Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Without stepping foot on any cruise line yet, that's been my thought when booking Celebrity - it seems like the right fit for us. I guess we'll see.

Down the road a couple years, I have my sights set on a European Christmas market river cruise on the Rhine. I just think it would be something different and put a bit of spark back into the holiday season. Viking looks to be the way to go for that kind of cruise.

I did manage to talk my way into a VIP tour of the bridge on our last cruise with Celebrity. That was pretty sweet.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Lathum

The IRS is such a fucking disaster. Around Oct 2021 I got a notice saying we underreported our income from 2019 and owe and additional $39K. Umm, the fuck we do.

I feel for you. I had an ordeal with the IRS myself. To sum up - reach out to your congressperson and get them to help. The staff can connect with a Taxpayer Advocate (TPA) who can review the case with the IRS black hole. Essentially ...

you+tax accountant <--> staff person <--> TPA <--> IRS

I know it looks inefficient but worked for us.


The very long story ...

1) We used a tax accountant to file our 2019 taxes in Fall of 2020 (e.g. Covid extension). 2018 & 2019 were some tricky years so we got professional help. We got a nice refund for 2018 and was expecting a nice refund for 2019.

2) When we didn't get any communications back from the IRS by Dec 2020, the tax accountant said everything was delayed/late because of Covid etc. and we didn't think much of it. It was understandable for IRS to be backlogged.

3) When we still didn't hear anything by 2Q 2021, we reached out to Congresswoman and her staff started working with us. Staff reached out multiple times and let us know no progress and wait.

4) Somewhere along the way, around Fall 2021, we were cc'd in an email exchange between staff and TPA, and found out we were being audited. We weren't supposed to know but not particularly worried because we used the tax accountant and believed we were above board. We let our tax accountant know, he said wait for the formal notice.

5) The freaking formal notice didn't come until Jun 2022!

6) Once we got it, we worked with tax accountant and submitted additional documentation & rationale in Jul 2022. Sent it certified mail, got our green return receipt back. We kept our Congresswoman's staff in the loop.

7) In Aug 2022, we got notice/findings that we owed $8,500 (but we were expecting a substantial refund back). The notice said if you agree, pay within 30 days, else let us know if you disagree. In the notice, it said we will get the "detailed audit report" on why we owed the $8,500. We disagreed, tried calling the 800 number ("too busy, try later") and all that BS. Our tax accountant didn't return multiple email inquiries on what to do (had a good talking with him) etc. Because it was time sensitive, we paid the $8,500 in early Sep 2022.

8) I let our tax accountant and Congresswoman staff know we paid it but we did not receive the "detailed audit report" and wanted it. We asked the staff for the TPA contact info so we + tax accountant could reach out directly to TPA. Staff sent contact info to us.

9) After 2 reach outs to TPA with no response, staff got back to us and said send her the additional documentation we sent to the IRS (back in Jul 2022). I believe TPA talked with staff and told staff TPA would prefer not to work with us directly, and to continue working with staff (hence my graphic above).

10) In Oct 2022, staff sent us the "detailed audit report". My accountant reviewed it and said it was dated May 2022. Because we did not get formal audit notice until Jun 2022 and we sent the additional docs on Jul 2022, we knew this "detailed audit report" was based on pre-audit notice, so bogus.

11) Told the staff this. Staff said she would reach out to TPA. In Dec 2022, staff told us we'll be getting the refund we expected + $8,500.


In conclusion ...

Yeah, IRS sucks. I do believe Congresswoman staff had more "leverage" to get IRS to act & communicate in a timely manner. And even that wasn't great.

I do not understand how they knew they were going to audit us in Fall 2021 (see #4) but we only got the formal notice in Jun 2022 (see #5). That is just ridiculous.

Also egregious was how IRS came to the conclusion we owed $8,500 (see #7) without really even reviewing the new documentation we sent them (see #6 & #10). We know they got the documentation because we got the return receipt

And finally, there is no way for the common person to communicate directly with the IRS. I honestly do not believe their 800 works, we called multiple times without an offer to leave a message (see #7), it was always "too busy, try later". We did not get an email address to send communications to.

But the timing was pretty good I guess. We would have invested the refund in the market and lost 20-30% in 2022

[Lathum]

Thanks for the heads up. I may try that.

[Ghost Econ]

Was totally planning to eat better and exercise more as I need to lose weight. I mean, I say that every new year but felt strangely motivated this time.

