Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Jeff Miles]

	Wasn't this the argument against the use of calculators? I've been  
using one for years and still know 2+2=5.



On Aug 9, 2009, at 12:34 PM, phartz...@gmail.com wrote:


On Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 3:00 PM, mike wrote:

There is an iphone app that tells you where the speed traps  
are...populated
by users I believe.  There is also a marker app that when you dump  
your car
in one of those IKEA like parking lots, you drop a marker from the  
ipod
app.  When you come out of the IKEA maze fifteen hours later, GPS  
and the
marker app guide you to your car.  Would also be handy for old  
ladies who

wander the parking lots of grocery stores and michaels.


 I theorize that the more people use such devices instead of their
brains, wits and common sense, the more reliant one becomes on those
devices and the less useful the brain becomes.

 Also, would those old ladies, or men, even know how to use an iPhone?

 Steve


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Jeff Miles]

Thank you Mike,

Perfect example.
	Plus I have to ask Tom, while I might not arm a child, did you see  
anyone mess with him? If you had a gun strapped in a holster like  
police do, how many people are going to mess with you?


Jeff M


On Aug 9, 2009, at 10:03 AM, mike wrote:


About a week ago I was in a quicktrip getting gas and a drink before
work..it was probably 11.30 at night.  In front of me was a guy who  
clearly
was a biker, had the whole outfit on including what looked like a  
nice 9mm
at his side.  I felt decidedly safer with him there...who is going  
to rob

the quickie mart while he's around?

On Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 9:49 AM, rleesimon  wrote:

Tom, the gun is not a computer gadget, and a bus is not a car.   
Also, was
that kid the only one who was safe on that bus?  Third, were you  
safer on
that bus or walking down the street?  Fourth, what kinda gun do you  
carry?
Last, does the computerized aiming mechanism with facial  
recognition and
wifi or wimax database updates from the FBI and Interpol databases  
run on

PC
or MAC or is it, as I suspect you are also concealing, a Linux  
device??

Did
you take the same bus to VA to get it at a gun show?  If I like  
what you

report, I'll take 2, of course, if the price is right!!

-Original Message-
From: TPiwowar [mailto:t...@tjpa.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2009 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: Computer gadgets in cars

On Aug 9, 2009, at 2:57 AM, Jeff Miles wrote:

I've always wondered why gun toting was disallowed in the first
place. If I was a petty thief, the last person I'd try to mug is a
gun toting person. On the other hand I have to think of the general
common sense of the population. What happens when a person carries
both a cell phone and a gun and the cell phone rings?


Have you ever ridden a bus and had a 14 year old get on with a pistol
tucked in his belt? That moment has a lot to do with my opinion on
guns. I got off at the next stop and walked the rest of the way home.

Are  people routinely shot down in the streets of your town? Are
people afraid to go out of their houses at night? Do stray shots
shatter the windows of your homes while you cower behind the couch?
Do you really think that is a good way to live?

Do you really think being able to shoot back is going to improve the
situation? The more lead we have flying the more innocent people will
be killed.

Why can't I carry a loaded gun into the Capitol? Pass that law first.
Quit the hypocrisy.




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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Jeff Miles]

I'm not sure about the bus thing. Maybe.
	As for people being routinely shot down in the streets of my town,  
yes. We have a gang war going on here. So personally, I'd feel safer  
being armed.
	Will being able to shoot back improve the situation? Yes! The more  
innocent people who don't shoot back and defend themselves, the more  
innocent people who will be killed. You don't win a war by laying down  
your guns.
	And by the way, I'm a liberal who voted for Obama. I just happen to  
be a liberal from the Northwest.


Jeff M


On Aug 9, 2009, at 9:03 AM, TPiwowar wrote:


On Aug 9, 2009, at 2:57 AM, Jeff Miles wrote:
I've always wondered why gun toting was disallowed in the first  
place. If I was a petty thief, the last person I'd try to mug is a  
gun toting person. On the other hand I have to think of the general  
common sense of the population. What happens when a person carries  
both a cell phone and a gun and the cell phone rings?


