You'll be smiling through wet eyes by the end of this...

YouTube short animated

September 1908 saw the production of the first Model T. I figure a great way for Ford to boost sales would be to come out with a revamped street legal modern version of their classic to celebrate its centennial!

What would such a critter look like?

Just noticed a headline at newsweek.com, suggesting that there's too much happiness (or is that "happyness"? that movie has me all confused, now!), that sadness can be good. And I thought, well, duh! It's an excuse to eat chocolate!

I know a lot of people are confused about the connection between using ethanol fuels (like E85, a mix of 15% gas and 85% ethanol) and cleaning the air of excess greenhouse gases. It's probably because vehicles that use E85 are, like hybrids, considered "alternative fuel vehicles." You can produce a lot of confusion by clustering different things in the same box. Like 9/11 and Iraq. Not related, yet we went to war because of that kind of confusion.

Ethanol-based fuels are not better for the environment than oil-based fuels. That was never the point of them. The point was to find an alternative to oil-based fuels because we are currently somewhat dependant on foreign oil, and eventually oil is going to run out. It's about availability, not cleaning the air. In fact, according to this article about ethanol, it's actually worse for the environment, maybe by a lot. Why? It takes a lot of processing to turn corn or beets into fuel, and it takes a lot of land to grow the veggies. The processing produces additional greenhouse gases, and the land could be used to grow plants that are great at reducing CO2 load in the air.

You've heard me complain about how the economic stimulus package is really a bad idea. 168 billion dollars handed out to people, supposedly as tax rebates. Supposedly, this will boost the economy because most people will see it as free money and go out and spend it. Whoo hoo! Except that people should be using it to pay off debts, or put it in savings. Also, where does that money come from?

If the government has that kind of money just sitting around, it could be focused on the hungry, schools, energy research, foreign aid. Before you indicate that the hungry will be getting some of the money, I'll point out that until recent changes to the bill, if you didn't pay taxes, you weren't getting squat. Even now, the homeless won't get a penny, but couples making $150,000 will get $1200, maybe twice that if they have a lot of kids.

But really, the government doesn't have that kind of money. So where is it coming from? Increasing the debt? Increasing the taxes of our children's children? According to this MSN money article, the money is really an advance on your tax refund next year. So it's not free money, it's an advance on your refund. If you're not getting a refund next year, then it's an increase in the taxes you'll be paying, if this article has the right of it.

And here's something to think about: Will you be responsible for state/local taxes on this so-called "free money"?

Can anybody tell me how this package is really a good thing? And why is Congress -- both House and Senate, both Dems and Reps, all jumping on it, unless they're afraid to lose our votes otherwise?

If you own a home in Maryland, you are eligible for the Homestead Tax Credit. As you probably know, every three years, the property value of your home is reassessed by the government, and you owe property tax on the new value. However, to avoid rapid increases in property value taxes, there is a limit in how fast the tax can increase, between 2% and 10% per year, depending on where you live.

The difference between the increased tax on your newly assessed value and the maximum increase is the Homestead Tax Credit. Normally, this is applied automatically, and if you're still paying a mortgage, you've never really noticed. But starting this year, when you get your assessment, it will include an application you'll need to send in, or forget the credit. FAQ about the Homestead credit.

If you didn't get your assessment this year (you only get it every three years) then you'll get to send your application next year or the year after, when your assessment arrives.

It's a one-time thing, so this should be the only time you have to do it. Until next time.

Ann Hornaday's Review of 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days is captivating.

The movie is a snapshot of life in Romania, as a young woman in college seeks an (illegal) abortion. That in itself is not what intrigues me about the movie, but rather the way it was filmed, and the way it was reviewed.

A nice check list of most of the documents and information that you'll need when doing your taxes:

Tax Check List

So it seems official that there will be a modest federal tax rebate sent out to most Americans, to the tune of about $300 for each worker plus $300 per dependent, with a $1200 per household cap. Also, it won't go to singles making more than $75k, or couples making more than $150k. There are other guidelines, and it may change a bit before we see money.

I suspect the rebate will be subject to next year's state income tax, so don't spend it all, eh?

That's what Bush is proposing to prop up the current economic problems. If that divied up and handed out, that would be less than $500 per person in the US, but much of that will go to help businesses, and some will be sent as one-time tax relief checks that people can "spend anyway they want." Bush doens't say we should use it to pay off debt, or put into a CD, but to spend it. That's right, he's passing out the equivalent of a year's budget in Iraq to be used as mad money.

Is this really supposed to help the economy?