I was watching (more accurately, listening as I did other tasks) to the morning news yesterday, and they mentioned that the report of tax burdens by state was just made available for this year. That didn't catch my ear. What did was their mentioning that Maryland has the fourth highest tax burden! Well, I don't know why I was surprised; I always knew somewhere in my gut that this is a tax-happy state. Maybe it had something to do with my dad telling me about county taxes from the time he lived in Maryland. ("The form asks you to enter your state tax on one line, then on the next multiply by 50% to get your county tax!") Anyway, it was something I was prepared to hear. But number four is pretty high on the list!
I found the data online here. (You have to scroll the embedded document to the bottom for 2008 numbers.) New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut top the list, with Maryland hot on their heels. Virginia is #18 -- too bad I'm not living there anymore! (DC would fall into the #8 position, but it's not a state. Sorry!) Alaska (tax incentives for living there), Nevada (gambling revenue), and Wyoming (...?) are the three least taxed states.
Nevada sounds like it could be a nice place to live.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Red hot
When you're hot, you're hot. But when you're hot on you're birthday, you're on fire.
My auto insurance expired with the turn of the month, and I had until July 11th to begin paying for the next six months. However, my insurance policy was still associated with Virginia. True, I have been in Maryland for a while, but I figured the policy would update itself when it renewed. I had given the company my new address and I had even gone through the "change vehicle location" steps on their website. However, upon checking my statement online, I discovered that my assumption, however reasonable, was not realized.
So I placed a call to the company and got through to a representative immediately. As if that wasn't surprising enough, I was told that, with the same coverage options, my Maryland policy would be $2 less per six months than my previous Virginia policy. I know that's a small amount, but when you're ready for a $50 increase -- because, let's face it, everything costs more in Maryland -- any decrease is pretty incredible.
Then there was lunch. I try to take it a little later than most people. I find that a delayed lunch helps make the afternoon move faster in addition to helping me avoid the crowd in the lunchroom. Well, imagine my joyful surprise when I made for the lunchroom at 1pm and entered just as a large meeting was getting out -- a large meeting with two leftover pizzas and homemade chocolate chip cookies! Our office has a "free table," where any extra or unwanted foods are placed. Given that anyone and everyone loves free food (it doesn't even have to be particularly good to get taken!), two pizzas have about a 5-minute life expectancy on that table. So, yeah, I lucked out pretty good, huh?
I know the day is far from over, and I really shouldn't tempt fate, but with the way the day has been going, plus a party (just for me!) after institute tonight, I'm prepared to call this a pretty awesome birthday!
My auto insurance expired with the turn of the month, and I had until July 11th to begin paying for the next six months. However, my insurance policy was still associated with Virginia. True, I have been in Maryland for a while, but I figured the policy would update itself when it renewed. I had given the company my new address and I had even gone through the "change vehicle location" steps on their website. However, upon checking my statement online, I discovered that my assumption, however reasonable, was not realized.
So I placed a call to the company and got through to a representative immediately. As if that wasn't surprising enough, I was told that, with the same coverage options, my Maryland policy would be $2 less per six months than my previous Virginia policy. I know that's a small amount, but when you're ready for a $50 increase -- because, let's face it, everything costs more in Maryland -- any decrease is pretty incredible.
Then there was lunch. I try to take it a little later than most people. I find that a delayed lunch helps make the afternoon move faster in addition to helping me avoid the crowd in the lunchroom. Well, imagine my joyful surprise when I made for the lunchroom at 1pm and entered just as a large meeting was getting out -- a large meeting with two leftover pizzas and homemade chocolate chip cookies! Our office has a "free table," where any extra or unwanted foods are placed. Given that anyone and everyone loves free food (it doesn't even have to be particularly good to get taken!), two pizzas have about a 5-minute life expectancy on that table. So, yeah, I lucked out pretty good, huh?
I know the day is far from over, and I really shouldn't tempt fate, but with the way the day has been going, plus a party (just for me!) after institute tonight, I'm prepared to call this a pretty awesome birthday!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
[sic]
I was feeling pretty ill a couple weeks ago, but I'm better now. I wasn't going to mention it, but it kind of fit with the title here.
Anyway, there have been a few instances in the past couple of weeks when I realized that some quirky behavior I exhibit is really not that uncommon. So I wanted to toss this one out, too, and see if it's the same.