Have you ever ridden a bus and had a 14 year old get on with a  
pistol tucked in his belt? That moment has a lot to do with my  
opinion on guns. I got off at the next stop and walked the rest of  
the way home.


Are  people routinely shot down in the streets of your town? Are  
people afraid to go out of their houses at night? Do stray shots  
shatter the windows of your homes while you cower behind the couch?  
Do you really think that is a good way to live?


Do you really think being able to shoot back is going to improve the  
situation? The more lead we have flying the more innocent people  
will be killed.


Why can't I carry a loaded gun into the Capitol? Pass that law  
first. Quit the hypocrisy.





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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Eric S. Sande]

Is that for booze or guns or both?


Guns.  Booze is more heavily regulated in VA than guns.

VA has preemption, which means that state law trumps local
ordinances.  That means you can carry say a handgun on your
belt as long as it is visible, even in say downtown Arlington or
a Crystal City mall.  You might get a few questions from the
police, but they can't arrest you for doing it.  


Is there any law about carrying a gun while sloshed?


There are pretty stringent laws about drunk in public, I
imagine if you were carrying a gun under those circumstances
you'd get arrested PDQ.

VA is a remarkably safe place compared to DC, and not a
lot of people practice open carry.  The folks that do carry
normally have concealed weapons permits, which are not
impossible to get but do require thorough background checks
and some considerable hours of approved training.

Since DC v. Heller, it's legal to keep (but not to bear) firearms
in DC.  But the requirements to do so are extensive and complex,
most people don't want to jump through the hoops to do it.

Much less have their name on a short police list.

Do I trust the government?  No.  Am I going to piss off the
government?  No.

Do the criminals care about any of this?  No.


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[b_s-wilk]

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM, rleesimon  wrote:

> > We live just beyond the county seat city limits and FIOS came there 
but not

> > here ...we'll surely get FIOS in our card before we ever get it at our
> > house, can't even get dsl, only cable... and I was so proud of 
having never

> > been a cable customer, but got only 2 channels with a converter and 30'
> > tower, so I knuckled under ...lazy me!!
> >

You already have a tower. Don't you have a friend in town with FIOS? 
Robert Cringely of PBS had a friend broadband on the next mountain from 
his home, http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/02/08/1912256.



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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Eric S. Sande]

I thought we weren't going to have this discussion?


So did I.  Silly me, I took Tom at his word.


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Eric S. Sande]

I am having a vision of Eric swinging a U-lock and armed with a >Topeak (or 
possibly Park) Multi bicycle tool at me when I ask

"When is FIOS ever coming to my condo?".


Au contraire, I am an extremely peaceful person.


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Re: [CGUYS] Win7 not winsome WRT upgrades

[John Duncan Yoyo]

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 8:07 PM, TPiwowar  wrote:

> On Aug 10, 2009, at 6:04 PM, John Duncan Yoyo wrote:
>
>> But it is windows.  A clean install is the only sane way to install.
>>
>
> Might as well make it a hackintosh. Less trouble and a better result.
>

Yeah but I would clean install OSX as well.  Our Mac has been on the
original installation of OSX.4 (was that Tabby or Calico?) for a couple of
years and it is due for a good housecleaning.

-- 
John Duncan Yoyo
---o)


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Jeff Wright]

> Not true at all. They buy guns by the dozen, legally (because it is
> so easy in VA) and then sell them in DC (illegally). Why should they
> bother to do something illegally when it is so easy to do in legally?

I thought we weren't going to have this discussion?


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Re: [CGUYS] Win7 not winsome WRT upgrades

[TPiwowar]

On Aug 10, 2009, at 6:04 PM, John Duncan Yoyo wrote:

But it is windows.  A clean install is the only sane way to install.


Might as well make it a hackintosh. Less trouble and a better result.




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Re: [CGUYS] Win7 not winsome WRT upgrades

[Chris Dunford]

> But it is windows.  A clean install is the only sane way to install.  Yes
> I've done upgrades in place but it wasn't pretty and went back to reinstall
> soon after.

Actually, this turns out not to be always the case. A co-worker of mine updated 
his PC from Vista Ultimate to Win7 Ultimate RTM over the weekend. He says it 
went splendidly: he has found nothing so
far that isn't working right and all his apps and settings, as far as he can 
tell, are still in place. 

