're not one of them, you have no legitimate reason to hide under your Klan bedsheet.
Why should it all not be protected speech that is capable of being disseminated anonymously?
Who is to be the judge of what speech can be protected anon or had to be 'stood by in public'....
To truly allow free speech....you must take the good with what you perceive to be the 'bad' and possibly distasteful, otherwise....someone has to be the judge over what is and isn't permitted.
And, one great way to allow true freedom of speech...is to allow it anonymously.
People are allowed in this country to whistle blow....be pro or anti-gay, and yes....you can think racist thoughts and should be able to freely speak them (and no, it isn't just white people not liking blacks). Do you find it distasteful....ok. But it has to be allowed....otherwise something *you* find to be important, might be later become distasteful to someone with more power than you, and if you could not express your views anon...they you're viewpoint might be squashed.
Remember, it wasn't that long ago that many things could be freely discussed, that just are not politically correct in the past 5-10 years. What if in 5 years...popular culture and thinking swings, and it becomes politically incorrect for you to speak what you find to be an important topic for discussion or call to action?
Well, I go with the far simpler, no G+ and no FB accounts at all thing.
But I do have gmail....and to keep things separate, when I'm on one of my computers that is using the web interface for gmail...I open a different browser with my YT account...so that they don't inter-mingle.
Maybe there should be a us.slashdot.org to discuss local news?
Err....Slashdot IS a US site....we just welcome our foreign friends to jump in and have fun too, but Slashdot is a US centric site, and the views put forth ARE US views. Local Slashdot news is US news....
If that is the #1 feature. Should you not be looking at the regular Kindle or the Nook? You know something with a incredibly readable E-Ink screen.
You answered pretty much what I was going to say.
I love my nook color tablet that I installed Android on...as a tablet for surfing, email...watching videos on plane trips.
But for long, sustained reading for pleasure...I have the Kindle DX. The e-ink is THE way to go IMHO, for pleasure reading.
My eyesight is getting pretty bad last years...and honestly, I'd pretty much stopped reading many books. But now that I've gotten this eink reader, and can adjust the fonts enough to make it easy to read...I've gotten back into pleasure reading in a major way.
With the backlit tablets....just is hard on the eyes for long term reading. With e-ink, I've actually in one sitting read books cover to cover much like I did as a kid....I couldn't spend that much time staring at a backlit tablet without serious eye fatigue.
Isn't it just simple to by pass this...by not having a Google or FB account...or at the very least, NOT telling Google about a G+ account when creating a new YouTube account?
Hell....my YT account is with a non-gmail, throw away account...set up with another throw away acct...etc.
That is the institutional advantage richer people get. They can choose to take their income in many forms, defer it, hide it abroad, launder it through IRAs or partnerships, or insane insurance policies where the benefit is less than the premium. Poor sods who work for a living and get a W2, the government seems to go after them with vehemence. But their anger is very cleverly manipulated by the rich to get even more tax breaks for capital gains, retained interest, reciprocal tax treaties with foreign governments, etc etc.
We must save the American capitalism from these capitalists. I think a U Chicago economist wrote a book with a similar title. "save capitalism from capitalists".
Well, as far as what the OP was talking about...most any US citizen can take advantage of these type things...it just takes knowledge and a bit of initiative.
Anyone can incorporate themselves for a very small price...and use that to take advantage of tax write offs....you can use this vehicle alone to do some interesting things with your tax liability....and it is something open to any US citizen, you don't have to be wealthy....just have to have a bit of grey matter sitting on your shoulders, and use it with a bit of imagination.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, people have always been on a budget.
My family didn't have much money when I grew up...and until recent years, I've never had a ton of money.
But...growing up and ever since then, I've usually had NICE quality things. I'd save.....I'd not buiy crap....but I'd save and get that nice thing. Sure, it might take longer...and I had to wait, but hell, savoring the prize turns out to be half the fun!!
Even to this day....I don't buy a lot of piddly crap.
I save, and drop a good chunk of change one 1, maybe 2 big treats to myself a year.
Example..last year, I paid cash for a loaded up Macbook pro. I knew that soon I'd be doing some audio video editing....because, I was planning for this year.
This year, I dropped about $4400 on the new Canon 5D Mark III with the kit lens. That is my 'toy' for the year, and to me, it has been worth every penny. I'm really getting into photography, and videography and all the post production that goes with it.
