Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

stever

After using tax programs for years, I'm back to doing mine on Excel with someone's template. Finally got the last form I needed in the mail today. I get to do three returns again this year, but no more Michigan returns after this year. At least I don't have to file with Spain, although they took $38 in taxes from me.

I think this is a rehash of a recent CR story but in case you missed it:

10 Cars That Consumer Reports Says Are Not So Great (Consumerist)

Mr_Shiftright

Nothing really surprising on that list. Most of them are tired old platforms.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

Speaking of tax prep.  What do you guys pay your account for a typical Married return, state and federal?   

2 W2s, typical home owner deductions

We just paid $275 to the guy I've gone to for over 10 years.  I've heard much higher numbers from coworkers, just curious.  

I pay zero because I do them myself. It's a matter of principle to not pay money to find out how much i have to pay the government. I don't know if I'm doing hem right but I'm not in jail yet.

Taxes are way to complicated. Wasn't it suppose to be made simpler back when Reagan was president?

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

I don't know if I'm doing hem right but I'm not in jail yet.

Taxes are way to complicated. Wasn't it suppose to be made simpler back when Reagan was president?

I had a CPA do mine for a time when I lived in the Cincy area. His philosophy was that shades of gray was okay.

I found the worst was the education deductions for college expenses among 3 different potential deduction schemes that applied and add to that the tax free college savings plans (529) and computing the amount, if any, to be taxed was like second year calculus.

cmhj2000

$25 H&R Block online. No paper work, no traveling to an account's office, no fuss.

qbrozen

I still did my own this year, even with all the complications I had to face (rental property, moving, etc). I finished through TaxAct, then went and tried TurboTax just to make a comparison. TaxAct had me getting back about $3k more than TurboTax. I went ahead and filed with TaxAct.

If software can't get it consistent or correct, how can anybody?

dino001

qbrozen said:

I still did my own this year, even with all the complications I had to face (rental property, moving, etc). I finished through TaxAct, then went and tried TurboTax just to make a comparison. TaxAct had me getting back about $3k more than TurboTax. I went ahead and filed with TaxAct.

If software can't get it consistent or correct, how can anybody?

Now, are you sure TaxAct is correct? Three grand is an enormous difference, alarms bells would go off in my head big time. It's probably about classifications, not calculations. More likely than not, it's not math, it's the assumptions. Software doesn't make math errors, it does what the user puts in. In other words, I think the differences came from one software classifying something as deductible, another did not. This often comes from the way you answered pertinent questions. Best way to check it is to look at generated forms and schedules side by side, to see where the difference is.

stever

Does it matter? IRS funding has been gutted for so many decades that your chances of getting audited are miniscule. Meanwhile the honest filers are subsidizing the cheats. I'm like @oldfarmer50 - if I do get audited, my defense for any screw-up is going to be that taxes should be simple enough that the average person should be able to do them without having to pay for a program or CPA. And the agent will have to answer to my congressional delegation and the Twitterverse.

suydam

This is where a good CPA beats software every time. If your taxes are simple, sure, do them yourself. But any complications, I'll pay a professional for the same reason I don't work on my own cars.

dino001

I've done TurboTax Premier for years now. Purchased at Costco for $60 or so, often split the cost with a friend. Until this year I had typical deductions, which now are replaced by standard (mortgage interest dropped below threshold) and small stock/option income/losses, usually 15-30 transactions per year. I had to do my own taxes when I came to the US due to a visa status (non-resident student, so-called F-1 visa for those who know, is a little different, nobody in the mall would know how to do it, and I had no money to spend on a CPA). So I learned about treaty on my own (many countries have special tax treaties with the US, allowing their citizens on special visas, like student or reasearch to deduct some amount, like $2000, or $5000, you just need to know how and where to put it), with good help of international student center at my university (they had annual tax seminar for students to teach them how to do basic forms and claim tax treaties) and all particulars of that. Did it all by hand. Continued for a few years after graduations, once I became a "resident" for the tax purpose (switching from student to H1-B visa), taxes became piece of cake, except the very transition year, which was pain in the neck (needed to file both forms and track so-called substantial presence test days). Switched to Turbo Tax when got the house and taxable investments. Now that the deductions are going away, I'll likely stay with the software, as I still need to fill the capital gains taxes, which is easier with the software loading the broker's info. I still need to tweak those, as it usually comes in a silly format. Otherwise, I'd have "EZ" form, which would probably be able to to for free somewhere.