Some other types of upgrades will certainly present problems, but Vista 
Ultimate->Win7 Ultimate appears to work pretty well.

And this guy is no WFB, by the way. He prefers his Mac.


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[TPiwowar]

On Aug 10, 2009, at 5:57 PM, Bill Wajert wrote:
Let's be very clear about one thing. Gun Bans only affect law  
abiding citizens. Criminals could care less

and do not purchase guns legally, even if they could.


Not true at all. They buy guns by the dozen, legally (because it is  
so easy in VA) and then sell them in DC (illegally). Why should they  
bother to do something illegally when it is so easy to do in legally?





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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Bill Wajert]

Let's be very clear about one thing. Gun Bans only affect law abiding 
citizens. Criminals could care less

and do not purchase guns legally, even if they could.





Subject:
Re: Computer gadgets in cars
From:
TPiwowar 
Date:
Sun, 9 Aug 2009 12:03:43 -0400


On Aug 9, 2009, at 2:57 AM, Jeff Miles wrote:
I've always wondered why gun toting was disallowed in the first 
place. If I was a petty thief, the last person I'd try to mug is a 
gun toting person. On the other hand I have to think of the general 
common sense of the population. What happens when a person carries 
both a cell phone and a gun and the cell phone rings?


Have you ever ridden a bus and had a 14 year old get on with a pistol 
tucked in his belt? That moment has a lot to do with my opinion on 
guns. I got off at the next stop and walked the rest of the way home.


Are  people routinely shot down in the streets of your town? Are 
people afraid to go out of their houses at night? Do stray shots 
shatter the windows of your homes while you cower behind the couch? Do 
you really think that is a good way to live?


Do you really think being able to shoot back is going to improve the 
situation? The more lead we have flying the more innocent people will 
be killed.


Why can't I carry a loaded gun into the Capitol? Pass that law first. 
Quit the hypocrisy.





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Re: [CGUYS] Win7 not winsome WRT upgrades

[John Duncan Yoyo]

But it is windows.  A clean install is the only sane way to install.  Yes
I've done upgrades in place but it wasn't pretty and went back to reinstall
soon after.

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 1:30 PM, David K Watson
wrote:

> Walt Mossberg requested and got from MS an official Windows 7
> upgrade chart.
>
> <
> http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20090804/deciphering-windows-7-upgrades-the-official-chart/
> >
>
> It has *only* 66 upgrade scenarios in it, as it merely considers half
> of the versions of Win7 that MS will be offering.  The chart is horrible,
> there is a discussion of that and a much improved version of it at
>
> ,
>
> where you can also read about a workaround for an upgrade path that
> MS won't let you do directly but which a lot of people are likely to want.
> Why won't MS enable you to upgrade directly from Vista Home to
> Windows 7 Professional instead of doing an annoying workaround?
>
>
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-- 
John Duncan Yoyo
---o)


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Re: [CGUYS] LISTSERV

[Tony B]

What facts are you referring to? My post was an opinion. Having
trouble telling the difference?


2009/8/10 TPiwowar :
> On Aug 10, 2009, at 1:45 AM, Tony B wrote:
>>
>> This is a heck of a stretch though. While both Google and Yahoo Groups
>> save old messages, and allow you to read them from a browser,
>> comparing that experience to even the simplest free forums these days
>> is like comparing a unicycle to a Corvette.
>
> Did you check your facts before posting?
>
> http://groups-beta.google.com/googlegroups/tour3/index.html
>
> I didn't think so.


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[mike]

The big O is a neocon now?

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 10:18 AM, TPiwowar  wrote:

>  They manage the economy believing the money will never run out. They
> manage healthcare believing that illness and old age are things that only
> happen to other people.


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[mike]

What is wrong with cable in your area?  Cable here is the it.  Speeds up to
50mbit coming soon.