Could I have gotten cheaper camera and computer, etc...sure. But to me, it was worth waiting to buy something as top of the line as I could afford and wanted. I'm not out eating fucking McD's or fast food.....I cook 99% of my own meals and eat leftovers. I'd rather save my eating out money for some place nice...with quality food (easy to find in New Orleans) and a good bottle of wine, fine single malt scotch...etc.
I can afford much more now...but I still work for quality over quantity..which was instilled into me as I grew up without much money, and always on a budget. It can be done, if you know what you want...and have a little self control.
Most people in the US don't live in a metropolis though...do they?
Then, I'd have to learn what wood to buy, and scour the internet (thank God for YouTube these days where you can find any info and instructions you want..but this is a pretty recent resource.).
A lot of my current friends, have extensive tool sets and machines and actual garage workshops. Me? I don't know how to do a damned thing, and don't own any of it. I like working on stuff with them....but I never learned any of it growning up. My Dad was usually off working somewhere, so I never had anyone around me that did things like wood work, or worked on cars, etc. When something goes wrong on the car or the house...I call someone to come fix it. I thought that was generally the norm, not for one to do it all themselves.
So, when I have something break or need help hauling something (I only have a 2x seat sports car)..I call one of them....buy beer and materials they tell me I need....I learn how to do some things which is fun too.
But I wouldn't know how to put a curtain rod up in a house.....just didn't' grow up that way.
Well, the neighborhood I grew up in really (grades 5th - first year of college) was typical, for me...surburbia.
We were, about the first house in the neighborhood...but after the first year, pretty much it completely built up around us. We did have woods we could go play in....before it got developed, and we raided newly built houses for our supplies to build our forts in the woods...and big ramps for skateboards at the end of the dead end road near us.
We were all latch-key kids for the most part...all parents worked, and we kids ran around the neighborhood after school...and all summer long.
Our neighborhood did have a pool and couple of tennis courts that the neighborhood association that was formed some time after everything was built (not the draconian crap they have today that tries to tell you what you can/can't do with your own house) and everyone joined. So, we kids did have a pool to hang at most of the summer, etc.
We all played at each others' houses, and when I was young, my only real rule was that I had to call and check in with Mom at work or when she was home every couple hours or so....that went away as I got older.
Most everyone I know grew up in similar fashion. I was a latchkey type kid from about 2nd grade on up. I walked to and from school 1st - 4th grade public school...let myself in when I got home, and then played in the neighborhood with neighbor kids or just sometimes at home by myself. I'm an only kid, so I knew how to entertain myself, read...etc.
None of where I lived was rural...I consider myself a city kid....not and URBAN kid, which to me is not generally the norm in the US, most of us don't live in or really near really packed urban cities like NYC.
Nope.....I've done it and it works just fine. I'm a "S" corp...and it was single person business...and my sole job was a sub to a sub on a govt. contract. Single source...all 1099, no problems at all. Gotta make sure it is corp to corp....the 'salary' I paid myself was for running the company. The rest of the income, not subject to SS and Medicare/Medicade taxation, just falls through to personal income at EOY....after all the deductions, of course.
I don't.
I do, however, think Obama is slightly worse than Bush Jr....at least to this point in his stay in office. I certainly hope Obama is a short timer, and doesn't get another 4 years to show that he is much, much worse that Bush Jr.
I don't mind pooling for things for both of us....living necessities, home...etc.
But, I insist that I get to put aside money in my own account just for ME and my toy purchases. She can have the same, but I like to save my money, and buy myself 1-2 very, very, very nice toys a year. She can do as she pleases with her money, etc.
Of course, I do make more money than she does....so, I get to have a bit more of my money for my toys...but I'm also generous too.
I do expect my women I'm with...to have their own jobs and careers....and its my opinion when doing things like living together (I'm not having kids, so, no need to ever marry)...you split costs, etc...and pool for things enjoyed by each...but I gotta have my mad money that no one can tell me what to do with....and of course I would expect no less from any current mate I'm with.
Well, so far...there doesn't appear to be much of anything...
I thought this was solved years ago when we all got together and gave Al Gore the credit?
Unfortunately, that's the system we're (in the US) stuck with.