qbrozen

dino001 said:

qbrozen said:

I still did my own this year, even with all the complications I had to face (rental property, moving, etc). I finished through TaxAct, then went and tried TurboTax just to make a comparison. TaxAct had me getting back about $3k more than TurboTax. I went ahead and filed with TaxAct.

If software can't get it consistent or correct, how can anybody?

Now, are you sure TaxAct is correct? Three grand is an enormous difference, alarms bells would go off in my head big time. It's probably about classifications, not calculations. More likely than not, it's not math, it's the assumptions. Software doesn't make math errors, it does what the user puts in. In other words, I think the differences came from one software classifying something as deductible, another did not. This often comes from the way you answered pertinent questions. Best way to check it is to look at generated forms and schedules side by side, to see where the difference is.

Of course I'm not sure. I spent much more time playing with the TaxAct return, so its possible I left something out of TurboTax, but not $3k worth. I'm pretty sure it has to do with property taxes between the 2 homes. I believe TurboTax was indicating I couldn't claim any property taxes on my rental home, even though I lived there for the first 9 mos of the year. Or something like that. I don't know what the real answer is, and when I try to read the tax code, it only muddies it more. So I just went with the bigger refund.

abacomike

Just got back from meeting tyguy and his lovely daughter and spouse.  We walked at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, FL, and they all bought some clothes at the outlet stores.  We then had lunch at Applebee's.

Tyguy is the first poster I've met in person - I wouldn't have missed meeting him for the world.  Wonderful, wholesome family.

Almost met driver last year, but I came down with the flu the day we were supposed to meet.  Maybe next year, driver.  

It's nice to meet the people you post with here on Edmunds - it's like meeting family.

Tyguy is now on his way to Tampa via I-75.

Michaell

abacomike said:

Just got back from meeting tyguy and his lovely daughter and spouse.  We walked at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, FL, and they all bought some clothes at the outlet stores.  We then had lunch at Applebee's.

Tyguy is the first poster I've met in person - I wouldn't have missed meeting him for the world.  Wonderful, wholesome family.

Almost met driver last year, but I came down with the flu the day we were supposed to meet.  Maybe next year, driver.  

It's nice to meet the people you post with here on Edmunds - it's like meeting family.

Tyguy is now on his way to Tampa via I-75.

Michael - so glad you were able to meet other posters. I've been lucky enough to connect with two of the regular posters here - @fezo and @breld

stever

We should do a meet and greet, it is fun. Got to meet two members over the years (@xwesx stood me up one trip, the dog, lol).

Michaell

stever said:

We should do a meet and greet, it is fun. Got to meet two members over the years (@xwesx stood me up one trip, the dog, lol).

Oh, shoot - forgot about meeting @stever recently as well.

stever

That's right - and you still owe us a return visit.

henryn

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

snakeweasel said:

One thing you have to remember that outside the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand they are not as stringent in the regulations for medical professionals. Your doctor in Mexico or Costa Rico and other places my not be able to become a doctor here in the U.S. or in Canada.

Well, my one big experience with hospitals would tend to put the lie to that. When I had my heart surgery in 2009 I quickly learned that there was a hierarchy of doctors. My surgeon, whom I gather did the touchy, delicate work on me, was fine . I would much rather have taken my chances with a Mexican or Cuban staff doctor in one of their hospitals.

All the stories I have heard of for medical or dental work done in Costa Rica, India, etc. was all performed by doctors trained in the USA.

Mistakes like sponges or tools left in the patient happens a lot, in all countries.