On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 11:22 AM, rleesimon  wrote:

> We live just beyond the county seat city limits and FIOS came there but not
> here ...we'll surely get FIOS in our card before we ever get it at our
> house, can't even get dsl, only cable... and I was so proud of having never
> been a cable customer, but got only 2 channels with a converter and 30'
> tower, so I knuckled under ...lazy me!!
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Paul Cannon [mailto:pecan...@bellatlantic.net]
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 9:59 AM
> Subject: Re: Computer gadgets in cars
>
> I am having a vision of Eric swinging a U-lock and armed with a Topeak (or
> possibly Park) Multi bicycle tool at me when I ask
> "When is FIOS ever coming to my condo?".
>
> Scary.  Very Scary...
>
>
>
> On Sun, Aug 09, 2009 at 05:36:38PM -0400, Eric S. Sande wrote:
> >> He will. And then he'll rob you. Biker dude still makes you feel safe?
> >
> > Open carry is legal in VA.
> >
> > Being a biker is not illegal.
> >
> > I wouldn't call myself a biker, I ride a bike but I'd call myself a
> cyclist
> > as opposed to the motorized variety.
> >
> > I probably don't look as threatening as a full out Harley dude, but I
> > figure I might get some attention when kitted out.  I don't carry, it's
> > illegal in DC.
> >
> >
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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[rleesimon]

We live just beyond the county seat city limits and FIOS came there but not
here ...we'll surely get FIOS in our card before we ever get it at our
house, can't even get dsl, only cable... and I was so proud of having never
been a cable customer, but got only 2 channels with a converter and 30'
tower, so I knuckled under ...lazy me!!

-Original Message-
From: Paul Cannon [mailto:pecan...@bellatlantic.net] 
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: Computer gadgets in cars

I am having a vision of Eric swinging a U-lock and armed with a Topeak (or
possibly Park) Multi bicycle tool at me when I ask 
"When is FIOS ever coming to my condo?".

Scary.  Very Scary...



On Sun, Aug 09, 2009 at 05:36:38PM -0400, Eric S. Sande wrote:
>> He will. And then he'll rob you. Biker dude still makes you feel safe?
>
> Open carry is legal in VA.
>
> Being a biker is not illegal.
>
> I wouldn't call myself a biker, I ride a bike but I'd call myself a
cyclist
> as opposed to the motorized variety.
>
> I probably don't look as threatening as a full out Harley dude, but I
> figure I might get some attention when kitted out.  I don't carry, it's
> illegal in DC.
>
>
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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[rleesimon]

Frienda mine is'n old cop (had a 6 shooter) and he went through from academy
to retirement and never shot at a suspect or was shot himself ...good
career!! ...and others in his squad were involved in shootings or got
tagged, so... I don't know where, but I have the idea statistics show most
cops are of the former ilk, never have to use the weapon during their
career... It ain't like tv, eh?

-Original Message-
From: mike [mailto:xha...@gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 2:31 AM
Subject: Re: Computer gadgets in cars

Even better, I watch old episodes of the rifleman...he sometimes goes a
whole show just carrying the gun and doesn't even use it!

On Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 7:08 PM, Robert Carroll
wrote:

> Since I got a DVR from Verizon Fios, I have recorded & watched old
episodes
> of "Maverick."   Everyone (except some females) carry guns on that program
> and use them profusely.  Seems to work for them, so why not for us today?
>  Maybe every walk down a sidewalk -- better said, for today, a drive in my
> car -- ought to have a gun exchange.  Of course I will win since I am the
> good guy, and besides I need to go to work tomorrow unlike the delinquents
> who fire at me as on the TV show.
>
>
> Jeff Miles wrote:
>
>>I've always wondered why gun toting was disallowed in the first place.
>> If I was a petty thief, the last person I'd try to mug is a gun toting
>> person. On the other hand I have to think of the general common sense of
the
>> population. What happens when a person carries both a cell phone and a
gun
>> and the cell phone rings?
>>
>> Jeff M
>>
>>
>>
>
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Re: [CGUYS] LISTSERV

[TPiwowar]

On Aug 10, 2009, at 1:45 AM, Tony B wrote:

This is a heck of a stretch though. While both Google and Yahoo Groups
save old messages, and allow you to read them from a browser,
comparing that experience to even the simplest free forums these days
is like comparing a unicycle to a Corvette.


