The value of each personal and dependent exemption, available to most taxpayers, is $3,800, up $100 from 2011.
The new standard deduction is $11,900 for married couples filing a joint return, up $300, $5,950 for singles and married individuals filing separately, up $150, and $8,700 for heads of household, up $200.
Tax-bracket thresholds increase for each filing status. For a married couple filing a joint return the taxable-income threshold separating the 15-percent bracket from the 25-percent bracket is $70,700, up from $69,000 in 2011.
For tax year 2012, the maximum earned income tax credit (EITC) for low- and moderate- income workers and working families rises to $5,891, up from $5,751 in 2011. The maximum income limit for the EITC rises to $50,270, up from $49,078 in 2011.The credit varies by family size, filing status and other factors, with the maximum credit going to joint filers with three or more qualifying children.
Jan 14, 2012
Where's the Beef
This week in 1984 marked the beginning of a new commercial for Wendy's. Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers in the famous and successful commercial campaign for Wendy’s fast-food chain.
Dave Thomas spent $8 million on the ads that promoted hamburger sales plus T-shirts, baseball caps, records, greeting cards and many other items bearing her picture and the famous question. I think the new ads with the real Wendy are boring, but I really do like the new fries they are now selling.
Dave Thomas spent $8 million on the ads that promoted hamburger sales plus T-shirts, baseball caps, records, greeting cards and many other items bearing her picture and the famous question. I think the new ads with the real Wendy are boring, but I really do like the new fries they are now selling.
Jan 13, 2012
Unwanted Calls
I have begun receiving calls on my cell during the past month and it is irksome. Some texts have also been coming through. It seems the scammers are losing too many home phone numbers as so many people are eliminating them to save money. Now they are attacking cell phones.
There is a web site you can use to look up numbers LINK. It asks for a name, but no email address and you can type in your first name as many folks seem to do. Type in the number and you can see if anyone else has been called, plus details. I have used this before and it has very interesting information. The home page shows examples of comments.
There is also the government National do-not-call Registry, LINK which I signed up for, but it seems some scammers ignore it. I just registered again.
PS - Some scammers call and claim to be from the registry and want to help you sign up. Do not fall for it. Go to the site and sign up for free directly.
There is a web site you can use to look up numbers LINK. It asks for a name, but no email address and you can type in your first name as many folks seem to do. Type in the number and you can see if anyone else has been called, plus details. I have used this before and it has very interesting information. The home page shows examples of comments.
There is also the government National do-not-call Registry, LINK which I signed up for, but it seems some scammers ignore it. I just registered again.
PS - Some scammers call and claim to be from the registry and want to help you sign up. Do not fall for it. Go to the site and sign up for free directly.
Turquoise McDonald's
The first color McDonald's offered was turquoise and the city accepted.
Butt Detector
Here is an interesting development. Apparently butt prints left on car seats are like finger prints. The University of Tokyo has already developed a prototype smart car seat capable of detecting when its occupant is on the verge of falling asleep. The seat features respiration-monitoring sensors and pressure sensors that monitor the pulse. The system can identify the physiological changes that occur 10 minutes before a driver actually falls asleep.
A new company is hoping to use pressure sensors built into car seats to help detect when a car is being driven by an unauthorized person. The seats will use 360 sensors to measure a person’s bum in order to confirm their identity.The system tested was able to identify drivers with 98% accuracy during experiment. The company will with car companies to commercialize it as an anti-theft system. It will be interesting to see how it measures the same person who adds or loses some weight.
A new company is hoping to use pressure sensors built into car seats to help detect when a car is being driven by an unauthorized person. The seats will use 360 sensors to measure a person’s bum in order to confirm their identity.The system tested was able to identify drivers with 98% accuracy during experiment. The company will with car companies to commercialize it as an anti-theft system. It will be interesting to see how it measures the same person who adds or loses some weight.
Jan 10, 2012
Tridge
If a bridge is two, then a tridge must be three. These are usually called tri-bridges, There are twelve in the world.
This Tridge is the formal name of a three-way wood footbridge above the confluence of the Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers near downtown Midland, Michigan. It opened in 1981 and consists of one 31-foot tall central pillar supporting three spokes. Each spoke is 180 feet long by 8 feet wide.
BTW tridge also refers to three player Bridge (cards).
This Tridge is the formal name of a three-way wood footbridge above the confluence of the Chippewa and Tittabawassee Rivers near downtown Midland, Michigan. It opened in 1981 and consists of one 31-foot tall central pillar supporting three spokes. Each spoke is 180 feet long by 8 feet wide.
BTW tridge also refers to three player Bridge (cards).
TV Types
LG just announced a new TV that has a 55 inch screen, is a bit less than one quarter inch thick (less than the width of a pencil) and weighs about 16 pounds. OLED means Organic Light Emitting Diode. It is the newest technology for TVs. It produces a picture far brighter than anything on the market. OLED emits light as opposed to LCD TVs which reflect light. This means that they are not good for outdoor viewing, but the picture is truly eye-popping good. Watch for much bigger screens with OLED displays in malls and other places.