Well, started off the year with a virus that's kicking my ass and that ruined that initiative. Although now I've lost 7.5 lbs since Sunday because I've barely eaten.

I guess I got a head start on the weight loss, but something tells me just getting different viruses isn't the best way to lose weight consistently.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I did manage to talk my way into a VIP tour of the bridge on our last cruise with Celebrity. That was pretty sweet.

Something tells me you had way more success with "I'm a pilot" than I would have with "I'm a regulatory lawyer."

[Ksyrup]

This is the effing truth!

pic.twitter.com/YDrbAzvTJB

— the thicc husband & father (@lukeisamazing) January 8, 2023

[NobodyHere]

So I'm watching a video of "Eat It" by Weird Al and the next video recommendation is by Mama Cass, coincidence?

[Edward64]

Happy 16th anniversary.

On this day in history, Jan. 9, 2007, Steve Jobs introduces Apple iPhone at Macworld in San Francisco

[Lathum]

Has anyone ever done a parody of Tom Pettys Free Falling called Free Balling? If not seems like a huge wasted opportunity.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Has anyone ever done a parody of Tom Pettys Free Falling called Free Balling? If not seems like a huge wasted opportunity.

really Freefalling is in itself a parody. They never meant for it to be a song. They were just fooling around coming up with the worst lyrics they could think of

[bhlloy]

I most definitely do not sing those lyrics in my head every time I hear that song.

[Ksyrup]

Fuck Verizon. I hope their business goes KAAPOOT.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Has anyone ever done a parody of Tom Pettys Free Falling called Free Balling? If not seems like a huge wasted opportunity.

There’s a bunch on YouTube.

[miami_fan]

I never thought I would be the guy to have the urge to tell a middle aged or older man to turn his baseball cap around but that is who I have become. I don't care enough to do it and I am not trying to get them fired from their job but I am judging the hell out of them.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I never thought I would be the guy to have the urge to tell a middle aged or older man to turn his baseball cap around but that is who I have become. I don't care enough to do it and I am not trying to get them fired from their job but I am judging the hell out of them.

I’m feeling judged.

[stevew]

Pepsi’s new Sprite alternative “Starry” tastes just as shitty as their previous attempts(Slice, Sierra Mist, others)

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I never thought I would be the guy to have the urge to tell a middle aged or older man to turn his baseball cap around but that is who I have become. I don't care enough to do it and I am not trying to get them fired from their job but I am judging the hell out of them.

Sun burn neck is no joking matter.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by stevew

Pepsi’s new Sprite alternative “Starry” tastes just as shitty as their previous attempts(Slice, Sierra Mist, others)

I went through a Diet Cherry Slice phase about a hundred years ago.

I'm about 13 years into my "no more soft drinks" phase. I think that's been a good thing, but I drink much too much coffee now.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Read a random article that said (effectively) that over 50% of drinkers were participating in "Dry January" thing. Based on data from a consumer analysis company or some such.

Every fiber of my being says that figure is considerable bullshit, feeling waaaaaaay too high.

Do I simply know more determined / dedicated drinkers than most people?
I literally know _maybe_ one person who has mentioned this (and they were presumably going to attempt it).

[Lathum]

I considered it for about 18 hours.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I’m feeling judged.

Yeah, I am not too enthused that I am doing the judging tbh. Didn't Cowherd have something against guys wearing the hat backwards? I don't want to be on the same side of this as that guy.

The reality is I don't see it all over the place. I can actually group them in three categories.

1. Guys in the gym. Yep you know THAT guy. I saw THAT guy do the whole Sly Stallone Over The Top turn of the hat before every set in the gym today.

2. Guys at youth sporting event who insists on heckling the players, coaches and officials. Usually the same guy can't understand why a parent might be slightly sensitive about a middle aged man heckling their child or is sneaking alcoholic beverages in his water bottle and smiling like he has gotten away with some grand scheme.

3. Guys going through a mid-life crisis.

[Lathum]

I am likely number 3. It happens a lot when I am listening to live music and drinking.

[thesloppy]

I don't think I've seen someone under 40 wear a baseball cap backwards in years, which is interesting cuz it's a look that my generation associated with youth that has slowly turned into an indicator of age instead.

[flere-imsaho]

@Jon - I call BS too. I know no one who's doing "Dry January".

[flere-imsaho]

My 14-year-old wears baseball caps all the time, but never backwards. Do with that information what you will.

[Ksyrup]

The joke here is that Louisville and UK basketball are both practicing dry January.

