We didn't catch The Hurt Locker during its run at the theatres so we picked it up, finally, at Red Box and it didn't disappoint. Suspenseful, sure, but mercilessly so with fine performances by the leads. (And look for some cameos by some familiar faces.) Neither anti- or pro- Iraq war, it's a story instead of people dealing with unrelenting pressure and with one another in situations they'll never find themselves back in civilian life. The sets appear authentic and the minor details ring true and they all serve well the main story of these brave men carrying out their duties. A little too much of the shaky-cam at times, Director Bigelow otherwise runs the show with a solid hand. She's already won the Director's Guild Award for this effort; don't be surprised if she takes Best Director in the upcoming Oscar season.
Here's the awesome Stephen Hunter with the best discussion of the movie that I've read. Click on through and then don't deny yourself the pleasure of the finely crafted movie.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
More Ice Storm Pictures
Just some quick shots I took when I stepped out yesterday to start digging out. Though it looks like calling this thing an ice storm may be a misnomer - it looks like we got plenty of snow. We did, it's just that under all of it, is up to an inch of ice. No spectacular damage like this time last year in Arkansas so we're lucky. (Click on over to see what damage can really look like. Then stay around for a great blog. Ice storm damage link helpfully provided by Bruce, who has a wonderful blog as well.) Here are my pictures from last year, which will give you a link to my ice storm pictures from two years ago.
The snow piled high on our trash cans gives you an idea of how much we got. Roughly half the amount of last month's blizzard:
Icicles sparkle in the morning light:
The snow before I tromped through it to get to the back yard and shovel a way out for the dogs:
Rachel's car before the big dig. Can you dig it? I did. Dug it out, I mean.
Nope, nothing like it had been, nothing like it could've been. We're blessed, indeed.
The snow piled high on our trash cans gives you an idea of how much we got. Roughly half the amount of last month's blizzard:
Icicles sparkle in the morning light:
The snow before I tromped through it to get to the back yard and shovel a way out for the dogs:
Rachel's car before the big dig. Can you dig it? I did. Dug it out, I mean.
Nope, nothing like it had been, nothing like it could've been. We're blessed, indeed.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Ice Storm 2010
So the ice storm came and stayed around awhile like an unexpected, and unwelcome, guest over the holidays. You kept looking at your watch, wondering when it would leave, and buddy, it ain't going nowhere.
Everyone stayed home on Friday. Clara could work from home; so could I and we did. The girls, like kids on all snow days everywhere, parked it in front of the TVs and the dogs wandered throughout the house, whining occasionally to be let out and then barking to be let right back in. Cold out there, boss. And snow. Did you know about the snow? The day like that, one long smear, punctuated with looks out of various windows to see how bad things were and if it had ended yet.
A good marker? The length of icicles on Miss Betty's house next door. They started out as nothing but just kept getting longer and longer and longer:
The holly tree tips over. I'll tie it back again when the weather clears but it's just not built to take an ice load.
The hummingbird feeder is a hopeful leftover from summer. You can see the sleet and snow stacking up in the in the bird bath. Not too bad. Not just yet.
The maple in the front yard, glazed in ice. Not a soul stirring on the street or in Miss Ronda's house across the street. Nothing to do but watch.
Our own icicles are growing. The gutters are dammed up with ice and we'll have to watch inside when it melts to see if we don't get some leaks. Probably not; it's rarely happened in the past.
Snow dog! I tweeted this picture. Pepper likes the snow more than Lucky but they'll both come in covered with snow dingleberries. when they're done romping for a place to take care of business.
The snow fell heavier throughout the afternoon but finally stopped around 6:00 or so. I'd say we got about 6 inches. A good amount over an inch or so of ice so we got it good. But not nearly as bad as we've had it before. So we're grateful for that.
Nothing to do now but dig out.
Everyone stayed home on Friday. Clara could work from home; so could I and we did. The girls, like kids on all snow days everywhere, parked it in front of the TVs and the dogs wandered throughout the house, whining occasionally to be let out and then barking to be let right back in. Cold out there, boss. And snow. Did you know about the snow? The day like that, one long smear, punctuated with looks out of various windows to see how bad things were and if it had ended yet.
A good marker? The length of icicles on Miss Betty's house next door. They started out as nothing but just kept getting longer and longer and longer:
The maple in the front yard, glazed in ice. Not a soul stirring on the street or in Miss Ronda's house across the street. Nothing to do but watch.