My understanding from talking to people that I know who are in the profession: Someone in the OR has the responsibility of counting every sponge, every instrument, before AND after the procedure.

berri

Boy, for whatever reason today this website is stalling and bouncing around on my computer like it has a bad 4bbl carb and some worn out shocks

PF_Flyer

stever said:

We should do a meet and greet, it is fun. Got to meet two members over the years (@xwesx stood me up one trip, the dog, lol).

I went to the Philly Auto Show a couple of years ago and met with a fair number of posters. Sorta like the first time you see someone you've heard on the radio

Maybe I'll find a day to do the NY show...

driver100

henryn said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

snakeweasel said:

One thing you have to remember that outside the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand they are not as stringent in the regulations for medical professionals. Your doctor in Mexico or Costa Rico and other places my not be able to become a doctor here in the U.S. or in Canada.

Well, my one big experience with hospitals would tend to put the lie to that. When I had my heart surgery in 2009 I quickly learned that there was a hierarchy of doctors. My surgeon, whom I gather did the touchy, delicate work on me, was fine . I would much rather have taken my chances with a Mexican or Cuban staff doctor in one of their hospitals.

All the stories I have heard of for medical or dental work done in Costa Rica, India, etc. was all performed by doctors trained in the USA.

Mistakes like sponges or tools left in the patient happens a lot, in all countries.

My understanding from talking to people that I know who are in the profession: Someone in the OR has the responsibility of counting every sponge, every instrument, before AND after the procedure.

Not fool proof:

There were 772 incidents of foreign objects left in patients that occurred from 2005 to 2012, resulting in 16 deaths. In 95 percent of the cases, patients had to stay longer in the hospital. The most common sites these incidents occurred were operating rooms, labor and delivery rooms, ambulatory surgery centers or labs where invasive procedures such as catheters or colonoscopies take place.

An incident was nine times more likely when an operation was performed in an emergency basis and four times more likely when the procedure changed unexpectedly.

INSTRUMENTS LEFT IN PATIENCE

tjc78

A regional meet up would be cool.  There are at least 5
of us within probably a 30 mile radius of Philly and even more from NYC to Baltimore

Heck Stickguy and I are so close we are probably shopping at the same stores half of the time and don't even know it.  

stickguy

I was at that philly show too. I remember Andre, lemko and gerbeck (sp?). And Juice.

driver100

abacomike said:

Just got back from meeting tyguy and his lovely daughter and spouse.  We walked at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, FL, and they all bought some clothes at the outlet stores.  We then had lunch at Applebee's.

Tyguy is the first poster I've met in person - I wouldn't have missed meeting him for the world.  Wonderful, wholesome family.

Almost met driver last year, but I came down with the flu the day we were supposed to meet.  Maybe next year, driver.  

It's nice to meet the people you post with here on Edmunds - it's like meeting family.

Tyguy is now on his way to Tampa via I-75.

That's great that you guys were able to get together. I would like to come down and get together but it is 4 1/2 hours each way, so has to be planned carefully. Also, pretty well has to be done in Dec, Jan or Feb for me, by March I have to conserve my strength for the 1500 mile/23 hours of driving time home.

Mike, we will definitely give it our best shot for next year. If you can meet half way then that would make it a lot more doable....and would run up some miles for you on the CLS400 or whatever car you have by then

carnaught

Yup, as long as you have human beings doing the work, or robots controlled by humans, humans are going to screw up. This includes the humans who think they're god.

driver100

berri said:

Boy, for whatever reason today this website is stalling and bouncing around on my computer like it has a bad 4bbl carb and some worn out shocks

I think you are in an earthquake zone.......mine is extra good today

stickguy

tjc78 said:

A regional meet up would be cool.  There are at least 5
of us within probably a 30 mile radius of Philly and even more from NYC to Baltimore

Heck Stickguy and I are so close we are probably shopping at the same stores half of the time and don't even know it.  