While reading this article (regarding animals blocking an airport runway) I came across a quote:
Anyway, there have been a few instances in the past couple of weeks when I realized that some quirky behavior I exhibit is really not that uncommon. So I wanted to toss this one out, too, and see if it's the same.
While reading this article (regarding animals blocking an airport runway) I came across a quote:
"The monitor lizards -- they look frightening but they are harmless animals," he said. "But they can grow about three to four feet long. And at the velocity a plane lands, the [lizards] can still cause damage."Now, am I the only person who reads things like this and wonders what the man really said instead of "lizards?" I like to imagine all sorts of colorful epithets inserted in that sentence that CNN just couldn't print. Please tell me I'm not.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Right place, right time
Everyone in the DC area noticed the severe storm that came through last Wednesday. I don't pay too much attention to the news, and even I heard about it enough in advance to be prepared. But when another severe storm came through on Saturday night, I hadn't been warned.
I was probably out of the loop because it was the weekend, and I had been focusing on other things. I had a day planned from the start to the end with fun and uplifting things to do. When the storm came, I was just about 10 miles north of my home, at the adult session of our stake conference. Afterward, I went out to eat with a few other young people. We only received very light rain, but did get to hear thunder and see some impressive lightning to the south. It was only when I got home that I realized how bad the storm had been. A huge limb was down, blocking half of the road into my neighborhood. As I turned onto my street, the usually beautiful tree lining both sides of the road and the median were missing several large limbs as well -- of course, they were on the street. The parking lot in my apartment complex likewise has a plentiful supply of trees, so there were many smaller limbs scattered all of the lot. Sirens could be heard throughout the neighborhood. I saw my neighbor on the way into my apartment, and he informed me that I missed out on 60 mph winds and coin-sized hail.
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I like to think that my car (and I, of course) was kept safe because I was in the right place.
I was probably out of the loop because it was the weekend, and I had been focusing on other things. I had a day planned from the start to the end with fun and uplifting things to do. When the storm came, I was just about 10 miles north of my home, at the adult session of our stake conference. Afterward, I went out to eat with a few other young people. We only received very light rain, but did get to hear thunder and see some impressive lightning to the south. It was only when I got home that I realized how bad the storm had been. A huge limb was down, blocking half of the road into my neighborhood. As I turned onto my street, the usually beautiful tree lining both sides of the road and the median were missing several large limbs as well -- of course, they were on the street. The parking lot in my apartment complex likewise has a plentiful supply of trees, so there were many smaller limbs scattered all of the lot. Sirens could be heard throughout the neighborhood. I saw my neighbor on the way into my apartment, and he informed me that I missed out on 60 mph winds and coin-sized hail.
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I like to think that my car (and I, of course) was kept safe because I was in the right place.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Rocky Mountain Kai
Wow. Has it been a month already? I got pretty distracted.
One thing that has occupied my time and attention has been my goal to read a book every two months. I know that's not a very ambitious goal, but it's a big improvement over nothing. I never did report back on my January-February reading, but yes, I did complete The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS. Then I picked out a much longer book for March-April -- The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography (alternately subtitled The Secret History of Codes and Code Breaking). It seems the science field really loves its subtitles. Well, as April drew to a close, I knew I would not finish this book in time. However, I did finish, but May was half over before that time. Still, I'm not worried, because since then, I have read another book. While not fitting into my science/math theme, The Five People You Meet in Heaven was a great read.
That makes 3 books in less than five months, so I'm ahead of my goal. But I still have over a month left in this May-June period, so I won't be resting on my laurels. My bishop will be holding a discussion with all of the adult men of the ward in early June on the topic of the priesthood, and he will give out a copy of Men of Valor to each individual. To ensure participation in the discussion, the bishop has given some copies of the book to some of the brethren ahead of time. In light of another event (discussed below), I became one of these brethren. So I need to finish this book with a couple weeks. After that, I'll still be nearly a month ahead of schedule. Maybe I'll use that time to get a head start on another lengthy tome.
Another object of time and attention has been my new responsibilities at church. I was called to be the assistant ward clerk, and I was specifically given the responsibilities for finances. Now, I don't know the first thing about finances, but that's okay. My largest tasks are accounting for donations, reimbursing members for approved expenses, and handling fast offering assistance. Most of these are pretty straight forward in their own right; the difficult is documenting it all properly. It's all done electronically, and I'm no stranger to computers. But the church's computerized financial system is stranger than anything I've encountered before. I require help from my predecessor fairly often.