Snow dog! I tweeted this picture. Pepper likes the snow more than Lucky but they'll both come in covered with snow dingleberries. when they're done romping for a place to take care of business.
The snow fell heavier throughout the afternoon but finally stopped around 6:00 or so. I'd say we got about 6 inches. A good amount over an inch or so of ice so we got it good. But not nearly as bad as we've had it before. So we're grateful for that.
Nothing to do now but dig out.
The Drive Home
So the much dreaded ice storm finally hit this past Thursday. The weather folks had been predicting this a week out and I was doubtful - they've been wrong so many times and they seemed fueled more by memories of the ice storm from two years ago and last month's blizzard and the hunt for high ratings than they were by a desire to be accurate; the further out your predictions, the more likely it is you'll be wrong. But they weren't wrong this time.
Thursday morning started out as rain. Schools were already closed but I went into the office anyway. By noon, things were getting a little icy. We called it quits by 3:00. I was smart this time and parking with the Sequoia's butt end to the north and my wipers jutting out from the glass windshield. Clara had bought me an awesome ice scraper after the last blizzard and it made short work of the ice on my windshield and windows. I blasted through the staff's cars as well - hey, that's one of those untaxed fringe benefits, isn't it? - and sent them on their way before returning to my car. By then, the heater and the rear window defroster had taken care of what my ice scraper hadn't. I checked in with home and headed out.
The going wasn't bad, much easier than driving through last month's blizzard. There was no blowing snow, no white out conditions, my wipers and heater stayed on top of keeping the windshield and back window clear. The roads were covered with sleet - not too slick and it made for steady, if slow, going. Still, I saw two wrecks on the way home, one where the car had left the road entirely and the EMS folks had just arrived and were picking their way down the slope to the unlucky soul still in their car. I hope they were all right.
Pretty bleak weather though. And fairly crowded. I kept a close eye out as I got my iPhone out and up and fired off a few pictures:
Watch out, I'm really gaining on that car on the right!
I made it home in only a little more time than it normally takes. Fortunately, Clara had planned ahead and had laid in supplies the night before so I didn't have to hit the store on the way home or go right back out. We buttoned up the house after I got home and hunkered down, ready.
Thursday morning started out as rain. Schools were already closed but I went into the office anyway. By noon, things were getting a little icy. We called it quits by 3:00. I was smart this time and parking with the Sequoia's butt end to the north and my wipers jutting out from the glass windshield. Clara had bought me an awesome ice scraper after the last blizzard and it made short work of the ice on my windshield and windows. I blasted through the staff's cars as well - hey, that's one of those untaxed fringe benefits, isn't it? - and sent them on their way before returning to my car. By then, the heater and the rear window defroster had taken care of what my ice scraper hadn't. I checked in with home and headed out.
The going wasn't bad, much easier than driving through last month's blizzard. There was no blowing snow, no white out conditions, my wipers and heater stayed on top of keeping the windshield and back window clear. The roads were covered with sleet - not too slick and it made for steady, if slow, going. Still, I saw two wrecks on the way home, one where the car had left the road entirely and the EMS folks had just arrived and were picking their way down the slope to the unlucky soul still in their car. I hope they were all right.
Pretty bleak weather though. And fairly crowded. I kept a close eye out as I got my iPhone out and up and fired off a few pictures:
Watch out, I'm really gaining on that car on the right!
I made it home in only a little more time than it normally takes. Fortunately, Clara had planned ahead and had laid in supplies the night before so I didn't have to hit the store on the way home or go right back out. We buttoned up the house after I got home and hunkered down, ready.
Rural Client
I had a business client call me around lunch time this past Wednesday wanting to schedule a time to review her QuickBooks accounting; what I had to say was more than what I could do over the phone and with the direly predicted ice and snow storm approaching, it might be a week or more before I could get out their way. So I dropped what I was doing - I was approaching a stopping point in what I was doing anyway - hopped in my Sequoia, and headed out. My firm's not too big just yet where the principal can just come out on a moment's notice; I like being able to do that and I hope my client's notice the difference.
The client wasn't far - about 25 minutes from my office, via Interstate - and I took care of business quickly and she was happy when I was through. I headed back to the office and I was struck as I often am about how easily you can find yourself in a rural setting here in Oklahoma City without having to travel far at all. The business location is just a couple miles south of the airport but looking around you'd think you were out in far west Oklahoma:
(Those clouds are the ragged shreds of the winter storm coming our way.)
