Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Another De'Javu Article From The Past...Haunting Me in Reality


Before you read this article I wrote over two years ago click these links and read the recent ways the federal government is exerting it's parasitic control over the people.

This one is about a farmer who grew too much on his land so the government fined him

 



This one is about not being able to build a sand castle on the beach???? YES, it's real and doesn't make sense to me.....

It's not so subtle as years past....The FEDS are rearing their ugly head deeper in the private sector and they keep on infesting as a parasite naturally does.....



Patriots in Action


The Feudal Bully Among Us

Or

Why I Hate the IRS

By: Anonymous Taxpayer



If you are eating a meal while reading this, take your fingers and pull that masticated ball of food out of your mouth and throw it in the trash. You’ll begin to understand the first demonstration behind how the IRS fleeces families across America every paycheck.

You may think the feudal picture of the tax collector knocking on the door of the peasant tenants demanding an absurd amount of money a far gone picture of histories past or a story from a tale that we shake our heads at and gullibly think, “I’m glad I didn’t live back in those days.” Well pull the wool off those eyes folks, there is no difference. In this present time the landlord has become the IRS with better lawyers and more power than the feudal kind and the tenants have let it happen. What a shame!

Instead of burly buffoons that threaten beating or eviction from land and home for not paying their tax the IRS has refined this pay or else technique with interest penalties, late filing penalties, seizure of property, invading house and business and jail. I ask these questions. Is it right; is it a good thing to take a cut from the primary source that keeps shelter over our head, food on the table and clothes on our back? In context of all the other taxes we pay, is this not double taxation when we already pay sales tax on our food and clothes and property tax for our homes and land? How did we give this power to the government, to take from the source that supports our very basis for living? When is enough, ENOUGH? Enough will never be enough until the citizens of this country stand up to the bully and say no more stealing my milk money!

Let me tell a tale to emphasize my point.

A hardworking potato farmer who put in very long hours has a good day selling his wares. A generous Friar has given him a little extra for his product out of the kindness of his heart. In his small good fortune the potato farmer is happy because he can now afford to buy his daughter a very much needed pair of shoes. He buys the shoes, a luxury, since he lives on the lessons of frugality. He even feels guilty about this purchase even though it is a necessity of life. Months pass and a tax nobleman is sent to his home demanding payment.

“For what do I owe, I’ve always paid and on time?” replied the potato farmer.

“It says here the Friar gave you extra. You did not tell us this minor detail and it has been two months, so with added interest you owe the equivalent of your potato cart.” stated the tax nobleman.

The potato farmer was dumbfounded. A good days work, a chance to provide for his family and he must pay the price of a cart, twice what it costs for a pair of shoes. The potato farmer was sick to his stomach, “How can I pay for this?”

And then he had a thought. An occurrence came to his memory, one that might save him from this situation.

“Dear nobleman,” he said, “I was traveling to the next town to sell my produce when a nobleman of the state, not unlike yourself ran into my cart spilling my goods in the river. In order to make up for this he gave me a piece of paper stating I could reduce my tax. Here it is.”

The tax noble man reads the paper and says, “This has an expiration date. You should have shown this to your tax man months ago. It’s no good now.”

The potato farmer asked, ‘How can this be, you can go back in the past and change things as long as it’s in your favor. I forget an item that can help me; I’m the one that loses?”

The nobleman replied, “It’s the law.”

So if you paid attention, the potato farmer paid a cart’s price for a pair of shoes, the friar told on the potato farmer-unintentionally making his good deed a rotten potato in the farmer’s eyes and the tax nobleman was going to get his money no matter what.

I give this reason why we let this bully strong arm our income. It started as a great idea, put money away for retirement and health issues and pull from the pot once you make it to a certain age. We did it to help ward off another Depression, to plan ahead, to pay for War Debt. Our mistake was giving away our power. Any great idea that has money attached to it needs restrictions when it comes to government control. The IRS should have been a temporary solution. The citizens sacrificed to help out their country by agreeing to this wallet tax and now the government being used to this inflow of money will not let it go without a fight and will keep it at a standard norm by using bully techniques to the highest degree.

