ConservaChick

by Julie of Degree of Madness Follow-up on last week's Blogburst about the outside collection agencies the IRS is employing to collect delinquent taxes. On August 23, this was the headline: IRS Warns Against Phony Debt Collectors . The IRS warned taxpayers Wednesday not to be duped by scammers posing as private debt collectors the agency has hired to chase unpaid tax debts. The program isn't even in place yet and concerns are already being raised, and not just by this Blogburst writer. The Internal Revenue Service designed the debt collection program to minimize that risk "because we know what it's like out there with regard to identity theft nowadays," said Brady Bennett, IRS Director of Collections. The IRS designed the program to minimize the risk. Well that's comforting. The IRS is looking out for you. And this article addresses something I wasn't sure about and that is whether the private collection agencies would have access to social security number...

As promised, it's time for a movie review... Yes, " Snakes On a Plane !" For those you expecting a thrill-a-minute artistic movie, don't. It's not any of that; although there are a few thrilling moments. (One of which has you jumping out of your seat in a style reminiscent of "Jaws.") The movie, in my humble opinion, was never meant to be any of that. It was meant to be an event, a pop-culture moment, more than a cinematic work of art. This movie is for those of you who appreciate a little tongue-in-cheek dialog and Samuel L. Jackson's signature (and possibly only) style of acting. It is loaded with great one-liners -- "This plane will go down faster than a Thai hooker" -- and has every stereotypical character found in every "crisis" movie ever made: the scaredy-cat, the nervous guy/gal, the brave hero and his sidekick, the annoying character(s) that you hope get eaten at some point, and the mom protecting her baby. It's all t...

Awwww, poor Pluto ! Blackballed by astronomers this week. Actually, probably should have been more thoroughly considered before they admitted Pluto to the fraternity of planets. I don't know how you all learned the order of the planets but I learned them by singing a little one-line song: "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzapies." I suppose she'll now have to serve nachos, nothing, or notice, eh? As a friend put it this week, "One less Disney character in the sky." So sad.

Guilt. It's a powerful thing. I've not written in what seems like ages now and, even though I needed to be in bed an hour ago, I feel guilty that I haven't put some effort into my blog lately. So I felt compelled to let you all know that I'm still alive and dying to write something of more interest when I find the time! For now though, a peek at what's bubbling around in my brain... Immigration: We have two Republican Senators here in Kentucky but only one of them votes as though he knows that his Republican constituents are paying attention. I'll be posting the report cards for these two Senators very soon... maybe you can spot the one who's voting my voice! Maybe we'll make it a challenge to see if you can spot the two Republican immigration report cards on out of three or four. SOAP: Friday night is a big movie night... going to see "Snakes on a Plane" with a group of wacky friends. We're going to be decked out in rubber snakes for this;...

by Julie of Degree of Madness If you owe back taxes to the federal government, the next call asking you to pay may come not from an Internal Revenue Service officer, but from a private debt collector. Within two weeks, the I.R.S. will turn over data on 12,500 taxpayers -- each of whom owes $25,000 or less in back taxes -- to three collection agencies. Larger debtors will continue to be pursued by I.R.S. officers. ( link ) So now, private firms will have access to our tax information, or at minimum how much you (may or may not) owe to Uncle Sam. Our tax information is private. Or it was up until now. Within two weeks, the I.R.S. will turn over data on 12,500 taxpayers -- each of whom owes $25,000 or less in back taxes -- to three collection agencies. Larger debtors will continue to be pursued by I.R.S. officers. (my emphasis). And the IRS isn't too particular about the business ethics of the firms they select to receive our tax data: One of the three companies selected by the I.R...

For those of you who think that the FairTax Act is supported only by Conservatives, please note that the author of the following article describes himself as a "Progressive Democrat." Yep, the FairTax crosses party lines as any good idea for reform naturally would when considered objectively. Read on! Reprinted with permission from Running in Circles by Connor Carney The Progressive Democrats' Sales Tax I consider myself to be fairly liberal on most issues. So some of you might be surprised that I am about to take a position that's usually the providence of hardcore conservatives. I support HR25 the Fair Tax Act of 2005. Yeah. The one that would replace virtually the entire tax system with a 23% sales tax. I read about it most recently in an unnecessarily hostile editorial by Matthew Holmes. Truth be told, his article did nothing to convince me that the tax is a good thing. But it convinced me to wade through the full text of the legislation , and I've decided th...

I have often referred to our local newspaper here (the " Louisville Courier-Journal ") as, among other things, the "Louisville Communist Journal." They are very blatant about their partisanship and their disdain for President Bush and Conservatives in this community. So, needless to say that I was shocked when this post was brought to my attention. It was posted in a section called "Mail Call: Letters from the Front Lines." Allow me to be among the first to commend the Courier-Journal for finally condescending to post a very positive and touching letter from a servicemember who is currently a part of the American effort in Iraq. Most of all, thank you, CPO Cissell, for writing about your experience. It is a humbling reminder to us all that, even when we Americans might disagree on the intent behind our battle in Iraq, oppression is a child's worst enemy and freedom is his best friend. Our servicemembers embody that freedom and this child recognizes it...