Lonely gravel roads. Grain silos. Farm country.
Minutes later, I'm back in suburban Oklahoma City and then running down the Interstate back to the office. Twenty-five minutes later, I'm back in my chair in front of a computer monitor. The swift change of settings is a little disorienting.
I haven't been to a lot of cities but I imagine that Oklahoma City is one of the places where this kind of thing is becoming quite rare. Soon we'll be like all of the other big cities - we've been saying that for years and years and some day it'll be true - but for now, we're not. There are still some things that make us unique. Let's count our blessings before we become just like every other place.
The client wasn't far - about 25 minutes from my office, via Interstate - and I took care of business quickly and she was happy when I was through. I headed back to the office and I was struck as I often am about how easily you can find yourself in a rural setting here in Oklahoma City without having to travel far at all. The business location is just a couple miles south of the airport but looking around you'd think you were out in far west Oklahoma:
(Those clouds are the ragged shreds of the winter storm coming our way.)
Lonely gravel roads. Grain silos. Farm country.
Minutes later, I'm back in suburban Oklahoma City and then running down the Interstate back to the office. Twenty-five minutes later, I'm back in my chair in front of a computer monitor. The swift change of settings is a little disorienting.
I haven't been to a lot of cities but I imagine that Oklahoma City is one of the places where this kind of thing is becoming quite rare. Soon we'll be like all of the other big cities - we've been saying that for years and years and some day it'll be true - but for now, we're not. There are still some things that make us unique. Let's count our blessings before we become just like every other place.
Wine!
Not content to home brew beer, I've branched out into home, er, brewing wine. (You don't brew wine, you simply make it.) The steps are similar - lots of cleaning and sanitizing and mixing and pitching yeast and then moving the wine from one fermenter to the next and then cleaning and sanitizing and bottling - all done with similar equipment. The ingredients - and time - are the only things that change. And, yes, I'm using a kit; I'm just learning the techniques right now and don't have the expertise yet to do my own design and blending of wine.
Well, the first batch is done - more of a wine cooler, really, a strawberry white merlot:
Pink and sweet, more of a hint of strawberry, really, than an overwhelming flavor. And it tastes good! Which is the only real criteria a wine should meet, shouldn't it?
Well, all righty then. Looks like we'll be doing wine as well 'round here.
Next up: a riesling. This one'll take some time so expect a few weeks before I can post a report.
Well, the first batch is done - more of a wine cooler, really, a strawberry white merlot:
Pink and sweet, more of a hint of strawberry, really, than an overwhelming flavor. And it tastes good! Which is the only real criteria a wine should meet, shouldn't it?
Well, all righty then. Looks like we'll be doing wine as well 'round here.
Next up: a riesling. This one'll take some time so expect a few weeks before I can post a report.
IRS '10,000 Letters' Program Angers CPAs
No kidding:
No, the IRS doesn't see this as encouragement; that's only the lipstick they put on this pig, the thing they tell themselves as they pat themselves on the back and give each other performance awards for coming up with such a brilliant scheme of harassment and intimidation. As always, the IRS' focus is on the those who are in compliance, and why not? The IRS already has the compliant right where they want them: filing tax returns, paying taxes, duly reporting the returns for which they were paid to prepare. It's too much trouble, and too expensive, to put together a task force to root out and discipline those who aren't in compliance. Better to send out letters and visit offices - in the middle of filing season! - and talk in general terms about "errors" - codespeak for intentional fraud and said with a smile - found on the returns of other preparers. They're like the mob, visiting a business: nice little tax practice you've got here. It'd be a shame if anything should happen to it.
CPAs go through a rigorous training program and examination to be licensed, as well as an extensive continuing education program. Further, they're subject to stringent ethical requirements to maintain their license. Sure, there are lots of bad CPAs, just like there are lots of bad attorneys and bad doctors; the certification process isn't perfect. But the greatest number of tax returns that are being prepared erroneously - whether intentionally or not - aren't being prepared by CPAs. (And what's a correctly prepared tax return anyway? Look for the inevitable stories this filing season of the accuracy rate of the IRS' own help hotline; they'll seldom give you the same answer twice. The Internal Revenue Code is a vast and complicated piece of legislation, open to a great number of interpretations. Even the IRS doesn't know what it means. They don't win every case in Tax Court.)