Bullies find weakness and exploit it for their advantages. Many times the bully is so good at sniffing out the weakness and loves the rewards of the advantages so much he creates opportunities to ensure the rewards keep coming. This is proven by the fear sown among the citizens that if they do not follow the bully’s wishes their life will be made difficult along with potential freedom lost. You don’t pay, you go to jail for tax evasion. You make an error- legit or not they send the audit bullies.

A little extreme, on the contrary, I believe this rendition is right on. I know there is a feudal bully among us by the fear I feel when I write these words. If I circulate these thoughts will they audit my records just to push their weight and let me know they’re watching? Dare I put my real name on this paper lest I bring more attention to myself then wanted. Mind you, I am not a conspiracy theorist, schizophrenic, lobbyist or victim. I am your average citizen who is writing from what she sees and feels. In my quick research, I found this eye opening quote.

“Does the IRS cover up occurrences of abuse? The answer is yes! If the true number of incidences of tax payer abuse were ever known, the public would be appalled. If the public also ever knew the number of abuses “covered up” by the IRS there would be a tax revolt.” - wikipedia

I will end this Ninety-Five Theses inspired paper with a quote to spur on a needed revolution.

“All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”

Edward Burke

Update: September 2010
IT"S HIGH TIME AMERICANS WAKE UP AND TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!

Note: I'm not right all the time but every once in a while my gut instinct needs some attention.
Tea Party Demonstration Austin 2009

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Twelve Years, September 12, 2010

Nathan and Chandra Brown
Did I tell you what he did?
Usually when women say that it's a precursor for a way to complain about their husbands to their friends. Well, I am gonna tell you about how he made me feel like Princess Ann played by Audrey Hepburn in the movie Roman Holiday. He let his romantic creative juices flow and I was the benefactor.

This post is dedicated to Nathan and is my thank you to him for being the man that he is.....

Between the two of us, we forget dates like forgetting the important date needed to answer a history quiz. We have to use our math skills and count backward or forward to figure out how old we are. We are hazy on what year it really was that we got married and have to look it up in our photobook. Numbers just seem to elude us, but we are fine with that, we feel comfortable enough with each other that we are just happy to be together, counting years doesn't really matter. Growing older this method will definetly help us. I'll be able to say I'm 65 when maybe I'm really 70. I wish this number method applied to bank acounts.

Recently, my husband informed me he had our anniversary all taken care of. I asked if I needed to get a babysitter and he said, "No".  That got me wondering what he had up his sleeve. A few weeks passed and our anniversary was drawing near, I was busy and almost forgot about the up coming event,  when  September 11th and the news memorializing the twin towers came to my rescue reminding me that the next day was our anniversary. I almost blew it, usually that is the man's motif. Nathan gave a hint of what he planned that night by letting Alex know she was going to have a sleep over, my clue for knowing we were going on a weekend getaway. I was totally impressed, especially since we have no family living near us in Texas. He went the extra mile and asked our dear, sweet neighbor if Alex could spend the night, and boy was she excited for extra time playing with friends.

The next day we dropped Alex off with extra instructions to mind her manners and jumped on the Harley for an exhilarating road trip to Fredericksburg, Texas. (I was inspired so I wrote an article about it, click the word to read)  We ate at Wheeler's and strolled the town, bought a beer at The Fredericksburg Brewery and chatted about current things. Then he surprised me by taking me to The Hangar Hotel, a place I've loved and visited and always wanted to stay. I have had a love affair with the 40's era and airplanes since I was in high school and this hotel has both.  We ate dinner at the Auslander and had authentic German weinerschnitzel and drinks at the Officer's Club where they had a soloist playing an acoustic guitar. We caught up on things you don't normally get to talk about. We took our time at the Airport Diner for breakfast and watched countless airplanes and even a private jet land and taxi.

It may not seem like much but to a couple that hasn't been on a weekend getaway alone since 2004, it meant the world! Those little steps that were actually big planning to make sure it worked helped me see how much my husband cares for me. We celebrated our twelfth year and I dream and hope for twelve + + + + more.