Last week I also had the opportunity to spend the better part of a week in Colorado Springs. My sister and her husband moved out there rather recently for his work. But the main reason for the visit was the first birthday of my only nephew (so far). Kai is an adorable one-year-old now. He walks with ever increasing confidence, but his shy speech betrays the engineering backgrounds of his father and uncle! His toy collection gathered several new, flashing, noise-making entries, and he made a mess of his birthday cupcake -- just the way a first birthday should be. While I was in town (accompanied by the proud grandparents), I also had the chance to see some of the sights. I spent time at the Air Force Academy, the Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, and the Anasazi Cliff Dwellings. And what trip to Colorado Springs is complete without a meal and show at the Flying W Ranch? Despite the unpleasantness of the air travel (complete with restrictions that resulted in my mother's toothpaste being confiscated), in the end, it was a very fun trip.
Since I really should be working, I won't take the time right now to post pictures. But I'll put some up soon.
Update: The pictures are here! (Finally!)
Here's Kai with his mommy.
And his daddy.
Here's the chapel at the Air Force Academy. My parents got married in there.
It's quite beautiful inside!
It took me several tries to get my dad's camera to focus on the right thing here. This is the Siamese Twins formation at the Garden of the Gods framing Pike's Peak.
The Anasazi cliff dwellings.
And finally the Flying W Wranglers. Apparently a few of them are frequent champions with their respective instruments at national competitions!
One thing that has occupied my time and attention has been my goal to read a book every two months. I know that's not a very ambitious goal, but it's a big improvement over nothing. I never did report back on my January-February reading, but yes, I did complete The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS. Then I picked out a much longer book for March-April -- The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography (alternately subtitled The Secret History of Codes and Code Breaking). It seems the science field really loves its subtitles. Well, as April drew to a close, I knew I would not finish this book in time. However, I did finish, but May was half over before that time. Still, I'm not worried, because since then, I have read another book. While not fitting into my science/math theme, The Five People You Meet in Heaven was a great read.
That makes 3 books in less than five months, so I'm ahead of my goal. But I still have over a month left in this May-June period, so I won't be resting on my laurels. My bishop will be holding a discussion with all of the adult men of the ward in early June on the topic of the priesthood, and he will give out a copy of Men of Valor to each individual. To ensure participation in the discussion, the bishop has given some copies of the book to some of the brethren ahead of time. In light of another event (discussed below), I became one of these brethren. So I need to finish this book with a couple weeks. After that, I'll still be nearly a month ahead of schedule. Maybe I'll use that time to get a head start on another lengthy tome.
Another object of time and attention has been my new responsibilities at church. I was called to be the assistant ward clerk, and I was specifically given the responsibilities for finances. Now, I don't know the first thing about finances, but that's okay. My largest tasks are accounting for donations, reimbursing members for approved expenses, and handling fast offering assistance. Most of these are pretty straight forward in their own right; the difficult is documenting it all properly. It's all done electronically, and I'm no stranger to computers. But the church's computerized financial system is stranger than anything I've encountered before. I require help from my predecessor fairly often.
Last week I also had the opportunity to spend the better part of a week in Colorado Springs. My sister and her husband moved out there rather recently for his work. But the main reason for the visit was the first birthday of my only nephew (so far). Kai is an adorable one-year-old now. He walks with ever increasing confidence, but his shy speech betrays the engineering backgrounds of his father and uncle! His toy collection gathered several new, flashing, noise-making entries, and he made a mess of his birthday cupcake -- just the way a first birthday should be. While I was in town (accompanied by the proud grandparents), I also had the chance to see some of the sights. I spent time at the Air Force Academy, the Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, and the Anasazi Cliff Dwellings. And what trip to Colorado Springs is complete without a meal and show at the Flying W Ranch? Despite the unpleasantness of the air travel (complete with restrictions that resulted in my mother's toothpaste being confiscated), in the end, it was a very fun trip.
Since I really should be working, I won't take the time right now to post pictures. But I'll put some up soon.
Update: The pictures are here! (Finally!)
Here's Kai with his mommy.
And his daddy.
Here's the chapel at the Air Force Academy. My parents got married in there.
It's quite beautiful inside!
It took me several tries to get my dad's camera to focus on the right thing here. This is the Siamese Twins formation at the Garden of the Gods framing Pike's Peak.
The Anasazi cliff dwellings.
And finally the Flying W Wranglers. Apparently a few of them are frequent champions with their respective instruments at national competitions!
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