If the IRS knows enough about CPAs to send out letters and make office visits, I say formalize your charges and bring 'em forward. Otherwise, stop this nonsense. You don't see the Department of Justice sending letters or making visits to attorney offices "encouraging" attorneys to argue more "accurate" cases. The IRS has no business doing the same with CPAs.
CPAs are complaining about an intrusive and intimidating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) initiative that began in early January when the IRS started sending “over 10,000” letters to tax return preparers (commercial and professional), with follow-up visits to “thousands” of letter recipients. This is part of an IRS program to be sure that preparers are “assisting clients appropriately” and part of Commissioner Shulman’s overall effort to increase oversight of return preparers. The IRS may intend this as an encouragement to do a better job, but CPA practitioners see this as poorly timed and intimidating during the busy tax season as they seek to apply the tax law correctly to client situations.
No, the IRS doesn't see this as encouragement; that's only the lipstick they put on this pig, the thing they tell themselves as they pat themselves on the back and give each other performance awards for coming up with such a brilliant scheme of harassment and intimidation. As always, the IRS' focus is on the those who are in compliance, and why not? The IRS already has the compliant right where they want them: filing tax returns, paying taxes, duly reporting the returns for which they were paid to prepare. It's too much trouble, and too expensive, to put together a task force to root out and discipline those who aren't in compliance. Better to send out letters and visit offices - in the middle of filing season! - and talk in general terms about "errors" - codespeak for intentional fraud and said with a smile - found on the returns of other preparers. They're like the mob, visiting a business: nice little tax practice you've got here. It'd be a shame if anything should happen to it.
CPAs go through a rigorous training program and examination to be licensed, as well as an extensive continuing education program. Further, they're subject to stringent ethical requirements to maintain their license. Sure, there are lots of bad CPAs, just like there are lots of bad attorneys and bad doctors; the certification process isn't perfect. But the greatest number of tax returns that are being prepared erroneously - whether intentionally or not - aren't being prepared by CPAs. (And what's a correctly prepared tax return anyway? Look for the inevitable stories this filing season of the accuracy rate of the IRS' own help hotline; they'll seldom give you the same answer twice. The Internal Revenue Code is a vast and complicated piece of legislation, open to a great number of interpretations. Even the IRS doesn't know what it means. They don't win every case in Tax Court.)
If the IRS knows enough about CPAs to send out letters and make office visits, I say formalize your charges and bring 'em forward. Otherwise, stop this nonsense. You don't see the Department of Justice sending letters or making visits to attorney offices "encouraging" attorneys to argue more "accurate" cases. The IRS has no business doing the same with CPAs.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Rachel's Birthday
It was Rachel's choice for her birthday dinner so it was her idea to go to The Melting Pot in Bricktown. Hey, great idea!
You know what would've been a better idea? If Dad had remembered to bring the camera. Kee-riminy. Doofuses come no bigger than Rachel's Dad. Ah, but I had my iPhone's camera didn't I? A sure guarantee of dim, grainy pictures to commemorate this event. Let's take a look:
Hey, not too bad. Rachel looks quite pleased to be here. Good. We were, too:
Emily always finds time to throw some gang signs. Represent, yo!
Rachel studies the menu; she must choose wisely:
Emily looks on and offers her sage advice:
Turns out the table they gave us wasn't the one we had reserved. No prob. We moved over to our assigned spot and picked up from there. Emily had been perfectly happy where she was, thank you very much:
Rachel's pleased with the new location:
Fondue forks at the ready:
The cheese course arrives and it's all a blur of hands after that:
I swear I saw sparks flying as our forks clashed with one another. Positively medieval:
Time to think about the next course:
Some of us think a little more deeply than others. Will I get enough to eat? Will I?
Yes, yes I think I will get enough to eat. But I can't be absolutely sure, can I?
Oooo. The meat course. The girls had the Pacific Rim; they were a'hankerin' for the duck. Their cooking style? The chicken brothy stuff:
The meat arrives and it's another blur of hands and sparking forks:
Yes, I believe Emily's getting her share but Rachel's ready for some chocolate:
No, not chocolate, not yet. Clara and I had the Coq a Vin style. Looks a little thick in the aftermath but tasty:
An existential play: When will the chocolate come? When? No one knows but life's absurd while you wait:
Ahhhh. Chocolate at last. Rachel's moved to tears.
Nom nom nom.