Courtesy of Congress.org , you can easily send a thank you letter or email message to David Manning, the ambassador from Great Britain for their good work in foiling the latest terror plot. I will certainly be taking advantage of the easy link to the ambassador's email to send my thanks and best regards! When I received the email message from Congress.org about this new feature, I had to chuckle. Why? Well, because as usual with any government-related endeavor, they even felt it necessary to supply us with a pre-written message to send: "As citizens of the United States, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation and heart felt thanks for the work of your Government in thwarting the recent terrorist plot. Your efforts saved countless lives in this conflict that grips both our nations. Thank you. The People of the United States" Geez... I thought only the Democrats wanted to hold our hands and lead us through life making all our choices for us! Et tu, Republican-led...

I would like to personally thank the Leftists in this country for their continued bleating. The more they bleat, the more evident it becomes that no sane person could ever entrust the security of our nation and its people to a Liberal. Frontpage Magazine has compiled a naseau-inducing compendium of some of the most ridiculous Leftist rants about the foiled terrorist plot in the UK in a great article titled " Code Red ." It's so very clear to those of us paying attention that we are not to blame for the Islamo-fascist movement that has been a pox on the civilized world for decades now. It's even more evident to this Right-thinking gal that the Dems are moving closer and closer to extinguishing any hope of ever regaining power in this country. Thanks, Lefties! Keep up the good work. ;o)

Our friend, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has written an excellent piece for The Weekly Standard on " The Next Big One? " ... The problem, though, is that while the enemy adapts to our defenses, our defenses do not adapt to the enemy. Airport security is entirely mechanical. Very little attention is devoted to determining who should be pulled aside for additional screening, and the limited questions asked of passengers serve no real security purpose. ... I believe Daveed is right; we need to rethink a few of our stale assumptions in this war against Islamo-fascism and al Qaeda. While our enemies study our defenses, we're busy worrying about their "rights?" Something is just a little too skewed there if you ask me. We are, after all, in a war for our lives, folks. Let's go back a year and revisit the argument for profiling , courtesy of Mark Alexander writing for the Patriot Post . I've seen this argument floating around the internet for almost four years no...

Well done, Scotland Yard all responsible in the UK! News of the busted plot to blow up more aircraft with innocents aboard was welcome news to these Yankee ears! Thousands of lives were saved thanks to the vigilance of the police and security forces in England. In this age of Liberal whining about profiling and surveillance, thank God for the diligence and vigilance of those responsible for our security in the civilized world. Even bigger thanks to Allah that a conscientious Muslim man brought some of the terrorists to the attention of police after the London train bombings in 2005 . I wish I had a link to what I heard on the news about this but I cannot remember the source and have had no luck finding it online. Does anyone know that man's name or have a link to the report of his cooperation?

I've heard it said too often that Israel is losing the "PR war." Maybe integrity is getting in their way? The nerve! Well Israelis, pay attention! Courtesy of a Jewish website , here's your video primer on how to win the "PR war" -- " Photo Fraud in Lebanon " -- Reuters is prominently featured (surprise, surprise!). Hey, while you're at it, be sure to get your very own " Flat Fatima " for frequent use in your "news" photography! Thanks for the link, Mark! And, as always, The People's Cube rocks!!

by TD of The Right Track More and more, I am hearing of people advocating for the FairTax in print, speeches, symposia, television, and radio. I've gathered a few of the more recent articles and provided links and a summary below each link. I've also quoted from several of the articles. Seems like support for the FairTax is pretty diverse! Economic outlook: Georgia No. 1 in U.S. - July 16, 2006 Georgia's economic outlook is rosier than that of any other state in the nation, according to a new study by the father of supply-side economics. Arthur Laffer, an influential adviser to former President Ronald Reagan, put Georgia at the top of his annual comparative ranking of state economies, a seven-category analysis that primarily focuses on tax and fiscal policy. That's up from fifth place in 2005 and a marked improvement from a No. 24 finish in 2002. ...Laffer suggested the state might want to shift more of the tax burden to sales from property or income, an idea popular ...

It's Tuesday and I've been a non-smoker for two whole days now... *sigh* I need a laugh, don't you?... KNOW YOUR STATE MOTTO Alabama Hell Yes, We Have Electricity. Alaska 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong! Arizona But It's A Dry Heat. Arkansas Literacy Ain't Everything. California By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda. Colorado If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother. Connecticut Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedys Don't Own It Yet. Delaware We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water. Florida Ask Us About Our Grandkids And Our Voting Skills. Georgia We Put The Fun In Fundamentalist Extremism. Hawaii Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru. (Death To Mainland Scum, Leave Your Money) Idaho More Than Just Potatoes... Well, Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good. Illinois Please, Don't Pronounce the "S." Indiana 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free Iowa We Do Amazing Things With Corn. Kansas First Of The Rectangle States Kent...