At the Consumer electronics show (CES), beginning this week, Samsung introduced an LED TV, which is .3 inch thick. LED is newer than many of the current flat screen TVs and is brighter. Think of it as better than LCD, but not as good as OLED.
Am sure there will be many more goodies at the show and I will let you know if there is any wizbang technology ready to hit the street. In the meantime, do not buy a new tablet, like the iPad until the new models come out, because it always drives the price of the old ones down. That is not always true for TVs, because dealers are already marking down last year's models to make room for the new ones. TVs are not susceptible to new features every few months like other technology and we usually keep them longer than a few years.
Last year I got rid of a 30-year-old TV and it cost me ten dollars to have it recycled. None of the new TVs will last a third of that time, but each new one will be more exciting to watch. Already in the labs is the next generation AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) which claims to be viewable in direct sunlight.
3D TV is still a technology in search of an audience. It will not be ready for prime time until the producers make 3D content, we do not need to wear dorky glasses, and the quality gets better. Watch for sports to be among the first to adopt the technology. I am still waiting for glasses to replace the screen. They are almost ready for prime time and I hope to be first on my block to own a pair.
At the Consumer electronics show (CES), beginning this week, Samsung introduced an LED TV, which is .3 inch thick. LED is newer than many of the current flat screen TVs and is brighter. Think of it as better than LCD, but not as good as OLED.
Am sure there will be many more goodies at the show and I will let you know if there is any wizbang technology ready to hit the street. In the meantime, do not buy a new tablet, like the iPad until the new models come out, because it always drives the price of the old ones down. That is not always true for TVs, because dealers are already marking down last year's models to make room for the new ones. TVs are not susceptible to new features every few months like other technology and we usually keep them longer than a few years.
Last year I got rid of a 30-year-old TV and it cost me ten dollars to have it recycled. None of the new TVs will last a third of that time, but each new one will be more exciting to watch. Already in the labs is the next generation AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) which claims to be viewable in direct sunlight.
3D TV is still a technology in search of an audience. It will not be ready for prime time until the producers make 3D content, we do not need to wear dorky glasses, and the quality gets better. Watch for sports to be among the first to adopt the technology. I am still waiting for glasses to replace the screen. They are almost ready for prime time and I hope to be first on my block to own a pair.
Color of the Year
OK, here it is, Pantone's color of the year for 2012, Tangerine Tango.
Look for all sorts of things in this color, from napkins to women's clothes, to whole rooms. Looks like Pantone has been visiting too many fast food joints.
Look for all sorts of things in this color, from napkins to women's clothes, to whole rooms. Looks like Pantone has been visiting too many fast food joints.
PC TV
Had to add this last one about the PC TV from this weeks Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Google's Android operating system version 4.0, better known by as "Ice Cream Sandwich" (an alternative to Microsoft Windows), is used in a smart television, a 55-inch 3-D (240Hz refresh rate) LED.
The TV lets you switch among video on demand, Internet apps, and regular TV. You can share music, videos, pictures, etc., from tablets and phones and computers. It has a dual core processor, 1 gig of RAM, a hard drive and 2GB SD card. There is also a built-in 5 megapixel camera for video chats. The remote control features a touchpad, 5-way keys and a motion sensor. It can also respond to voice commands.
The TV lets you switch among video on demand, Internet apps, and regular TV. You can share music, videos, pictures, etc., from tablets and phones and computers. It has a dual core processor, 1 gig of RAM, a hard drive and 2GB SD card. There is also a built-in 5 megapixel camera for video chats. The remote control features a touchpad, 5-way keys and a motion sensor. It can also respond to voice commands.
Jan 6, 2012
Happy Friday
The secret of man's being is not only to live, but to have something to live for.
I am alive and live for having a Happy Friday!
I am alive and live for having a Happy Friday!
Twelve Days of Christmas
Today is officially the end of Christmastime and is the Epiphany, also Theophany, and the day that the three kings, Caspar (sometimes Gaspar), Melchior, and Balthazar showed up in Bethlehem after following the star. I find it interesting while searching my family genealogy, all three names are found, although not recently. OK, now get back to work.
Leap Year This Year
Hurray! We get an extra day to play this year. For those born on February 29, you finally get another birthday after having a few years with no presents.
Of course, if we ever adopt the new calendar proposed you will have a birthday every year. The Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar has at least 30 days in every month and an extra week at the end of every five or six years. An interesting concept that has the same date on the same day every year. Seems too practical to ever be adopted, but it is a nice concept. You will probably be reading more about it soon. LINK
Samoa skipped Friday December 30 in 2011 and went from Thursday to Saturday so it could be moved to the other side of the international date line. It decided it was losing two business days a week with its favorite trading partners in Australia and New Zealand. American Samoa, an hour away by plane, will remain on the other side of the international dateline. That will be some time travel. You can go there and celebrate two birthdays every year.