[cuervo72]

It is very, very rare that I will turn my hat backwards. And even then it's only for a very brief bit of time, and probably not in public.

I've just never understood/been comfortable with wearing a hat that way. Plus I need that brim-handle.

[albionmoonlight]

Dry January seems like the classic thing that very few people do but those who do do it talk endlessly about it, so it seems like a much bigger deal than it is.

[albionmoonlight]

Got some junk mail yesterday that had "to the order of" written by my name so that you could see it through the envelope window. Very crafty to get me to think it was a check

(and since I am actually waiting on a refund check, I was actually pretty pissed that that wasn't it :-))

[Ksyrup]

I can't wear a ballcap at all because I look stupid. Like, the worst awkward dorky potential serial killer ever. Which is weird because I was athletic as a kid and used to wear them all the time but stopped around 16ish. It's like I "evolved" into an adult and can no longer wear them.

Every time I put one on as a joke around my kids they give me tons of shit and make fun of me.

[cuervo72]

I have no hair so I pretty much have to wear one outside so my scalp doesn't get torched (or frozen, depending on the season). I mean, I wore them before but now it's really a necessity.

[cuervo72]

I mean, I have some old guy hats which work when it's colder, but anything else and I'm going to look like a fucking idiot (fedora!) or that I've completely given up (bucket hat). Though I only put on anything other than sweats/shorts for "special occasions" now, so I'm probably not too far from the latter.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

It is very, very rare that I will turn my hat backwards. And even then it's only for a very brief bit of time, and probably not in public.

I've just never understood/been comfortable with wearing a hat that way. Plus I need that brim-handle.

When I'm in a crawl space, attic or another place with low ceilings, I will turn my cap backwards. I have hit my head enough to know I need to do that. But never other than that.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Got some junk mail yesterday that had "to the order of" written by my name so that you could see it through the envelope window. Very crafty to get me to think it was a check

(and since I am actually waiting on a refund check, I was actually pretty pissed that that wasn't it :-))

Yeah I get those all the time. Always annoying

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Dry January seems like the classic thing that very few people do but those who do do it talk endlessly about it, so it seems like a much bigger deal than it is.

I feel like it's akin to the old surveys (think 60s,70s, 80s) about people watching PBS. It was a trendy thing to say that you did, whether you did or not.

[Ghost Econ]

You know what's terrifying, when your dog sees a cat and you know there's no way you're stopping him.

Was on the front porch putting up the gate we sometimes use to keep the dog on the porch (ironic), when the dog saw a cat in the front yard. He gave me a quick look like he knew what I was about to say, then he hauled ass.

In less than five seconds he was across the street and chased it behind a fence. I ran and grabbed my flip flops and by the time I got back to the porch he was already running back to the street to come home.

Thankfully the driver coming down the street actually slowed for the speed bump in front of our house, otherwise the dog would have been a goner. I yelled an apology and they waived.

Meanwhile the dog gets to the door and he clearly knows he fucked up. He probably forgot all about it 5 minutes later, but hopefully it made an imprint so he doesn't try it again. He's been super needy all day so maybe he mildly understands.

[Edward64]

Yeah, we could never trust our lab when she was young.

She's 11+ now so pretty slow with weak back legs. We don't worry much about her running off anymore.

[Edward64]

Airpods + bluetooth players don't work well in crowded situations.

I wish Airpods or the player were intelligent enough to "turn off/pause" until they can confirm a stronger signal.

[Lathum]

We have a big yard, own a corner lot, so my dog has a ton of room to run around. He is 17% red boned coon hound and will chase anything. We don't bring him out front unless he is leashed because he would be gone at the first sight of any animal.

[molson]

We had a rescue husky that would wait for you to get the mail to try to dart out. "Hey, no worries Loba, we didn't rescue you from a crowded southern Caliornia shelter to give you a glorious and comfortable retirement or anything, don't mind us, go be free"

We currently have a rescue that was a feral dog for years, living outside, occasionally fed by an old guy who owned the property and didn't have modern concept of domestic dogs, and was eventually trapped by volunteers there after the guy died. He's improved a lot and gotten healthy, but I don't trust him anywhere within 20 feet of an open door either.

I kind of envy my friends whose dogs who can just wander around off leash, but, I also have soft spot for emotionally damaged rescue dogs.

Edit: And I'm pretty good at keeping dogs secured - we have another husky/shepherd mix now too that doesn't show signs of escapism, but its in his breed, so, he's on his leash even from the car to the house.