Nathan, I LOVE YOU, and I still want the world to know just as I did in the puppy love days when we first met....


Not so "Funny" Note: The sign says, "I slept like a baby at the hangar hotel....Well, somehow that wasn't in the cards for us, The county fair (next to the hotel) decided to have live music starting @ 10 o'clock and last til' 12 o'clock....Why is it when I'm not at a concert the music lasts longer than is should?
So we stayed up watching the golf channel...actually pretty interesting when you are paying attention! LOL


Having a Drink at the Beirgarten

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One of Our Favorite Planes
Nathan was in car heaven....
The annual Boxstober Fest is held
at the Hangar Hotel and we
happened to be there to see the cars!  
The car showed is $120,000 Porsche...


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

How To Strip And Paint Your Bathroom Vanity

Since I am a  home stager for real estate and run into many a home that needs an update but not a total re-do, I thought I'd lend a helping hand by showing how easy it is to give that bathroom a fresh feel. Paint is your best friend when trying to change a look or make your home keep up with the times.Most of the homes in my neighborhood are anywhere from 15-20 years old and have the original oak cabinets. They do the job, but after a while they just start feeling 80ish.
The Do-It-Yourself process can save money in this economy and also give you a sense of pride in saying, "I did that!" With a little time, patience and effort you can achieve a better atmosphere that is pleasing to the eye and the wallet.

Preparation Process/Original Oak Cabinets
TOOLS NEEDED
Drop cloth
Stripper/Paint brush
Scraper/Screw Driver
Trash Can/Cloth (old Rags)
Paper Towels/Plastic sandwich bag
Mineral Spirits
Primer (white/grey depending on color chosen)
Sand Paper (100-120 grit)
Paint



STEP 1:
Keep a well ventilated area by opening the windows.
Remove all the items from cabinets.
Remove the doors from the cabinet face and remove the
hinges, store them in a plastic bag for safe keeping.
Remove the drawers. Arrange Drop cloth accordingly.
Remember the insides of the cabinet as well.
Apply stripper, just about any full strength stripper will
work, they have improved over the years and work beautifully.
You can also opt to sand the wood. Either way, the goal is to
remove all the sheen and/or finish, so the new paint can adhere.
I start with the cabinet face frame and then work towards the doors
and drawers.
Allow proper sit time if using stripper (directions on back of product)
and scrape the excess finish off. Have a paper towel handy to help keep
the scraper clean and place in trash can. Allow time for cabinet surfaces to
dry and look for spots that may have been missed by the scraping process.
Sand these areas to dull look and feel.
                                                                                  
               
Stripped Cabinet, Begin Priming


STEP 2:
Prime the cabinets. One coat usually all that is needed.
A white primer is best for light colors. A grey primer is
best for dark colors. (Although I used a white primer
for a Chocolate Brown color-I used what I had for
economic purposes, and it turned out fine)
After the primer has dried, a quick sanding to knock down the
nubs for a smooth surface is needed. Wipe the surfaces with clean, dry cloth.



STEP 3:
Apply First coat of color. I chose a water-based satin,enamel. Oil is best but if you are not experienced in painting it can leave brush marks and is a clean up nightmare. Enamel hardens and provides a good cleanable surface. I only had to buy a quart and had some left over for later touch-ups. I also applied 2 coats for best coverage.
Let paint dry fully between coats. I recommend waiting 12-24 hours before putting the cabinet drawers and doors back on.

STEP: 4
VOILA!
Enjoy the new look.
For added fun you can install door pull or knob hardware

(*This picture sadly doesn't do the final work justice)
When all was finished, I spent around $45.00
(my costs were for mineral spirits, paint,drop cloth, and stripper)

NEXT: How to improve and update lighting. Hollywood lights are a NO! NO!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

8' Above Sea Level

Camping on Mustang Island, Texas/ September 2010


A Little History: The earliest known inhabitants of Mustang Island were Karankawa Indians, known for their fierceness and cannibalism. The Karankawas were a hunter-gatherer people, and depended heavily on shellfish and mussels for food. Encountered first by Spanish explorers, the Karankawas survived in the region until the 19th century. The island was first named "Wild Horse Island," then "Mustang," because of the wild horses, called "Mestenos," brought to the island by the Spaniards in the 1800s.