Did you check your facts before posting?

http://groups-beta.google.com/googlegroups/tour3/index.html

I didn't think so.




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Re: [CGUYS] Blind search engine comparison

[Chris Dunford]

> Another thing I find not surprising...
> "Then Matt Cutts, a Google employee, pointed out on FriendFeed that
> Kordahi works for Microsoft. "I worry a little bit about self-
> selection bias," he wrote."

Yes, Tom, let's assume that the guy just made up the results and put MS in 
second place. That's good thinking.


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[CGUYS] Win7 not winsome WRT upgrades

[David K Watson]

Walt Mossberg requested and got from MS an official Windows 7
upgrade chart.




It has *only* 66 upgrade scenarios in it, as it merely considers half
of the versions of Win7 that MS will be offering.  The chart is  
horrible,

there is a discussion of that and a much improved version of it at

,

where you can also read about a workaround for an upgrade path that
MS won't let you do directly but which a lot of people are likely to  
want.

Why won't MS enable you to upgrade directly from Vista Home to
Windows 7 Professional instead of doing an annoying workaround?


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[TPiwowar]

On Aug 10, 2009, at 1:13 AM, Constance Warner wrote:
I'm afraid that my co-worker had kind of unrealistic mental  
pictures of just how this kind of scene would play out in real  
life, and how useful--and practical--a firearm would be.  His  
rescue fantasies probably wouldn't rescue anybody and would be more  
likely to get himself and maybe others killed.


That seems to be a consistent con/neocon affliction. They attack  
countries believing the populace will rush them with flowers. They  
manage the economy believing the money will never run out. They  
manage healthcare believing that illness and old age are things that  
only happen to other people. They manage guns with a Walter Mitty  
view of life.


I just BlindSearched "walter mitty" and was most impressed with  
Google. There was spam in the Yahoo column.





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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[TPiwowar]

On Sun, Aug 09, 2009 at 05:36:38PM -0400, Eric S. Sande wrote:

Open carry is legal in VA.


Is that for booze or guns or both?

Is there any law about carrying a gun while sloshed?




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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[TPiwowar]

On Aug 10, 2009, at 9:26 AM, Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:
I really don't want to get too deeply into it- however-- it is well  
know
what errors (i.e., questions NOT asked) exist for both Tax Cut and  
TurboTax.
One could (theoretically?) choose the proper program to prepare  
one's taxes

and then blame the error on the questions NOT asked by the program.


Somebody needs to set up the equivalent of BlindSearch for tax  
programs. Then you can press the button that saves you the most money.





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Re: [CGUYS] Blind search engine comparison

[TPiwowar]

On Aug 10, 2009, at 11:04 AM, Chris Dunford wrote:
Considering how new Bing is, that strikes me as a surprisingly good  
result.


Search for blindsearch.fejus.com and you'll get an error message in  
the Bing column:
Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/.taniika/ 
mkordahi/blindsearch.fejus.com/search_funtions.php on line 130

Why am I not surprised?

Another thing I find not surprising...
"Then Matt Cutts, a Google employee, pointed out on FriendFeed that  
Kordahi works for Microsoft. "I worry a little bit about self- 
selection bias," he wrote."


The above from a long and very interesting Reuters story about  
BlindSearch. Unfortunately it appears to have been taken down at  
Reuters. You may still find it cached here...
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:ZIBOKKY4szQJ:www.reuters.com/ 
article/wtUSInvestingNews/idUS105385871620090609+blindsearch+Microsoft 
+MVP


I would have expected the 3 choices to be close to 33% each so I'm  
surprised that Google scored so well. Why 33% each? Because it is  
very unlikely that searchers could do any genuine analysis by  
skimming the 3 columns. A good analysis would take a lot of work. Few  
people would do that. So I would expect clicks would be uniformly  
distributed among the 3 choices.


I blindsearched on "Ricky Jay" and found some very interesting  
interviews and opeds in one column. That turned out to be the column  
for Google. Proving nothing.





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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.]

1.  You are assuming that someone may be ignorant of the
idiosyncrasies of the program in question.
2.  You still owe the tax, when and if found.  

