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1040 Forms

OMG! It’s almost time to tackle those dreaded 1040 forms – again!

In just a couple of months, it’s again time to file our taxes. While we have until April 15th to get it all together, most people prefer to get it done early, particularly if you’re getting a refund. We hear talk of another stimulus check, but nothing you can take to the bank yet. We can only hope. When you’re just thinking about filing your taxes, it’s only an impending headache. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather clean my oven twenty times than do my taxes. It all starts with the 1040 forms. The road to near insanity follows close behind.

Every year, the booklet, along with the 1040 forms arrives like a chunk of lead in the mailbox. Usually, it goes in my desk’s in basket to fester for a while. Each time I see it, I avert my eyes. I don’t want to know it’s there. Yes, I want my refund and no, I don’t want to read the book. Whoever is responsible for writing the booklet and organizing the 1040 forms is absolutely clueless as a writer. Then again, maybe they do it on purpose. Does the tax man have stock in Advil(TM)?

Yes, I know there is plenty of tax software out there. For several years, I got a break from reading the booklet and hoping to place the correct figure on the correct line of the 1040 form. I answered the questions and the software did the rest. Then, a few years ago, I got burned by the software. It apparently did not include some piece of information in the tax return that was submitted, resulting in months of waiting for my refund, along with numerous telephone conversations, arguing with IRS agents. They ended up slapping a small penalty on me, just because they felt like it, I suppose. The household name tax software had guaranteed to back their calculations if the IRS had a problem with a return. As it turned out, it was just too much trouble to try to enforce their guarantee over such a small amount.

That’s when I went back to reading the booklet and filling out the 1040 form and all of their little worksheets and schedules myself. I guess my major gripe with the booklet and 1040 forms is that they are not written for native English readers. It must be a special dialect of tax man English. With most publications, you start on page one and continue, page by page. The 1040 booklet may spring a calculation worksheet on you any old place. “If line 40 is less than line 20, go to the worksheet on page 52.” OK. I stick a post-it on the spot where I left off on the 1040 form, so as not to lose my place and my mind. The worksheet instructs me to plug in my adjusted gross income and multiply it by .92, then divide that result by 150. Now I must subtract something from something else. If it’s less than whatever, I don’t qualify for whatever and am redirected to the place I came from on page 8.

The long and short of it is that, by the time you’ve navigated this maze of confusion, you have no idea what any of the numbers actually represent. So now, I’m not sure that my 1040 form is accurate! After three attempts, my numbers still came out the same. Did I send it in? Nope. I went to my local tax preparer. She did both Fed and State returns in about ten minutes flat! Her calculations increased my refund by a few bucks, due to a minor error on my part.

Guess who’s filling out my 1040 form this year?

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Election News

The new U.S. President has been elected, yet election news is still all the buzz!

The 2008 Presidential campaign is now over. For more than two years, we’ve been bombarded with television ads for every politician up for election or re-election. Did you think that after November 4th, it would all be over? I did. However, perhaps more than in any other Presidential election in our history, election news continues, with an unexpected fervor. If you take a quick look online, political forums and election blogs are absolutely bristling with participants, posting on message boards, blogs and anywhere else they can find to put in their two cents. Opinions are strong and debates lively. Everywhere you look, be it on your email client, news sites or banner ads on sites unrelated to politics, you’ll find post-election news and surveys galore. So why does the buzz continue, when the elections are over, done, finished?

One factor that certainly contributes to the continuing saga of election news is due to the breadth of failures of the outgoing administration. It seems there’s not a lot of good news anywhere. The economy, war, foreign policy, fuel and food costs, the credit crunch and banking debacles, rising unemployment, along with the stunning numbers of bank foreclosures – did I leave anything out? Clearly, the American public wants substantial changes in all of these crises facing the average Jane and Joe.

Still, following most Presidential elections, the public usually adopts a wait and see attitude, at least until the new President is sworn in to office. This time around, even people in the international community were closely watching the U.S. election news and continue to do so. The actions of President-elect Barack Obama will surely impact international relations and the world economy.

A brief look around the net yielded some interesting election news topics currently being debated. The scope of concerns ranges from debates over “Who’s better looking, Barack Obama or Todd Palin?” to discussions on the likelihood of Obama finding Bin Laden.

From what I saw, a great deal of energy is going into determining Sarah Palin’s political future, what will happen to her pricey wardrobe and how well-liked she now is. One amusing survey found that an amazing 66% of voters said they had always liked her very much, while a teeny 3% of respondents said they liked her only after the election was over. What’s your opinion on Italy’s Prime Minister Berlusconi’s remark that Obama “has a good tan”? No kidding, that’s buzz.

