Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.

Giles ,'Conversations with Dead People'


Spike's Bitches 29: That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure.  

[NAFDA] Spike-centric discussion. Lusty, lewd (only occasionally crude), risque (and frisque), bawdy (Oh, lawdy!), flirty ('cuz we're purty), raunchy talk inside. Caveat lector.


billytea - Apr 12, 2006 1:06:09 pm PDT #8974 of 10001
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

For billytea: naked mole rats.

They're taking over, I tell you!

Owen is playing with the resin animals I got him when we went to the zoo this morning. He's also got two new words, "bonobo" and "okapi".

Oh, wow. So this is what great parenting looks like.

This makes me laugh because that's exactly how I was as a kid. I think my mother often feared that she'd created a monster.

Hee. When I was a kid I was very helpful. When I got into astrology I started advising my parents' friends on whether the stars said their marriage would last. (I was very sympathetic with the ones in trouble, of course.) Oh, and one time I got hold of a women's magazine and offered my mother and her friends advice on how to deal with any menstrual problems.

But to a first grader, since they're both smoking materials, they must both make mommy high, and "crazy".

He was probably relieved to believe he'd identified an external cause for it.


Topic!Cindy - Apr 12, 2006 1:14:20 pm PDT #8975 of 10001
What is even happening?

I really, really don't think so.

Thanks, Gud.

That's a big NO.

Great, Cashmere. Did you learn this the hard way?

I think we have to call Block about something else anyhow, so we'll probably double check with them. I'd rather amend than get audited 5 years from now, and owe 5 years of interest on what would be a reasonable amount, right now.

We'll be calling because Scott's job is moving out of state soon (still in "driving" distance, provided gassing up the car doesn't send us to bankruptcy court) and the state it's going to has no state income tax. We're nearly certain that means we will be exempt from MA State Income tax, for the time he works there (as was the tax preparer we saw last weekend) but he's hearing conflicting things from some guys at work.

He was probably relieved to believe he'd identified an external cause for it.
Cheeky. I wasn't the kind of crazy he was looking to explain back then, because I only had the one child in school. Of course maybe he can now apply it retroactively.

When I was a kid I was very helpful. When I got into astrology I started advising my parents' friends on whether the stars said their marriage would last. (I was very sympathetic with the ones in trouble, of course.) Oh, and one time I got hold of a women's magazine and offered my mother and her friends advice on how to deal with any menstrual problems.

I amend my 'cheeky' judg(e)ment to Adorable.


brenda m - Apr 12, 2006 1:18:32 pm PDT #8976 of 10001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there

We'll be calling because Scott's job is moving out of state soon (still in "driving" distance, provided gassing up the car doesn't send us to bankruptcy court) and the state it's going to has no state income tax. We're nearly certain that means we will be exempt from MA State Income tax, for the time he works there (as was the tax preparer we saw last weekend) but he's hearing conflicting things from some guys at work.

Hate to say it, but I'd be very surprised if that was the case. My mom, among others, lived in one state and worked in another for years (and much of my company works in multiple states, often not including their own) and I've always seen it based on state of residence. My mom used to bitch about it a lot, actually, because the taxes in the home state were significantly higher than the state she worked in. (Wisconsin v. Illinois, ftr.)


ChiKat - Apr 12, 2006 1:23:02 pm PDT #8977 of 10001
That man was going to shank me. Over an omelette. Two eggs and a slice of government cheese. Is that what my life is worth?

My experience is brenda's. Being in Chicago, we have employees who live in Indiana and pay Indiana income tax.

Also, my sister lives in Mississippi but worked in Tennessee. She paid Mississippi income tax.


Nora Deirdre - Apr 12, 2006 1:24:34 pm PDT #8978 of 10001
I’m responsible for my own happiness? I can’t even be responsible for my own breakfast! (Bojack Horseman)

Yeah, I think I've heard of others working in the good ole crazy state you're talking about, and state taxes are still happening. There's just no way to avoid them unless you live AND work there.

Though, disclaimer: Although I may present myself like I know everything about everything, and in a supercilious manner to boot, I actually know jack all about nothing, and am usually talking out of my ass. Why even bother posting then? er. good question, actually.

But, I have heard that (about mystery state in question) from the vague and nefarious "them"...


ChiKat - Apr 12, 2006 1:25:47 pm PDT #8979 of 10001
That man was going to shank me. Over an omelette. Two eggs and a slice of government cheese. Is that what my life is worth?

vw, if you're still around, thanks for posting about Annie's Attic free pattern of the day. I've snagged a couple off of there. Today's is pretty: [link]


Cashmere - Apr 12, 2006 1:27:09 pm PDT #8980 of 10001
Now tagless for your comfort.

Great, Cashmere. Did you learn this the hard way?

Well, we had that roof claim before Owen was born--BIG ASS check, no claiming it as income because it was essentially to replace something that was ours and not additional income. Although this knowledge is DH's (as his experience with property casualty insurance). Still, best to call the pros and make sure--especially since you have the other questions.

In our case of city taxes, we have to pay based on residence--even though DH's job pays into a different municipality which we do not get back. They apply it to our city tax but we do have to pay substantially more.

This reminds me that I have a few days left to file the city and school taxes which we do have to pay, having already spent the state and fed returns. *sigh*


Topic!Cindy - Apr 12, 2006 1:30:15 pm PDT #8981 of 10001
What is even happening?

Hate to say it, but I'd be very surprised if that was the case. My mom, among others, lived in one state and worked in another for years (and much of my company works in multiple states, often not including their own) and I've always seen it based on state of residence.

Mmm. It's so confusing and up in the airy, it's making me nuts. It would just be nice to know there'd be eventual effective compensation for the increased commuting costs.

I've heard the exact opposite, here--that the income is taxed by the state in which you work. A lot of people move to southern NH, because there is no sales tax, and no state income tax (although property tax is generally way higher in NH), then they find out they still have to pay their MA state taxes, because they work in Boston.

Scott's new boss lives in our state and has been working in the neighboring state for quite some time, so he'll likely know, but he hasn't had a chance to ask yet, and regardless, we'll want to confirm it with the tax people, before we make any changes to our withholding.

The state's Department of Revenue site seems to indicate we only have to file MA income taxes for income earned in MA, but it doesn't explicitly rule out out-of-state income.

A Massachusetts full year and/or part-year resident is required to file a tax return with the state of Massachusetts if his/her Mass gross income is in excess of $8000. >[link]

Even if we aren't taxed on the out-of-state income, filing the 2006 taxes in 2007 will be tricky, because through this week, the income came from MA.


vw bug - Apr 12, 2006 1:32:51 pm PDT #8982 of 10001
Mostly lurking...

vw, if you're still around, thanks for posting about Annie's Attic free pattern of the day.

I love them. Some of the patterns are WACKY, but some are really good.


Cashmere - Apr 12, 2006 1:32:53 pm PDT #8983 of 10001
Now tagless for your comfort.

Cindy, I also think that work travel is tax deductible but not commuting expenses--so that sucks.