Eschew Obfuscation

This is a reply from: 
Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 
  Financial, Managerial, and Technical Services
for the Professional, Non-Profit, and the Entrepreneurial Organization

  703.548.1343 voice 
  703.783.1340 fax 
  

>From thinking to doing, from sales to profits, from tax to investments- we
are YOUR adjuvancy

-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List [mailto:computerguy...@listserv.aol.com]
On Behalf Of Steve at Verizon
Sent: 08/10/2009 12:10 PM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

I agree with you that tax programs are best for those filers who have 
relatively simple returns (as I do). I'm very surprised that a high 
profile individual who worked in an environment where there are tricky 
issues  regarding what constitutes income, would use a tax program 
rather than a tax accountant.

I think your last line is negated by the fact that ignorance of the law 
is no protection from breaking it.

Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:
> I really don't want to get too deeply into it- however-- it is well know
> what errors (i.e., questions NOT asked) exist for both Tax Cut and
TurboTax.
> One could (theoretically?) choose the proper program to prepare one's
taxes
> and then blame the error on the questions NOT asked by the program.  
>
> Eschew Obfuscation
>
> This is a reply from: 
> Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 
>   Financial, Managerial, and Technical
Services
> for the Professional, Non-Profit, and the Entrepreneurial Organization
>
>   703.548.1343 voice 
>   703.783.1340 fax 
>   
>
> >From thinking to doing, from sales to profits, from tax to investments-
we
> are YOUR adjuvancy
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Computer Guys Discussion List
[mailto:computerguy...@listserv.aol.com]
> On Behalf Of Steve at Verizon
> Sent: 08/10/2009 9:12 AM
> To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
> Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help
>
> I don't think you can blame a tax program for not catching Daschle's tax 
> evasion. Could you expect a program to ask "Were you loaned a limousine 
> and driver for free?" I don't think you could expect a tax accountant to 
> present a series of questions including that one.
>
> As a high ranking member of the Senate for decades, he should have known 
> what political favors should be reported as income.
>
> Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:
>   
>> I am sure you recall that both Geithner and Daschle had tax problems and
>> each used a different tax program.  Each program had its own failures.
>>   
>>
>> 
>
>
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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[Steve at Verizon]

I agree with you that tax programs are best for those filers who have 
relatively simple returns (as I do). I'm very surprised that a high 
profile individual who worked in an environment where there are tricky 
issues  regarding what constitutes income, would use a tax program 
rather than a tax accountant.


I think your last line is negated by the fact that ignorance of the law 
is no protection from breaking it.


Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:

I really don't want to get too deeply into it- however-- it is well know
what errors (i.e., questions NOT asked) exist for both Tax Cut and TurboTax.
One could (theoretically?) choose the proper program to prepare one's taxes
and then blame the error on the questions NOT asked by the program.  


Eschew Obfuscation

This is a reply from: 
Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 
  Financial, Managerial, and Technical Services

for the Professional, Non-Profit, and the Entrepreneurial Organization

  703.548.1343 voice 
  703.783.1340 fax 
  


>From thinking to doing, from sales to profits, from tax to investments- we
are YOUR adjuvancy


-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List [mailto:computerguy...@listserv.aol.com]
On Behalf Of Steve at Verizon
Sent: 08/10/2009 9:12 AM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

I don't think you can blame a tax program for not catching Daschle's tax 
evasion. Could you expect a program to ask "Were you loaned a limousine 
and driver for free?" I don't think you could expect a tax accountant to 
present a series of questions including that one.


As a high ranking member of the Senate for decades, he should have known 
what political favors should be reported as income.


Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:
  

I am sure you recall that both Geithner and Daschle had tax problems and
each used a different tax program.  Each program had its own failures.
  





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[CGUYS] Blind search engine comparison

[Chris Dunford]

This is interesting:

http://blindsearch.fejus.com/

Basically, you type in a search query and it submits the query to Google, Bing, 
and Yahoo, then displays the results in three columns. All branding is removed 
so that you don't know which results are
which.

At one point you could vote on which results were the most useful, and the 
voting was published (you can still vote, after which it will show you which is 
which, but the responses are no longer being
tallied). When tallying ended, Google was ahead, but not by nearly as much as I 
would have expected:

Google  44%
Bing33%
Yahoo   23%

Considering how new Bing is, that strikes me as a surprisingly good result.