To those of us who have understood all along that Hezbollah was being supplied and manipulated by Syria and Iran with weapons supplied years ago by the Chinese, this information comes as no suprise, I suppose. However, for those of you who might not yet see the total picture, this article from the Strategy Page called " Chinese Anti-Ship Missiles in Lebanon " is a good heads up. ... Several years ago, it was reported that C-802s had been shipped to Hizbollah. The C-802 needs a radar to spot the target at long distance, and guide the C-802 to the general vicinity of the target. In this case, the Lebanese government coastal radar apparently was used. ... I suppose the Egyptian freighter that was sunk with a second Silkworm missile was not expecting to become a victim of Hezbollah. Shouldn't there be some condemnation of Hezbollah coming from the Egyptians now? With attacks like this coming from inside Lebanon, it is becoming clear, even to those who would prefer to turn the...

I don't know how many times I can possibly hear the phrase "losing the PR war" with regard to Israel without becoming physically ill. Doesn't the drive-by media understand that they are being used as tools of terrorists? Can they possibly be that looney? It's sad. It's wrong. And, it's time to get news from the source, isn't it? As far as I'm concerned, if I want to understand what's going on in Israel or Lebanon, I'll watch the Israeli news reports. For anyone else who hasn't yet undertaken the task of finding a good Israeli news source online, let me help: Jerusalem Online is a great spot to watch news reports and video footage of the events in their war against Islamo-fascists in the region. Surprisingly enough, Jerusalem Online has a perspective which seems remarkably unbiased to me even though they have lived under the threat of terrorism since their existence. They report on the damage done to Israeli troops and civilians, Hezbo...

I don't do this often but felt that, no matter what the source or when it was written, this piece is worth posting. I have not been able to find the original writer's work online anywhere. If this was indeed written by Raymond S. Kraft of Loomis, California, I hope he won't mind my publishing it on my blog. It may have been around for years but it's new to me. If it's new to you, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. If not, my apologies in advance. A California Lawyer's Perspective on the Iraq War Sixty-three years ago, Nazi Germany had overrun almost all of Europe and hammered England to the verge of bankruptcy and defeat, and had sunk more than four hundred British ships in their convoys between England and America for food and war materials. Bushido Japan had overrun most ofAsia, beginning in 1928, killing millions of civilians throughout China, and impressing millions more as slave labor. The US was in an isolationist, pacifist, mood, and most Ameri...

I often voice my support for the war against Islamo-fascism and for the brave men and women in our Armed Forces who are fighting so that we may live in safety here at home. What I don't often write about is that, being a daughter of a Vietnam vet, I understand all too well the toll that war takes on our warriors. They do a job that requires them to kill for their country, for their survival, and for the survival of their brothers in arms. How many of us could do that? How many of us truly understand the bittersweet comraderie that is found on the battlefield and the bond that is built there? Evidently, James Hooker does. You heard the song on the link I provided to info on James Hooker; however, you absolutely MUST see the video of " Hanging Out with the Boys ." It is a touching portrait of our warriors, both contemporary and historic. Please know that while you are "hanging out with the boys" on the line, our prayers are with all of our warriors -- prayers tha...

Hallelujah! Representative John Murtha (D-PA) is finally being called on the carpet by one of the Marines he so readily "convicted" in the press. It's about damned time that he answers for defaming our men and women in uniform. From the NewsMax.com story today: Lawyers for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in a suit to be filed Wednesday in federal court that Murtha falsely accused Wuterich "of cold-blooded murder and war crimes." The suit maintains that Pentagon officials "who have briefed or leaked information to Mr. Murtha deliberately provided him with inaccurate and false information" and that the congressman subsequently "has made repeated statements .... that are defamatory" to Wuterich and his fellow Marines. The suit accuses Murtha of spreading "false and malicious lies" about Wuterich and his squad that were "intended to serve his own private purpose and interests" and that Murtha's comments "have been repr...

by TD of The Right Track with special thanks to KnightHawk of Your Two Sense Laurence J. Kotlikoff has written an article published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review in which he predicted bankruptcy for the United States -- unless serious reforms are put in place to raise revenue or cut spending. While it's hard to agree with all of Kotlikoff's conclusions, one in particular is worth examining. According to Kotlikoff, his proposed policies would put America on track to eliminate the nation's "enormous fiscal gap" and avert bankruptcy. Here's a summary of his plan (page 12 of the PDF file linked above): The three proposals I recommend cover taxes, Social Security, and healthcare and are interconnected and interdependent. In particular, tax reform provides the funding needed to finance Social Security and healthcare reform. It also ensures that the rich and middle class elderly pay their fair share in resolving our fiscal gap. And what of the pro...