So, a splendid time was had by all. A memorable choice for a memorable birthday. Though I think we all agreed, next time we'll move from the cheese course directly to the chocolate. Why waste time with salad and meat and all? Life's too short!
You know what would've been a better idea? If Dad had remembered to bring the camera. Kee-riminy. Doofuses come no bigger than Rachel's Dad. Ah, but I had my iPhone's camera didn't I? A sure guarantee of dim, grainy pictures to commemorate this event. Let's take a look:
Hey, not too bad. Rachel looks quite pleased to be here. Good. We were, too:
Emily always finds time to throw some gang signs. Represent, yo!
Rachel studies the menu; she must choose wisely:
Emily looks on and offers her sage advice:
Turns out the table they gave us wasn't the one we had reserved. No prob. We moved over to our assigned spot and picked up from there. Emily had been perfectly happy where she was, thank you very much:
Rachel's pleased with the new location:
Fondue forks at the ready:
The cheese course arrives and it's all a blur of hands after that:
I swear I saw sparks flying as our forks clashed with one another. Positively medieval:
Time to think about the next course:
Some of us think a little more deeply than others. Will I get enough to eat? Will I?
Yes, yes I think I will get enough to eat. But I can't be absolutely sure, can I?
Oooo. The meat course. The girls had the Pacific Rim; they were a'hankerin' for the duck. Their cooking style? The chicken brothy stuff:
The meat arrives and it's another blur of hands and sparking forks:
Yes, I believe Emily's getting her share but Rachel's ready for some chocolate:
No, not chocolate, not yet. Clara and I had the Coq a Vin style. Looks a little thick in the aftermath but tasty:
An existential play: When will the chocolate come? When? No one knows but life's absurd while you wait:
Ahhhh. Chocolate at last. Rachel's moved to tears.
Nom nom nom.
So, a splendid time was had by all. A memorable choice for a memorable birthday. Though I think we all agreed, next time we'll move from the cheese course directly to the chocolate. Why waste time with salad and meat and all? Life's too short!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Clint Eastwood Voted Favorite Film Star But Who's Number 7?
Sure, Eastwood's number 1 but look who comes in at number 7:
(Emphasis mine.)
Take that, you whippersnappers. Codgers, both alive and dead, rule!
As has been the case every year since Harris began its poll, the only dead star in the Top 10 was John Wayne, who came it at No. 7 this time around.
Wayne, in fact, is the only actor -- living or dead -- to appear on the list every year since its inception in 1994.
(Emphasis mine.)
Take that, you whippersnappers. Codgers, both alive and dead, rule!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Koss Embezzlement May Exceed $20 Million
From my friend Michael Hasenstab comes this:
Audits aren't infallible but you'd think a little thing like the embezzlement of $20 million would have been caught by a high and mighty firm like Grant Thornton. Alas, no. But I like to think a teeny tiny little firm like mine would have noticed something was afoot. That's a lot of personal credit card debt that's being paid off.
Looks like Koss'll be looking for a new auditing firm. Wonder if they'd like to hear from a teeny tiny little firm in Oklahoma?
The alleged embezzlement from Koss Corp. may be far greater than was first apparent, with the company saying late Thursday that "unauthorized transactions" over the last four years could exceed $20 million.
The firm's longtime vice president of finance already stands accused of stealing $4.5 million from the small, publicly traded maker of stereo headphones over three months this fall and covering her tracks by falsifying balances in Koss' bank account.
Now, the company's continuing internal investigation indicates that the unauthorized transactions may extend as far back as fiscal 2006 and amount to more than $20 million. . .
. . . Koss said Thursday that its last four annual financial statements should no longer be relied upon, nor should its latest quarterly report. The firm said it would file restatements as its investigation warrants. . .
. . . The unauthorized transactions the firm now has discovered apparently went unnoticed in annual audits of the company's books. The Grant Thornton accounting firm conducted the last four annual audits and each time concluded that Koss Corp.'s financial statements fairly represented the firm's financial position. . .
Audits aren't infallible but you'd think a little thing like the embezzlement of $20 million would have been caught by a high and mighty firm like Grant Thornton. Alas, no. But I like to think a teeny tiny little firm like mine would have noticed something was afoot. That's a lot of personal credit card debt that's being paid off.
Looks like Koss'll be looking for a new auditing firm. Wonder if they'd like to hear from a teeny tiny little firm in Oklahoma?
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