Nathan and Alex Surfing
I find it amusing this islands height above sea level is slightly taller than a man, yet it has weathered storms and hurricanes and is still there. One fun historic fact about the island is the storm that sunk Spanish ships in 1553,quickly capsizing three vessels and displacing or wrecking thirteen others, some of which had treasure on board.

This years camping trip included fun in the sun with family and friends and a few challenges to break us in to outdoor life.

We got camp set-up and the kids played in the sand and waves all day, we did better this year with the constant multiple applications of sunscreen and only had a few spots that got sunburned. We were doing pretty good at our usual sitting, bumming and being plain lazy on the beach. The kids chased and caught crabs, they surfed and made it to the standing position.  We ate like kings, Smoked Ribs with Homemade bean chili, S'Mores roasted over the fire pit, a full breakfast; bacon, eggs, potatoes and French pressed coffee. Living it up gourmet style on the beach. We should have had a clam bake the way we were going.  The it started to get a little windy. Nothing we couldn't handle and it did help the surfing, but darn it after a while, the peristent blowing gets on your nerves. It kicks up the sand and of course, in our laxidaisical coma we forgot to zip tent doors, or close truck tail gates which house ALL your belongings. Dinner became a fight to keep sand out of the cooking zone and utensils from flying off into the dunes. We even spotted a water funnel in the not so far off clouds and were relieved when it dissipated.  Then our sweet friends who showed up that day after a 4 hour trip and just barely finished setting up camp had to leave because their youngest had severe diaper rash. Poor baby! The wind picked up and was blowing tents into a concave, so we improvised by taking off the topper to let airflow help make the tent more stable, it worked until midnight when it started to rain and soak us. So we scrambled in the wind and rain to put the tent topper back on while the dog slips out the door and I'm yelling, "Odie, come here!" as I wake up the campers next to us.  We weather it (LITERALLY) through the night. In the morning we notice the storm surge took out the road leaving seaweed at the tires of our vehicle. We start packing up camp in a downpour that not only soaks everything but adheres half the beach to whatever is wet, which is EVERYTHING! Oh ya, did I forget to mention Nathan's truck was stuck in the sand too, (for the second time) adding to the mess. Well I'm here writing this so that tells ya we made it out. The first time the ranger pulled the truck out, the second time we were lucky, the wet sand was a benefit, it gave enough traction to get us out of there. Oh ya and did I mention we were searching for our camping campanions lost truck keys...talk about a needle in a haystack. No, we didn't leave them in high water...they were able to avert several mini heart attacks and a lot of financial stress and found their keys hiding from them in a very conspicuous spot in the tent.

Think it's over, not yet! We get home and are so plumb tired we do the bare minimum; take the cooler out and put away still usable food and throw some clothes in the laundry. We catch up on some rest and try to ignore the mountian of mess we know we have to take care of later, thinking tomorrow will be a better day to think about it. Well, that storm followed us up to Austin and you guessed it the forecast shows rain for the next 2 days. I thought about leaving the mess for a sunnier day but after opening the tailgate and smelling the stench of saltwater, sand, plastic, and smoke, did I mention sand already? I couldn't leave the mess in there. So I haul a truck load of debris, onto the driveway in sheets of rain, grab the hose and go nutty like a fireman on a five alarm fire and spray every last thing down. (Yes, I had to set the tent back up to get it clean) A few neighbors drove by and a police car...I'm sure they were wondering what the lady that looked like a drowned cat was doing in the middle of a thunderstorm breaking all water conservation rules was up to. I really thought the cop was going to stop and write me a ticket just for the absurdity of it all.

I am proud to say there is a garage full of clean camping items and I conquered this camping trip. The  pestering wind and gritty sand could have had a bad influence on our attitudes but I am happy to say we all worked together and had a GREAT time despite it all.

Let's See What's In Store For Next Year!.......We are still here....