[Lathum]

Huskies are notorious escape artists. Since we live on a corner lot the town ordinance states our fence can only be 4 feet, not 6. Our dog could totally jump it but he hasn't figured it out yet, hopefully he never does.

[flere-imsaho]

Our now 4-year-old rescue mutt is totally the opposite - he basically won't chase anything. He apparently has some Great Pyrenees in him (he's big, about 90 pounds) and what I've read indicates that they instinctually stay with their flock instead of chasing predators. European herdsmen turned to them after other breeds would chase the decoy wolf, allowing the rest of the pack to eat all the sheep, basically.

Anyway, I've actually had to train him to chase the deer off our property. He's happy to sit and bark and growl at them (and the coyotes), and, to be fair, he's pretty intimidating when he does so, but it used to be even if I opened the front door he wouldn't take off after the deer while they ate my wife's plants.

So anyway, now he understands "go", but crucially he also understands "stop" and "over here" (which I use for a general-purpose return command).

Big difference from our previous rescue mutt, who was probably 5 when we adopted him. Great dog, very chill, but also stubborn and set in his ways. Wouldn't do anything you asked of him unless you had chicken, in which case suddenly he knew all sorts of commands.

[Ksyrup]

Got an interesting email from Best Buy this morning about changes to its rewards program. Under the guise of "simplifying" the program, they have collapsed all the tiers of the program into a single tier. That's because it really doesn't matter any more which tier you belong in, since going forward (beginning in mid-February), the only people who will earn rewards points will be those who have (and use) a Best Buy credit card for purchases.

We rarely shop there anymore - although coincidentally, we just bought Mackenzie a new TV and microwave at Best Buy for her dorm since her roommate transferred out and she's got the room to herself for the spring semester - so this isn't gong to bother me too much. However, this seems to be a sign that Best Buy isn't doing very well and needs to cut back on the freebies unless they are getting something out of it beyond just the sale of the products we buy.

[miami_fan]

Nutting is trending on Twitter. I am assuming it is trending because of Pirates fans disapproval of Pirates owner Bob Nutting. There are some innocent people on this wonderful forum. Take it from a heathen.

DON’T SEARCH NUTTING ON TWITTER!

[GrantDawg]

BEWARE!!!

“#Nutting” is trending on Twitter.

Like me, I’m sure you all were expecting to see what newsworthy occurrence involved Williams Wordsworth’s celebrated poem, but be warned. Alas, there is another meaning, gentle readers. pic.twitter.com/0AWaHTlPMI

— �� West �� (@pr_dolan) January 13, 2023

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

DON’T SEARCH ON TWITTER!

Fixed

[henry296]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Got an interesting email from Best Buy this morning about changes to its rewards program. Under the guise of "simplifying" the program, they have collapsed all the tiers of the program into a single tier. That's because it really doesn't matter any more which tier you belong in, since going forward (beginning in mid-February), the only people who will earn rewards points will be those who have (and use) a Best Buy credit card for purchases.

We rarely shop there anymore - although coincidentally, we just bought Mackenzie a new TV and microwave at Best Buy for her dorm since her roommate transferred out and she's got the room to herself for the spring semester - so this isn't gong to bother me too much. However, this seems to be a sign that Best Buy isn't doing very well and needs to cut back on the freebies unless they are getting something out of it beyond just the sale of the products we buy.

Likely this is a tactic to increase Credit Card ownership because they see higher value from Credit Card holders vs. non credit card customers. It is probably more of a circular impact but seems logical from someone who works for another large retailer in data and analytics.

[Ksyrup]

Seems similar to going down the road of the Kohl's model of giving 15-30% off if you use your Kohl's card, then gifting you "Kohl's Cash" that's only good for the next 7-10 days, hoping you'll come back in and spend more than just the cash you got, and again putting it on your Kohl's card.

[rjolley]

We usually use Best Buy for items that we want to see before we buy or for purchases that we want to pay over time since they have a 12 - 24 month same as cash deal when you use the card.

However, I really don't like their price match policy. I'm looking at a computer that is available on the manufacturer's store and Amazon for 30% less. Best Buy said they won't price match because the model numbers don't match. It's the same model number. The difference? Best Buy took out all of the spaces and hyphens. That's it.

So, another sale lost to Amazon....

[cuervo72]

Hmm...the last time I was in a Best Buy was the day before work closed for Covid. Company owner wanted to make sure we had everything we needed to telecommute for a good while. I picked up a wireless mouse and keyboard. Someone might have even gotten a monitor; I wasn't so bold. Probably could have been.