Can have a pool party at my place. Everyone that brings beer is welcome.

jmonroe

stever said:

Does it matter? IRS funding has been gutted for so many decades that your chances of getting audited are miniscule. Meanwhile the honest filers are subsidizing the cheats. I'm like @oldfarmer50 - if I do get audited, my defense for any screw-up is going to be that taxes should be simple enough that the average person should be able to do them without having to pay for a program or CPA. And the agent will have to answer to my congressional delegation and the Twitterverse.

Around 20 years ago I read an article that said when the last census was done it showed considerably less US dependents per household than what were being claimed as dependents by the last IRS returns that they were making the comparison to. I even heard the same thing on a radio talk show. Was that true? Who knows?

I've always used the jmonroe philosophy when doing my taxes. "It's un-American not to cheat when you do your taxes".

That being the case that makes me a damn good American.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer

stickguy said:

I was at that philly show too. I remember Andre, lemko and gerbeck (sp?). And Juice.

Yep, that's the group. I was the one with the yoyo

andres3

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Exterior Color Race Red

Or as the state troopers I know call it "Pull me over red".

I've found being at the wrong place at the wrong time has far more impact on whether you get pulled over than does your actual speed traveled, or color of car.

jmonroe

Almost on topic.

I just got back a little while ago from getting an estimate to replace the right front fender on Mrs. j's Subie (2012 Legacy Limited). Yeah, this is the same fender that she was irate about when a shopping cart picked it off about 5 months after she got it. I'm sure the regulars remember me telling that tale. That was a minor dent that I didn't have repaired but the damage now makes it a goner.

This time it's no small dent, major cave in. It happened about a month ago (waited till after the snow season to get it repaired just to be sure of the chances of someone sliding into it would be lessened).

This took place in a parking lot while we went to watch grandson's #3 and #4 play hockey. It had to be a jacked-up truck to hit the fender that high. I guess I'm lucky because if it was 2 inches higher it would have taken out the hood too.

The cost is almost $1100 of which I pay the first $500 (my deductable). The adjuster says that because the car is in "great shape" (his words) they can justify putting on a new Subie fender not an aftermarket job or one from a junk yard. That guy must have taken a dozen pictures to show the car warrants a new fender.

My insurance company says this is a not-at-fault-accident so my rates will definitely not go up. In fact one of the places I got an estimate from says he has the same insurance company and he knows my rates will not go up. That is the good news but I still have to pay $500 because some irresponsible driver in a jacked-up truck can't drive.

In a way I'm surprised this hasn't happened before in a parking lot in all of my years of driving.

My luck ran out last month.

jmonroe

stickguy

JM, the thing with taxes is there are a tremendous amount of "gray" areas (things open to interpretation). so getting a different answer is often just a matter of interpretation, or how far you want to push the envelope. Not flat out cheating (stuff like claiming your dog as a dependent!). Even different CPAs interpret the same data differently on how to treat it. some are more conservative than others.

so many people figure, take the more aggressive interpretation of the rules. if you don't get audited, great! if you do, you haggle.

stickguy

We had a similar issue with a parking lot incident shortly after getting our new (1996 I think) Voyager. Was in the parking lot outside IIRC a chuckie cheese (evil place) while taking son to a B'day party. Came out, and the RF fender (just ahead of the door, behind the wheel) had a large dent (more like a cave in) that matched up nicely with a shopping cart loaded with bricks being rammed into it. No cart to be found, so either it was really a car hitting it (so a dirtbag hit and ran) or the dirtbag lost control of their cart, and hit and ran cart division!

Took it to the local body guy, and instead of doing insurance/deductible to repair/replace and paint, he just popped it out from behind, and did some gentle messaging. Not quite perfect, but not really that noticeable unless you knew it was there and were obsessing about it! Just left it that way, and the dealer I traded it in at a few years later did not seem to care about it. I think I paid about $50 for the job.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

Almost on topic.

I just got back a little while ago from getting an estimate to replace the right front fender on Mrs. j's Subie (2012 Legacy Limited). Yeah, this is the same fender that she was irate about when a shopping cart picked it off about 5 months after she got it. I'm sure the regulars remember me telling that tale. That was a minor dent that I didn't have repaired but the damage now makes it a goner.