On a more serious note, pollsters queried voters as to whether they believed our government participated in secret conspiracies. 89% of the voters said yes! How about President-elect Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay and bring those prisoners to the U.S. for trial? Is the U.S. headed for fascism? Is Obama a socialist? Choosing between the two issues, which is most important? The economy or the war(s)?

So while the continuing election news goes from serious and substantive, to silly and even ridiculous, it’s unlikely to stop any time soon. All I know is that our new President has his plate overflowing, as perhaps no other President has in the history of our country. Frankly, I wouldn’t want the job.

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Dukes of Hazzard

Dukes Of Hazzard

It’s good to have a show that the entire family can sit and watch together. From 1979 to 1985, the CBS network broadcast the Dukes of Hazzard and it became one of the most popular shows ever. There were seven seasons of car chases and various adventures set in the fictional Hazzard County in Georgia.

The show’s stars were Tom Wopat as Luke Duke and John Schneider as Bo Duke, two cousins who lived with Uncle Jess, portrayed by Denver Pyle. The family had got into trouble running moonshine and were in conflict with a corrupt County Commissioner in the shape of Boss Hogg, played by Sorrell Booke. Hogg’s biggest problem was his County Sheriff, Rosco P.Coltrane, played by James Best. Roscoe wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the box.

The female perspective was supplied by younger cousin, Daisy Duke, played by Catherine Bach. She was pretty but she was as tough as the boys. One of the most popular features of the Dukes of Hazzard was almost another character. Luke and Bo’s car, a customized 1969 Dodge charger named The General Lee, became the most recognized car in the world. It had a Confederate Battle Flag painted on the roof and it raced around the county at high speed with the windows open and the doors welded shut. The car was put through its paces in every episode and more than 100 General Lee’s were used.

In addition to the regular cast, there were several guest appearances of note including Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek fame. Other guests on the Dukes of Hazzard included Lance LeGault, Ernie Hudson and Henry Gibson. An impressive list of singers also appeared as themselves, such as Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Tammy Wynette and Hoyt Axton. Country star Waylon Jennings sang the theme song and also narrated the series.

The show is still fondly remembered today and fans like to gather and reminisce. The largest celebration is the annual two-day Dukefest, held at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville. Versions of the General Lee still in existence always attract a crowd when they are put on show.

Spin offs from the original show have also kept the interest going. Two made for television movies were made, the first being The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion in 1997 followed by The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood in 2000. A feature film was released in 2005. Simply titled The Dukes of Hazzard, it starred Johnny Knoxville as Luke and Seann William Scott as Bo.

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The Wonders Of Tabasco Sauce

For a while, I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with my cooking. My husband began to put Tabasco sauce on just about everything that I made him for dinner. Either I was a bad cook, or his taste buds were getting worn out. I was relieved when he informed me that my cooking was fine (though that is still up for debate), it was just that he found a new way to enjoy some of the foods that he loves the most. The change is not in the basic taste of the food, but rather, it gives everything a kick.

Tabasco sauce is something that has been around for a long time. When we make hot wings in my house, this is what we use. I do love the taste of it, but I never really thought about putting it in any other foods that I make. It does not go well on lasagna, but I have to admit it makes a nice addition to a slice of pizza. You have to learn just how much Tabasco sauce you can handle, but after a while you figure it out. You can add just the right kick without making your meal something completely different than with which you started.

If you find that you love the taste of Tabasco sauce, you can find ways to add it to your menus without just dousing a meal once it is done. You can find subtle ways to add it to recipes. You may already use it when you make chili, but you may also find that you can add some Tabasco sauce when you want to add a little kick to your beef stew. It might work well with your ribs, and you can always add a little to your homemade pizza sauce to see if you like the finished results or not.

You can even come up with new recipes for Tabasco sauce. If you like hot wings, otherwise known as Buffalo wings, you can try to use that taste in new foods. Think about making hot wing pizza by using a Tabasco based sauce for your pizza and using chunks of chicken on the top of your cheese. It may be very good. You can also try using Tabasco sauce mixed with butter as a dip for many other types of chicken that you may serve to your family. If you look around, you may even find cookbooks and recipes that show you how to use this yummy sauce in a bunch of new ways.

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Xbox 360 Games

Video games are some of the most entertaining things around. There are a wide variety of genres of games out there so it is impossible to ever get bored. There are racing games, fighting games, first person shooter games and a never ending list. Although all of the games are fun, it depends on what console you have to play such fun games. The Xbox 360 is a great console with fantastic graphics so every game is amazing to play. Xbox 360 games are exciting to play.

Some of the best games to play on this console from Microsoft include sports games. The graphics make you feel as though you are actually the star quarterback on the team, throwing the ball to the wide receiver in hopes that they make the touchdown. One great football game is Madden NFL 07 which gives you that feeling that you are actually on the field. Recently, skateboarding and BMX games have become a lot more popular. Now you can play as Tony Hawk or Dave Mirra and rip around on the ramps and rails to create tricks just like they would at the X-games. Xbox 360 games create the illusion that you are actually right in the game.