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Re: [CGUYS] Computer gadgets in cars

[Paul Cannon]

I am having a vision of Eric swinging a U-lock and armed with a Topeak (or 
possibly Park) Multi bicycle tool at me when I ask 
"When is FIOS ever coming to my condo?".

Scary.  Very Scary...



On Sun, Aug 09, 2009 at 05:36:38PM -0400, Eric S. Sande wrote:
>> He will. And then he'll rob you. Biker dude still makes you feel safe?
>
> Open carry is legal in VA.
>
> Being a biker is not illegal.
>
> I wouldn't call myself a biker, I ride a bike but I'd call myself a cyclist
> as opposed to the motorized variety.
>
> I probably don't look as threatening as a full out Harley dude, but I
> figure I might get some attention when kitted out.  I don't carry, it's
> illegal in DC.
>
>
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> -- 
> This message has been scanned for viruses and
> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
> believed to be clean.


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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.]

I really don't want to get too deeply into it- however-- it is well know
what errors (i.e., questions NOT asked) exist for both Tax Cut and TurboTax.
One could (theoretically?) choose the proper program to prepare one's taxes
and then blame the error on the questions NOT asked by the program.  

Eschew Obfuscation

This is a reply from: 
Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 
  Financial, Managerial, and Technical Services
for the Professional, Non-Profit, and the Entrepreneurial Organization

  703.548.1343 voice 
  703.783.1340 fax 
  

>From thinking to doing, from sales to profits, from tax to investments- we
are YOUR adjuvancy


-Original Message-
From: Computer Guys Discussion List [mailto:computerguy...@listserv.aol.com]
On Behalf Of Steve at Verizon
Sent: 08/10/2009 9:12 AM
To: COMPUTERGUYS-L@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

I don't think you can blame a tax program for not catching Daschle's tax 
evasion. Could you expect a program to ask "Were you loaned a limousine 
and driver for free?" I don't think you could expect a tax accountant to 
present a series of questions including that one.

As a high ranking member of the Senate for decades, he should have known 
what political favors should be reported as income.

Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:
> I am sure you recall that both Geithner and Daschle had tax problems and
> each used a different tax program.  Each program had its own failures.
>   
>


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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[Ray Rheault]

If you're an employee and don't have complicated deductions, I think TurboTax, 
filed on-line, works fine.  However, there are at LOT of new tax laws this year 
that you may be able to take advantage of, so unless you stay current on 
individual tax law I don't see how you have any choice BUT (1) to use a 
PROFESSIONAL preparer (not Jackson Hewitt or H&R Block unless someone you trust 
recommends one of their preparers) or (2) use tax software and CAREFULLY answer 
every question.

For example, due to the stimulus bill, this year I should be able to (a) take 
an energy tax credit, (b) deduct sales taxes on a new car, and (c) take a 
college tuition credit, none of which I did (or could have done under 2008 tax 
law).

Also, I found this item handy to organize tax info "on the fly" or prior to 
completing a tax return:
http://www.amazon.com/Smead-89202-Expanding-File-Organizer/dp/B001NPD012/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1249909627&sr=1-1

I'm sure it may be available at traditional Office Supply Stores as well.
-- Original message from Mike Sloane : 
-- 