This time it's no small dent, major cave in. It happened about a month ago (waited till after the snow season to get it repaired just to be sure of the chances of someone sliding into it would be lessened).

This took place in a parking lot while we went to watch grandson's #3 and #4 play hockey. It had to be a jacked-up truck to hit the fender that high. I guess I'm lucky because if it was 2 inches higher it would have taken out the hood too.

The cost is almost $1100 of which I pay the first $500 (my deductable). The adjuster says that because the car is in "great shape" (his words) they can justify putting on a new Subie fender not an aftermarket job or one from a junk yard. That guy must have taken a dozen pictures to show the car warrants a new fender.

My insurance company says this is a not-at-fault-accident so my rates will definitely not go up. In fact one of the places I got an estimate from says he has the same insurance company and he knows my rates will not go up. That is the good news but I still have to pay $500 because some irresponsible driver in a jacked-up truck can't drive.

In a way I'm surprised this hasn't happened before in a parking lot in all of my years of driving.

My luck ran out last month.

jmonroe

So it was a hit and run? That's infuriating.

jmonroe

PF_Flyer said:

stickguy said:

I was at that philly show too. I remember Andre, lemko and gerbeck (sp?). And Juice.

Yep, that's the group. I was the one with the yoyo

You too huh?

When I was around 11/12/13, not to brag, I was pretty good with throwing a yoyo around. Walking the dog, rocking the baby, around the world, man on the flying trapeze, loopty loop etc. Good enough that I got a few badges from Duncan and even Cheerios. The kind of badges that are meant to be sewn on a jacket like the jocks have on their football and basketball jackets. My meanie Mom said she wasn't going to sew any things like that to a good jacket. She would have preferred I got badges that said I was getting a scholarship to a good school. That she would sew on a jacket. I showed her alright, I got a jacket with a badge already sewn on from Duncan when I won another contest.

A few years ago one of my grandsons came over and had a yoyo. He barely knew how to use it. I put it on my finger and after a few minutes I was doing some tricks just like the old days. I guess you can say it's kinda like that riding a bike thing. He was impressed. Mrs. j sees all this going on and says, "why don't you teach him something worthwhile", reminded me of something my mother would say.

I wore out that jacket and it was thrown away. I put the badges in the same shoe box with my baseball/football cards and I had a few autographs I got from some local Pirate and Steelers players back then. I even had a few Roberto Clemente autographs. Just like a lot of mothers did on cleanout-the-closet-day when I was out of the house, that shoe box got tossed. Now I can't even prove to my grandsons that I was pretty darn good with a yoyo back in my day other than doing a few old tricks for them.

Thanks Mom.

jmonroe

isellhondas

tjc78 said:

A regional meet up would be cool.  There are at least 5
of us within probably a 30 mile radius of Philly and even more from NYC to Baltimore

Heck Stickguy and I are so close we are probably shopping at the same stores half of the time and don't even know it.  

Las Vegas! We can all meet in Vegas! Lots of cheap flights there!

abacomike

jmonroe said:

I was at that philly show too. I remember Andre, lemko and gerbeck (sp?). And Juice.

Yep, that's the group. I was the one with the yoyo

You too huh? When I was around 11/12/13, not to brag, I was pretty good with throwing a yoyo around. Walking the dog, rocking the baby, around the world, man on the flying trapeze, loopty loop etc. Good enough that I got a few badges from Duncan and even Cheerios. The kind of badges that are meant to be sewn on a jacket like the jocks have on their football and basketball jackets. My meanie Mom said she wasn't going to sew any things like that to a good jacket. She would have preferred I got badges that said I was getting a scholarship to a good school. That she would sew on a jacket. I showed her alright, I got a jacket with a badge already sewn on from Duncan when I won another contest. A few years ago one of my grandsons came over and had a yoyo. He barely knew how to use it. I put it on my finger and after a few minutes I was doing some tricks just like the old days. I guess you can say it's kinda like that riding a bike thing. He was impressed. Mrs. j sees all this going on and says, "why don't you teach him something worthwhile", reminded me of something my mother would say. I wore out that jacket and it was thrown away. I put the badges in the same shoe box with my baseball/football cards and I had a few autographs I got from some local Pirate and Steelers players back then. I even had a few Roberto Clemente autographs. Just like a lot of mothers did on cleanout-the-closet-day when I was out of the house, that shoe box got tossed. Now I can't even prove to my grandsons that I was pretty darn good with a yoyo back in my day other than doing a few old tricks for them. Thanks Mom. jmonroe