Guitar Hero has become one of the most popular games on the market and the Xbox 360 has that too. You can become your very own rock star by strumming away on that guitar and lighting the stage on fire. If music doesn’t fit your gaming taste, then there are first person shooter games such as Halo. Halo is great since you can play it online with plenty of fellow gamers all over the world. With Xbox live you can actually play Xbox 360 games with people from all corners of the globe. You can also download additions to your games and chat.

As for cost you’ll find nothing to complain about with this line of games. New titles are being introduced all the time. Xbox 360 games are incredibly affordable considering the richness of the graphics and quality of the experience. The only complaint Xbox 360 gamers have is that there are so many great games to choose from, it’s almost impossible to pick just one at a time.

These fun games will never go out of style so your money will never go to waste. Xbox 360 games can work on both the Xbox and the Xbox 360 so you don’t have to buy an entire new console to play such great, timeless games. Video games are a great source of entertainment for anyone and they are available almost everywhere.

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Writing An Ebook

Back in the day, publishing was a pretty straightforward process. On the one hand, it was phenomenally difficult to succeed. You had to get the attention of the right editor at the right time, have a good publicist, and be extremely lucky to even be considered in the first place. On the other hand, however, once it was in the door it was comparatively easy. The big publishing houses really controlled the market and, if you could get in tight with one of them, your future was secure.

Nowadays, things have changed somewhat. Writing an ebook is often considered a more viable option than sending your book to a publisher. Ebooks have a lot of advantages, but they also have some disadvantages. Before writing an ebook, you should carefully consider both.

One of the big advantages to writing an ebook is that you can publish it, advertise it, and sell it for almost no investment. Writing ebooks is almost as easy as posting something on the Internet. You can package it in a fancy PDF document with good illustrations and excellent font, but even that won’t cost you much. The biggest expense is going to be hiring an artist to do the cover art and a proofreader to do a final edit. Everything else is going be pretty cheap.

The downside, of course, is that it is a lot harder to make money writing an ebook. Writing a successful ebook doesn’t just require that you get it right, but that you get people to pay for it. In a bookstore, people can skim your book at length, but with one that is on the Internet they will only have samples to look at. This makes it a little bit less likely that they will be willing to purchase it in the first place.

Another downside to writing a book is that it is an in paper format. A lot of people really like the feel of the book in their hands. When you write an ebook, you restrict people to just looking at it on the Internet. Although there are a few different ebook readers out nowadays, they still haven’t quite caught on.

Still, even with all of these disadvantages, writing an ebook still makes a lot of sense for a lot of writers. It is a great way to get exposure if you have not had anything significant published before, and it will make you a little bit of money. Best of all, it is a good way to stay on the cutting edge as electronic books will become more and more popular in the future.

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A Beginner’s Guide To Writing A Manuscript

If you have never done it before, writing a book can be pretty difficult. After all, there are so many different sources of information, so many different factors to consider, and so many different competing strategies. Should you write your manuscript all at once, or work on a synopsis and a few chapters to send in the publishers? Should you outlined and diagram everything before you do it, or just start working and count on inspiration to hit? Are you writing a book for your own pleasure, or are you doing it for financial gain? These questions and more need to be answered before you can start.

When I was first writing a manuscript, I went about it all wrong. I didn’t think of strategy at all. I just assumed that I should start writing and see where it took me. For some people this might be a good strategy, but in my opinion it doesn’t work for most people. Writing manuscripts is an extremely difficult and time-consuming task, and it requires a principled an organized approach. At the very least, you need to write a synopsis, a chapter by chapter guideline, character sketches, and many other notes that are relevant to the story you are creating.

Of course, some people need more tools for writing a manuscript. There are a number of different manuscript writing programs on the market. Although I have not tried any of them personally, I have heard from some of my friends that they give good results. Scriptwriting software can give you ideas when you are stuck, automatically format your manuscript in the correct style,, and help you to organize all of your different notes. Writers are not always the most together and on-task people, so this can be an invaluable resource.

Everyone writing a manuscript eventually gets to that big question: do you want to publish. Publishing a book can be very difficult, and there are many different approaches. The classical approach, of course, is to get an agent, and have them send your work off to different publishers. You don’t necessarily have to finish writing a manuscript before you do this, as long as you have completed a few chapters and a synopsis.. you can also build up your credibility as a writer by publishing short stories in various national and local magazines before trying to publish a novel. Of course nowadays, more and more authors are self-publishing. When you self-publish a book, you get to control every aspect of production and editing. The disadvantage, of course, is that it is difficult to make any money at it. At least in the beginning, self-publishing is mostly a labor of love.