Of course, if we ever adopt the new calendar proposed you will have a birthday every year. The Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar has at least 30 days in every month and an extra week at the end of every five or six years. An interesting concept that has the same date on the same day every year. Seems too practical to ever be adopted, but it is a nice concept. You will probably be reading more about it soon. LINK
Samoa skipped Friday December 30 in 2011 and went from Thursday to Saturday so it could be moved to the other side of the international date line. It decided it was losing two business days a week with its favorite trading partners in Australia and New Zealand. American Samoa, an hour away by plane, will remain on the other side of the international dateline. That will be some time travel. You can go there and celebrate two birthdays every year.
Video Glasses
Finally this technology is getting closer. I have been waiting for this since they first were developed a number of years ago. It was the same old story, high prices and low quality. Now, we are so close. The only thing missing is that they do not yet support wireless technology. Wouldn't it be nice to eliminate that monitor or TV screen and just wear cool glasses?
Vuzix has updated its line of video eye-wear and is compatible with both 2D and 3D content, the glasses can display an equivalent of up to 75-inch screen as seen from a distance of 10 feet and feature separate focus adjustment for each eye as well as adjustable eye distance and viewing angles. The lenses also come in different colors for the fashion conscious.
Weighing approximately 3oz with twin 1280 x 720 LCD, 16 million color displays with 35 degree diagonal field of view and 16:9 / 4:3 aspect ratio. Brightness, contrast, hue and color saturation are adjustable via on-screen controls and eye separation is also adjustable. It even has an adjustable nose bridge for folks that have a nose like mine.
Connectivity options include composite AV cable, component video cable and AV cable for most videophones, portable DVDs, and camcorders, but there's no HDMI input or wireless connectivity. These can also connect to PCs and laptops for game playing with VR head tracking. Using them with a camera is cool for those high, low, or behind shots where you do not have to keep your eye in the viewfinder.
Two rechargeable AA batteries provide up to three hours of video playback and reportedly can be replaced with lithium ion batteries offering up to seven hours. The video-glasses are available now from $169 - $499. I love technology.
http://www.vuzix.com/home/
Moverio is an alternative $770 pair of glasses that sports a 80 inch 3D experience and has a slot for a picture card and plays music. Not quite HD quality, but close. LINK 2012 may be the year for a breakthrough.
Vuzix has updated its line of video eye-wear and is compatible with both 2D and 3D content, the glasses can display an equivalent of up to 75-inch screen as seen from a distance of 10 feet and feature separate focus adjustment for each eye as well as adjustable eye distance and viewing angles. The lenses also come in different colors for the fashion conscious.
Weighing approximately 3oz with twin 1280 x 720 LCD, 16 million color displays with 35 degree diagonal field of view and 16:9 / 4:3 aspect ratio. Brightness, contrast, hue and color saturation are adjustable via on-screen controls and eye separation is also adjustable. It even has an adjustable nose bridge for folks that have a nose like mine.
Connectivity options include composite AV cable, component video cable and AV cable for most videophones, portable DVDs, and camcorders, but there's no HDMI input or wireless connectivity. These can also connect to PCs and laptops for game playing with VR head tracking. Using them with a camera is cool for those high, low, or behind shots where you do not have to keep your eye in the viewfinder.
Two rechargeable AA batteries provide up to three hours of video playback and reportedly can be replaced with lithium ion batteries offering up to seven hours. The video-glasses are available now from $169 - $499. I love technology.
http://www.vuzix.com/home/
Moverio is an alternative $770 pair of glasses that sports a 80 inch 3D experience and has a slot for a picture card and plays music. Not quite HD quality, but close. LINK 2012 may be the year for a breakthrough.
What's in a Name, Belsnickel
German for "fur-Nicholas," is a fur-clad Christmas gift-bringer figure in the folklore of southwestern Germany, where my family is originally from. The figure is also preserved in Pennsylvania Dutch communities.
Belsnickel's fur covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a companion of Saint Nickolas, a bit scary, and visits children at Christmas time to deliver socks or shoes full of candy, cakes, nuts, and fruit, but if the children are not good, they will find coal and/or switches (stick) in their stockings instead. Other traditions had him strewing those goodies on the floor and if an adult bent down to pick up something they were hit on the back from Belsnickel with a switch.
In many places, Belsnickel was a precursor to Santa Claus or St. Nickolas and the popularity in the US faded in the early 1900s. Many of the old traditional Santa equivalents always had coal and a switch for bad kids along with the goodies. Alas, many good life lessons have been replaced with the current - everyone gets everything attitude.
Belsnickel's fur covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a companion of Saint Nickolas, a bit scary, and visits children at Christmas time to deliver socks or shoes full of candy, cakes, nuts, and fruit, but if the children are not good, they will find coal and/or switches (stick) in their stockings instead. Other traditions had him strewing those goodies on the floor and if an adult bent down to pick up something they were hit on the back from Belsnickel with a switch.
In many places, Belsnickel was a precursor to Santa Claus or St. Nickolas and the popularity in the US faded in the early 1900s. Many of the old traditional Santa equivalents always had coal and a switch for bad kids along with the goodies. Alas, many good life lessons have been replaced with the current - everyone gets everything attitude.
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