My grandfather on my mother's side of the family Bought my brother and me Lionel electric trains.  I'm talking about "real" O Gauge original Lionel trains produced in the late 1940's through the late 1950's - the ones that are worth tens of thousands of dollars today.  Every Christmas, he would take my brother and me to F. A. O. Schwartz on 5th Avenue in Manhattan to buy additions to our train sets such as electric cattle cars, coal cars, oil tankers, etc., not to mention scenery items for our layout.  My Dad made a huge table out of plywood and set up tracks so we could create a miniature railroad with hills, bridges, railroad crossings, towns, trustles and the like.

I bring this up because my Mom was not a fan of taking over the living room for 4 weeks every Christmad with our trains and the huge table along with all the transformers necessary to operate all the functions of the trains and the peripherals. In fact, I kind of knew she hated those trains.

My brother and I would play with those Lionel's for hours at a time - train whistles blowing and when we put "smoke" tablets in the engine smoke stacks, white smoke would pour out.

I remember one time when I flew back home from Chicago to introduce my spouse-to-be to Mom and Dad one Christmas, anxious to set up my Lionel electric trains (we had three full sets - those locomotives must have weighed 5+ pounds each).  I went into my old bedroom to take the trains and table into the livingroom along with the peripherals and they had disappeared.

I went into Mom's room and asked her where "MY" trains were.  She responded that she donated them to Good Will!  I don't ever remember being more angry and upset than I was at that moment!  I had murder in my heart - for my mother?  Yes!  She had gone and destroyed the last vestige of my youth - just gave them away without first informing me so I could have the option of shipping them out to Chicago so one day my kids would be able to enjoy them as I did for many years.  But, alas, it was not to be.

If I remember correctly, I did not talk to my mother for three days - silent treatment with sneers and frowns.  My Dad finally intervened and I was forced to forgive her - but to this day all is not forgiven, may Mom rest in peace! 

verdugo

nyccarguy said:

I also think there is a big difference between getting an ultrasound at the best hospital in Mexico City and the resort in Costa Rica where @driver100's friend had his dental work done.

I totally agree with you. When I was looking for an eye doctor to correct my vision, I immediately discounted anybody who advertised in the subway or offered too good to be true prices.

I ended up having mine done Columbia University's Eye Center. It wasn't cheap, but it was so worth it.

snakeweasel

qbrozen said:

I still did my own this year, even with all the complications I had to face (rental property, moving, etc). I finished through TaxAct, then went and tried TurboTax just to make a comparison. TaxAct had me getting back about $3k more than TurboTax. I went ahead and filed with TaxAct.

If software can't get it consistent or correct, how can anybody?

I would love to be able to see the results from both to compare them to see where the difference is. Usually with something like that there is an input error.

snakeweasel

suydam said:

This is where a good CPA beats software every time. If your taxes are simple, sure, do them yourself. But any complications, I'll pay a professional for the same reason I don't work on my own cars.

This is so true especially when your taxes become more complicated. A good tax preparer will engage you to find out things about your life that could impact your taxes that you might not know about.

snakeweasel

jmonroe said:

stever said:

Does it matter? IRS funding has been gutted for so many decades that your chances of getting audited are miniscule. Meanwhile the honest filers are subsidizing the cheats. I'm like @oldfarmer50 - if I do get audited, my defense for any screw-up is going to be that taxes should be simple enough that the average person should be able to do them without having to pay for a program or CPA. And the agent will have to answer to my congressional delegation and the Twitterverse.

