Individual Income Tax Revenues are Down

Revenue from individual income taxes fell 44 percent in April 2009 from the level in April 2008, according to new statistics from the Treasury Department. Corporate, estate and gift and federal excise taxes also posted declines. Individual Income Taxes April is traditionally the month with the highest collection of individual income taxes.

In April 2008, the Treasury Department collected $244 billion in individual income taxes. The government collected $136.7 billion in April 2009. This represents a decline of $108 billion, or 44 percent. According to the American Institute of Economic Research (AIER), the 44-percent drop is the steepest decline since 1981...

Raising taxes on the rich fixes everything...

Article in the WSJ stating how much money the state Maryland is losing this year after deciding to raise taxes on the upper tier of income earners to make up for their shortfall. I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, but he's now stated he's moving to Florida to avoid income tax after it looks like New York has decided to do the same thing. Good for him. I'm sure he isn't the only one.

Jon Minus Nine

As most of you know, I have been married to my beautiful wife Jennifer for over two years. Because I get to watch the Braves almost every night and 10 to 30 hours per week of football in the fall, I have to compromise and watch reality shows like American Idol, The Real Housewives of Whatever, and Jon and Kate Plus 8.

The big season premier of "Jon and Kate Plus 8", or as I like to say J&K+8, was last night!!! I don't like Kate. I never liked Kate. She yelled at Jon about not using a coupon. She tells him to be quiet during the interview portions of the show. She is very controlling. She has a reverse-mullet haircut.

Since last season, the couple has been on the cover of many tabloid magazines for alleged cheating. The whole show last night was Kate complaining about the paparazzi. Two things: it is funny reality TV stars are being stalked by the paparazzi, and you have a TV show where people follow you around with cameras already. How can you tell the difference? I bet most camera men look like Ryan and MAR had a baby together then peed on it. Does it matter if the peed-up camera dude has a TLC or a TMZ shirt?

Divorce is a terrible thing. I hope they can get past this and stay together for their kids and for America. Tomorrow: Patrick's review of 18 Kids and Counting.

Ghostbusters 3: The New Generation

In light of Pat's tribute to the timeless classic, it looks like it is a done deal that the whole gang is coming back for a 3rd installment with a whole new Generation of ghostbusters http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/05/dan-aykroyd-says-ghostbusters-3-may-start-filming-in-winter.html

I say this could be a great idea as long as it is a thoughtful process, and not a piece of junk that sums up Hollywood these days.



Opinions?

One More Time

Silicone Sister tonight at Pour Larry's. Doors open at 8, Show starts at 10.
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As Serious As It Gets

In America today, death lurks around every corner. While compiling a comprehensive list would take years and millions of dollars, I’ve narrowed them down to the absolute worst scourges we face in this country today. Here they are, The Top Five Worst Threats to the American Way of Life:

5. This Rain – Seriously. Customer and co-worker alike have never seen continued rain like this. It’s cloudy and everything is wet. Boo.

4. Bird Attacks – Released this week, a study conducted at the University of Florida found that Mockingbirds can identify individual people after encountering them as few as two times. They were found to attack those individuals who repeatedly threatened their nest, while ignoring bystanders. You have been targeted for Termination.

3. Sexting – Sending a nude photo without the consent of the subject in the photo. $2,500 fine or a year in prison for the perpetrator, monthlong embarrassment for the victim. No one wins in this cruel game.

2. Swine Flu – H1N1 virus. 6,552 confirmed (or probable) cases nationwide, 27 in Georgia alone. No vaccine, no known cure. Combine the films Outbreak, I Am Legend, and 28 Days Later. That’s what we’re facing here.

1. Kris Allen – According to everyone I work with, it’s an unconscionable travesty that Adam Lambert didn’t win American Idol. Even Simon thought so. Clay Aiken, however, agreed with America and declared in his infinite wisdom and negligible talent that Kris was the rightful winner. Wait a minute… an election where the result didn’t please everybody? This is still America, right?

Stay sharp, America. We’ll get through this. Godspeed.