The govt has put so damned many deductions/shelters with the sole purpose of defining and molding human and corporate behavior...that you have to take these jumps through the loopholes in order to hold onto as much of your hard earned cash as possible.
If you get to more of a simple, flat type tax...no deductions, no loopholes...then, everyone pays their fair share, burden distributed fairly to all citizens....etc.
They have to quit trying to use taxation to manipulate behavior first and foremost.
Well, it does seem to be one of the working goals of the current administration....hell, look at the push they've been doing to get as many people on food stamps as possible in recent years....
As long as I'm in the leisure side of the equation...I don't care which way it goes.
Well, the world still needs ditch diggers, janitors and burger flippers too you know.
Since when were manufacturing jobs considered "mid-level"? I mean, this is just manual labor....a few rungs up above flipping burgers, no skills or education required (hence the easy move to 3rd world countries).
I'd hardly consider any manual labor job to be a 'mid-level' job....mid-level is more white collar jobs on the lower end of the scale there.
Did they start making the Tesla Roadster again!?!?!?
I thought they halted the production of the good car in their line to concentrate on 'family cars'....
[rolls eyes]
What about that 1 flash cooking (the master one?) that you aren't supposed to delete...is that one a problem?
Can it stay safely, or can it too be deleted regularly?
If so...wow......
I guess in Germany they'd never have kids named China, Moon Unit, or God.....?
Why should it all not be protected speech that is capable of being disseminated anonymously?
Who is to be the judge of what speech can be protected anon or had to be 'stood by in public'....
To truly allow free speech....you must take the good with what you perceive to be the 'bad' and possibly distasteful, otherwise....someone has to be the judge over what is and isn't permitted.
And, one great way to allow true freedom of speech...is to allow it anonymously.
People are allowed in this country to whistle blow....be pro or anti-gay, and yes....you can think racist thoughts and should be able to freely speak them (and no, it isn't just white people not liking blacks). Do you find it distasteful....ok. But it has to be allowed....otherwise something *you* find to be important, might be later become distasteful to someone with more power than you, and if you could not express your views anon...they you're viewpoint might be squashed.
Remember, it wasn't that long ago that many things could be freely discussed, that just are not politically correct in the past 5-10 years. What if in 5 years...popular culture and thinking swings, and it becomes politically incorrect for you to speak what you find to be an important topic for discussion or call to action?
But I do have gmail....and to keep things separate, when I'm on one of my computers that is using the web interface for gmail...I open a different browser with my YT account...so that they don't inter-mingle.
Not that much of a problem....
You actually have to ask permission from your wife/girlfriend/live in woman before making a small purchase like this??
I mean, I can understand if you're married and buying a house or maybe a $$$ car...but asking permission to buy a computer or tablet....wow.
Grow a pair man....
Err....Slashdot IS a US site....we just welcome our foreign friends to jump in and have fun too, but Slashdot is a US centric site, and the views put forth ARE US views. Local Slashdot news is US news....
You answered pretty much what I was going to say.
I love my nook color tablet that I installed Android on...as a tablet for surfing, email...watching videos on plane trips.
But for long, sustained reading for pleasure...I have the Kindle DX. The e-ink is THE way to go IMHO, for pleasure reading.
My eyesight is getting pretty bad last years...and honestly, I'd pretty much stopped reading many books. But now that I've gotten this eink reader, and can adjust the fonts enough to make it easy to read...I've gotten back into pleasure reading in a major way.
With the backlit tablets....just is hard on the eyes for long term reading. With e-ink, I've actually in one sitting read books cover to cover much like I did as a kid....I couldn't spend that much time staring at a backlit tablet without serious eye fatigue.
Hell....my YT account is with a non-gmail, throw away account...set up with another throw away acct...etc.
Trust me...I'd nave no problem doing this.....
First...start with hookers and blow....and go from there...
Well, as far as what the OP was talking about...most any US citizen can take advantage of these type things...it just takes knowledge and a bit of initiative.
Anyone can incorporate themselves for a very small price...and use that to take advantage of tax write offs....you can use this vehicle alone to do some interesting things with your tax liability....and it is something open to any US citizen, you don't have to be wealthy....just have to have a bit of grey matter sitting on your shoulders, and use it with a bit of imagination.