Around 20 years ago I read an article that said when the last census was done it showed considerably less US dependents per household than what were being claimed as dependents by the last IRS returns that they were making the comparison to. I even heard the same thing on a radio talk show. Was that true? Who knows?

I've always used the jmonroe philosophy when doing my taxes. "It's un-American not to cheat when you do your taxes".

That being the case that makes me a damn good American.

jmonroe

In the late 80's the IRS started requiring a social security number in order to claim a dependent. The first year that was in effect the number of dependents claimed on tax returns dropped by almost 10%.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Exterior Color Race Red

Or as the state troopers I know call it "Pull me over red".

I've found being at the wrong place at the wrong time has far more impact on whether you get pulled over than does your actual speed traveled, or color of car.

Can you elaborate on that please.

verdugo

snakeweasel said:

One thing you have to remember that outside the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand they are not as stringent in the regulations for medical professionals. Your doctor in Mexico or Costa Rico and other places my not be able to become a doctor here in the U.S. or in Canada.

Funny thing, a lot of the doctors at that hospital (and friends who are doctors) have done specialties in the US. Of course, this is hospital care for the 1% down there. It's not representative of "medical tourism."

I was just pointing out that not every foreign doctor is a hack.

verdugo

dino001 said:

I've done TurboTax Premier for years now. Purchased at Costco for $60 or so, often split the cost with a friend. .

I have to say that I'm surprised that you do that. You've always come across as smart, responsible, and having lots of integrity.

(mods, is this is considered an offensive post, feel free to delete it. It certainly wasn't meant to be offensive.)

snakeweasel

verdugo said:

snakeweasel said:

One thing you have to remember that outside the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand they are not as stringent in the regulations for medical professionals. Your doctor in Mexico or Costa Rico and other places my not be able to become a doctor here in the U.S. or in Canada.

Funny thing, a lot of the doctors at that hospital (and friends who are doctors) have done specialties in the US. Of course, this is hospital care for the 1% down there. It's not representative of "medical tourism."

I was just pointing out that not every foreign doctor is a hack.

Never said they were, there are some good doctors south of the boarder and bad ones north of that same boarder. just that IMHO your odds are better up here.

verdugo

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Exterior Color Race Red

Or as the state troopers I know call it "Pull me over red".

I've found being at the wrong place at the wrong time has far more impact on whether you get pulled over than does your actual speed traveled, or color of car.

Can you elaborate on that please.

Snake, what are you doing man? Don't feed the trolls please.

driver100

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:

A regional meet up would be cool.  There are at least 5
of us within probably a 30 mile radius of Philly and even more from NYC to Baltimore

Heck Stickguy and I are so close we are probably shopping at the same stores half of the time and don't even know it.  

Can have a pool party at my place. Everyone that brings beer is welcome.

OK, as long as it isn't one of those little rubber ducky kind of pools.

And, I hope it won't be like this:

jwm40517

After seeing some the messed up results of clients trying to use [non-permissible content removed] or some other program I have a standard reply for them. "Having an accounting program does not make you an accountant any more than my having a piano makes me a musician".

explorerx4

My accountant has some sort of problem(not substance related).
It's pretty sad. I spent some time with his admin today while waiting for him to see me.
She told me to check every line on the returns and they are losing clients left and right.
At one point, she told me his brother had a stroke.
I kind of feel it's something similar without the physical signs.
Would like to help , but don't know what to do.

berri

I remember the yo-yo kick in the 60's after things like Hula hoops in the late 50's. I remember that Duncan's were the big brand with TV ads. They weren't cheap either. I think a top of the line Imperial was over a buck - a lot of mullah when allowances were often a quarter a week or less. Marbles were a lot cheaper, even cat's-eyes.

Lionel trains were neat too, but unless you had a professional layout they had that middle third rail in the tracks. HO became a lot more popular I think because they took up less space. I recall American Flyer's being kind of in between in size with two rails.

Don't forget Tonka trucks. Strong, durable and realistic looking unlike those Buddy L's.

tjc78

@stickguy
I'll be there!  Canals always has good prices on Yuengling!