It's Not Fair

I'm surprised this hasn't surfaced on OIA yet.

UGA officials discuss future of UGA-Fla. game.

I used to have a lot of respect for Richt. This is just gutless. Tech gets tired of losing to Georgia, so they hire a coach who can beat them. Georgia gets tired of losing to Florida, so they want to move the game? If I was a Georgia fan, I would be embarrased by this movement.

Some choice quotes from the article:

"There are things we want yet out of the city of Jacksonville that can even the playing field a bit." - Michael Adams

"I have very strong feelings about that, but the problem is I change my mind about once a week." - Bob Bishop

45-42. Love you, got to go.

Trivia Question

I'm sitting up at The Distillery which, I must say, is a very nice place. I'll have to make this a weekend night stop. Anyway, they're showing this silent film on one of the TV's and it got me thinking...

Which came first, color motion pictures or motion pictures with spoken dialogue?

I'll put this to the film buffs (Ryan, MAR).

Go.

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BMBS: The Movie

Following OIA's lead, here is the cast for the greatest movie ever made. The plot? A mockumentary about the rise and fall of The Seersuckers, an oldies and beach music cover band. Go ahead and mark this one down for post of the year.

Chris: Mark Paul Gosselar



Joe: Bull from Night Court



Mike: Michael J. Fox



Patrick: Norm MacDonald



Ryan: Tom Green



Hank: Chris Kattan



TC: Drew Carey



Snuffy: Philip Seymore Hoffman


Sorry Tim and Michael. I couldn't come up with anyone for you two.

Boog vs. Chip

I was flipping channels between American Idol (Gays vs. the rest of America) and the Braves game on Sports South last night. Braves won and the rest of America won, but I digress. Joe Simpson has been a great analyst since Turner picked him up in '92. He is doing all the games this year (unless Fox or ESPN picks up a game), but he switches between Peachtree TV with Chip Carey and Jon "Boog" Sciambi on Sports South. I think Boog does a great job, better than Chip, and he and Joe have a great chemistry. Boog has a cooler nickname, too. I want to call someone Boog. Snuffy kind of looks like Boog. Maybe I'll call him Boog. Chip has one thing going for him: he shares the same nickname as the single best wrestler in the history of BC wrestling, Chip Anderson.

Baseball is a story-telling game. Boog and Joe related the catcher's gear to the Wizard of Oz's tin man and Sigourney Weaver's outfit in the Alien movie, and it kept me watching a 12-1 game.

Tonight: Cheney vs. Obama. Patrick will be tweeting his thoughts the whole time.

Fromance

noun. A love for afros and everyone with afros.

"Stephen has a fromance with Fro-Double-YO."

25th Anniversary

"We're Ready to Believe You."

Jaywalkers Beware

Damn Swedes.

Savannah police to warn, cite unlawful pedestrians.

A Well-Deserved Endorsement

Good live music is hard to come by in Savannah, but if you're in town Saturday, May 23rd, join me at Pour Larry's to watch Silicone Sister. They're an 80's hair metal cover band and they are incredible. You will not be disappointed. I will be attending after CTC's Retirement Party. Show starts 8ish.

Hedge Fund Manager vs. Obama

Check out Clifford S. Asness' defense against Obama's attack on hedge fund managers.
This is going to be a long eight years.

"Let’s be clear, it is the job and obligation of all investment managers, including hedge fund managers, to get their clients the most return they can. They are allowed to be charitable with their own money, and many are spectacularly so, but if they give away their clients’ money to share in the “sacrifice”, they are stealing..."

"...The President’s attempted diktat takes money from bondholders and gives it to a labor union that delivers money and votes for him. Why is he not calling on his party to “sacrifice” some campaign contributions, and votes, for the greater good? Shaking down lenders for the benefit of political donors is recycled corruption and abuse of power..."

The best part is the ending:

"This is America. We have a free enterprise system that has worked spectacularly for us for two hundred plus years. When it fails it fixes itself. Most importantly, it is not an owned lackey of the oval office to be scolded for disobedience by the President.I am ready for my “personalized” tax rate now."