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Tips For Writing A Biography

Writer’s all start out writing the same things. Most start out writing their diaries as children, and may move on to short stories or poems. However, when they decide that this is something that they want to do for a living, there are many different directions they can go. Some like to stay with fiction, and they find much contentment with that choice. Others like to tell stories, but they think that truth is far more interesting than any fiction you can read. These are the ones that might want to write the life stories of others. If you think that writing a biography for someone is what you might like to do, there are some things you should know.

When writing a biography, you have to find someone who has the time to spend with you, and that also has a great story to tell. This person does not have to be famous to have a good story, but someone who has had some public interaction is going to sell much better. Sometimes, even the best stories in biography writing will fail simply because the publishers does not think they will sell very well. If you aren’t concerned with sales, and you are writing a biography just because it is something you think you have to do, you can find any story or life that you find interesting.

Fact is important in all types of nonfiction writing, and even some things in fiction much be based on fact. This is the same with writing a biography. This means you have to pay special attention to the details, and you have to keep meticulous notes about what someone is telling you. You should even verify the facts by going over things again with the subject at a later time. This aspect of biography writing is very important. You don’t want anything to compromise your integrity. Keep detailed notes and save them in at least two forms.

Another important aspect of writing a biography is trying to verify if the story the person is telling you is true. If you were to publish a story, and it comes to light that the story is untrue, you could be in a lot of trouble. Not only can you lose money, you will lose any credibility that you may have. Use whatever resources you can to verify that the facts are indeed true for your own protection when writing a biography. In the long run, you will be glad that you took the time to do this.

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Using The Works Word Processor

As word processors go, most will say that they love Microsoft Word, and that is all that they use. When you get a job anywhere, you will find that this is what they use as well, though some still use the WordPerfect software. However, for someone like me, I don’t want to spend that much money on that program when I have something else that works just as well. I work from home as a writer, and spending that much on software is iffy. I found that the Works Word Processor fits my needs rather well.

When I got my computer, I thought that Word came with it. I was wrong. When I tried to use it I was asked for the registration number. I knew then that I had to find something else to use, as I did not want to pay for the Word program. It was just not in my budget at the time. When I turned on my computer for the first time, the first thing I looked for was a processor, as my livelihood depends on one. I found that I had the Works word processor on my machine, and I was happy to see that it was almost like Word in function.

Though many say that Word is superior in many ways, I have found that the Works word processor has the features that are most important to someone like me. There is a spell check, which is essential for me, and there is also a word count. You can do most of the basic things you can do with Word, but without the high price of that software. There are some things that it can not do, but if you can do without those things, the Works word processor is going to fit your needs if the price of Word is simply not in your budget as it was for me.

What I found when I started using the Works word processor is that it does save files in a different format than Word. Most of the clients that I work with want work submitted in the .doc format instead of the format offered by Works. That is easily fixed, however, as you can save your files as .doc with a few clicks of your mouse. You can not usually use it to open Word documents, but you can find a free Word reader on the Internet that you can use. Overall, the Works word processor can be all you need, even when you rely on this type of software for your career.

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Working From Home

As someone who makes a living working from home, I have to tell you that it is not quite as glamorous as you might think. Don’t get me wrong – I love to work from home. I get to set my own hours, work in my pajamas all day, and take off time whenever I want to. On the downside, however, there are problems with job security, and of course the need to practice constant self discipline. Before you decide on a career of home-based business, you should carefully think out the pros and cons of working from home.

The pros of working from home are obvious. My typical day of work starts at about 10 in the morning – the time that I naturally wake up. I grab a quick breakfast, read the paper for about 20 minutes, and sit down at the computer. From there, I work from home for about five hours. After that, I take off a few hours to go jogging, practice piano, and read a little bit. I do a few more my hours in the evening and then call it a night.

I can change this routine whenever I want to. Working from home allows me to take less jobs when I feel like it. I can go on vacation for two weeks as long as I have the money saved up. On the other hand, if I want to do more work and save up some cash, I can do that too. I am completely at liberty to work 10 hour days whenever I want to with no one telling me when to go home.

On the downside, of course, there are a lot of issues as well. One of the biggest ones is job security. When you work from home, you usually work on a contract basis. If you take typing from home jobs, you only have work as long as there is typing being sent out to you. If you write freelance, you have to constantly be on the lookout for jobs. This can eat up a lot of time – particularly when you are first beginning. You can make a career working from home, but not right away.

In the long run, I think the advantages of working from home definitely beat the disadvantages. If you have the ability to practice intense self-discipline and not let yourself slacked off, you can get your work done and be able to avoid the morning commute for the rest of your life.

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