> I am hardly the most organized of people (a big understatement at best), 
> but I am very careful with anything to do with taxes (US and state). 
> When the first piece of paper comes in that has anything related to a 
> year's taxes, I put it in a big manila envelope marked "200X Taxes". As 
> the year progresses, that is where everything related to taxes goes 
> immediately. Being retired, my tax returns aren't all that complicated, 
> but I have been using TurboTax ever since it came out on a couple of 
> floppy diskettes, and I have never had a problem either filing or being 
> questioned by the IRS. (and, like the other posters, I do NOT file 
> electronically and don't have direct deposit of my refund.) I am 
> guessing that the IRS has a little more confidence in returns filed by 
> TurboTax than they do returns filled out by hand - at least they know 
> the math is right, even if some of the numbers might not be. 
> 
> I think that, if I ever came in to large sums from the lottery or an 
> inheritance or was involved in my own business (all highly unlikely!), I 
> would seek professional advice (NOT from a storefront operation!), but 
> so far I have not encountered any financial situations that were outside 
> the application's capabilities. The big challenge will occur when we are 
> forced to start redeeming IRA's that are very, very old. One of the best 
> parts of TurboTax is being able to import data from the federal filing 
> directly into the state return. I can usually do both in a couple of hours. 
> 
> Mike 
> 
> Wayne Dernoncourt wrote: 
> > b_s-wilk 
> >>> On Aug 9, 2009, at 2:08 PM, Wayne Dernoncourt wrote: 
>  I'm thinking we should go to a tax person to deal 
>  with this. 
> > 
> >>> Yes you should. I found that fighting the software 
> >>> distracted me from other important tax issues, causing 
> >>> a mess. I filed and then had to hire a human to refile 
> >>> a correct form. 
> > 
> >> We do our own taxes, small business and all. Tax software 
> >> isn't particularly efficient, but having everything in a 
> >> database/spreadsheet at the end is convenient. It often 
> >> takes more time to use software or an accountant than to 
> >> fill out forms yourself. Most of the work is gathering 
> >> all of the pieces of paper, records, notes, numbers, 
> >> statememts, forms. I use my own Excel spreadsheet, then 
> >> sometimes TurboTax. 
> 
> 
> 
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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[Steve at Verizon]

I don't think you can blame a tax program for not catching Daschle's tax 
evasion. Could you expect a program to ask "Were you loaned a limousine 
and driver for free?" I don't think you could expect a tax accountant to 
present a series of questions including that one.


As a high ranking member of the Senate for decades, he should have known 
what political favors should be reported as income.


Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. wrote:

I am sure you recall that both Geithner and Daschle had tax problems and
each used a different tax program.  Each program had its own failures.
  




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Re: [CGUYS] Difference between a mailing list and a web forum

[Jordan]

Rev. Stewart Marshall wrote:



The moon is made of green cheese, and Oh yeas Elvis is alive.


I like the Men In Black version;
He's alive but he just went home.


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Re: [CGUYS] Turbo Tax help

[Mike Sloane]

I am hardly the most organized of people (a big understatement at best), 
but I am very careful with anything to do with taxes (US and state). 
When the first piece of paper comes in that has anything related to a 
year's taxes, I put it in a big manila envelope marked "200X Taxes". As 
the year progresses, that is where everything related to taxes goes 
immediately. Being retired, my tax returns aren't all that complicated, 
but I have been using TurboTax ever since it came out on a couple of 
floppy diskettes, and I have never had a problem either filing or being 
questioned by the IRS. (and, like the other posters, I do NOT file 
electronically and don't have direct deposit of my refund.) I am 
guessing that the IRS has a little more confidence in returns filed by 
TurboTax than they do returns filled out by hand - at least they know 
the math is right, even if some of the numbers might not be.


I think that, if I ever came in to large sums from the lottery or an 
inheritance or was involved in my own business (all highly unlikely!), I 
would seek professional advice (NOT from a storefront operation!), but 
so far I have not encountered any financial situations that were outside 
the application's capabilities. The big challenge will occur when we are 
forced to start redeeming IRA's that are very, very old. One of the best 
parts of TurboTax is being able to import data from the federal filing 
directly into the state return. I can usually do both in a couple of hours.


Mike

Wayne Dernoncourt wrote:

b_s-wilk

On Aug 9, 2009, at 2:08 PM, Wayne Dernoncourt wrote:

I'm thinking we should go to a tax person to deal
with this.



Yes you should. I found that fighting the software
distracted me from other important tax issues, causing
a mess. I filed and then had to hire a human to refile
a correct form.



We do our own taxes, small business and all. Tax software
isn't particularly efficient, but having everything in a
database/spreadsheet at the end is convenient. It often
takes more time to use software or an accountant than to
fill out forms yourself. Most of the work is gathering
all of the pieces of paper, records, notes, numbers,
statememts, forms. I use my own Excel spreadsheet, then
sometimes TurboTax.




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