My Daily Life and Thoughts while in San Diego |
List of Best Posts
This blog is where I express myself to the world or at least to those who might stop by to read what I post 
. Maybe God will use what I post (I am a Christian and this blog will have a most decidedly Christian bent to it) to good effect in the lives of my readers.
I may turn some of my posts into a book. I may cease blogging here altogether. Who knows. But for now..I am content to post away in this, my own little corner of the world.
Rather than reading through my now lengthy list of posts you may wish to read what I consider to be my very best posts or you can just read the posts that deal with a single subject category that might interest you.
Please know that I am open to any input on any topic I write about. If you have something to say about anything you see written here please....feel free to speak up in the form of leaving a comment or sending me a PM (private message).
And if you are in San Diego and wish to meet the one and only Carlos (that's me)...drop me a private message. I always enjoy meeting one of my readers!
Thanks.
Carlos
PS. If you want to follow my blog such that you will get an email when I write new posts you can subscribe to my blog.
. Maybe God will use what I post (I am a Christian and this blog will have a most decidedly Christian bent to it) to good effect in the lives of my readers. I may turn some of my posts into a book. I may cease blogging here altogether. Who knows. But for now..I am content to post away in this, my own little corner of the world.
Rather than reading through my now lengthy list of posts you may wish to read what I consider to be my very best posts or you can just read the posts that deal with a single subject category that might interest you.
Please know that I am open to any input on any topic I write about. If you have something to say about anything you see written here please....feel free to speak up in the form of leaving a comment or sending me a PM (private message).
And if you are in San Diego and wish to meet the one and only Carlos (that's me
)...drop me a private message. I always enjoy meeting one of my readers!Thanks.
Carlos
PS. If you want to follow my blog such that you will get an email when I write new posts you can subscribe to my blog.
The tax man cometh for YOU...if you are an affiliate!
Posted 07-08-2009 at 12:33 PM by carlos123
Since this blog is essentially a place where I can express myself regarding whatever is on my mind...I would like to take another opportunity to highlight once again the need to keep our eyes open about the general direction the United States is heading in.
Because...well...because it's on my mind, that's why!
It's not good folks. It is so bad in fact that at the risk of being seen as alarmist and perhaps a bit exaggerated or even nutty I would highly suggest that all of us in the United States start developing an exit strategy to move out of our respective States if not out of the country entirely if things really get bad.
Now I realize that this is not possible or practical for a majority of Americans. And I can sympathize with those for whom that is so. But for some of us, like myself, such a move out of a State or even out of the country continues to be a very real possibility.
At the very least those of us in States that are leaning toward even more control and more abuse of their citizens should seriously consider moving to a State that is less so (yes...there are still some States left that enshrine more than others, more of the values that once made the U.S. great) while of course doing all we can to influence elected officials to act reasonably wherever we happen to be.
Personally I do not think all our efforts to influence politicians are going to do much good as most seem quite set in their ways...not matter what, We the People, say.
Having said all that, I want to acknowledge that there is One who can influence government through the prayers of those who follow Him. And we should avail ourselves of His help first and foremost respecting any attempts to rein in politicians gone amok.
But His help is oriented around making sure what we live a peaceful and quiet life, free from undue governmental interference or persecution...so that those who call themselves by His name might better be able to promote the Gospel.
God is not so much concerned I think with whether we are taxed at 5% or 7%, whether the government funds this or that pork project, or other such worldly matters that have little impact on the Gospel.
But such things do have an impact in all our lives (please note that I said God is not as concerned about this as much as He is about the overall state of government influence over us either pro or against the Gospel. I did not mean to say that He is not concerned at all about the lesser things too in so far as they do indeed impact our lives). And if I have a choice to live under a less overbearing and authoritarian form of government than the U.S. is moving quickly toward being...I think there is liberty to move or otherwise place myself under whatever government is the most likely to afford me and my loved one's a chance to live in peace and to be left alone to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness according to the dictates of our own conscience.
In line with that liberty those of us who can should prepare ourselves for the possibility that at some point it may be best to move than to stay where we are.
In line with what I have said above I would like to highlight something that is coming down the pike but which few people are as yet aware of.
Some states have started to pass laws that force online retailers like Amazon.com to start collecting and paying sales taxes to those states where they have affiliates.
This means for example that if I have a link to Amazon.com on my web site and get a small commission from sales made at Amazon through that link...that Amazon must now start collecting and remitting sales tax on every sale made through my web site link for no other reason than that I live in the State in question.
I am not employed by Amazon. I am not buying anything from Amazon. My web site might even be hosted half way around the world. My site visitors who buy from Amazon through the link on my web site may not even live in the U.S. never mind my State!
But...because I live in my particular State the State now is demanding that Amazon pay a sales tax to the State.
What do you suppose the reaction of affiliates and Amazon is to this insanity?
If you guessed that they refuse to pay this tax and that affiliates are up in arms you would have guessed correctly.
Amazon and a host of other online retailers have dropped, literally overnight, affiliates in the States which have passed legislation to tax their sales through affiliates living in their States!
Some affiliates have been ruined. Literally overnight! They have lost 30-40% or more of their income. Overnight!
And to the degree that States start seeing some States pass this they will start to want to copy it.
Of course one can only imagine the absolute nightmare it would be for any online retailer to try and abide by 50 State laws all designed to try and collect their pound of flesh from every retailer possible.
All this is a result of the incredible debt that the U.S. and States have incurred in recent years. A debt that causes them to turn over every leaf and look under every cranny to try and squeeze every last little penny from tax payers.
And it's going to get worse. Much worse.
The irony is that most Americans won't care since they are not affiliates, little realizing that eventually such measures will result in even more companies moving overseas. In even more jobs being lost. In even less money coming into government coiffers, not more. Which in turn will make governments even more desperate to find another way to take another tax dollar out of our pockets!
A never ending, vicious cycle that will ultimately result in less freedom and a more authoritarian and unbridled government coming to power.
Throw in a terrorist attack or two, which is likely to happen at some point, and you can add an ever greater reason to take control over every aspect of our lives, into the mix. In a seemingly benign goal of protecting us from further attacks.
Not good. Not good at all.
Here's is more on the affiliate tax http://blog.seorevolution.com/2009/0...rs-are-idiots/
Incidentally I do not condone the way the author or the commentors on his blog post call politicians idiots and such but it does show the level of anger over what politicians are doing that is starting to become more and more the norm.
Carlos
Because...well...because it's on my mind, that's why!
It's not good folks. It is so bad in fact that at the risk of being seen as alarmist and perhaps a bit exaggerated or even nutty I would highly suggest that all of us in the United States start developing an exit strategy to move out of our respective States if not out of the country entirely if things really get bad.
Now I realize that this is not possible or practical for a majority of Americans. And I can sympathize with those for whom that is so. But for some of us, like myself, such a move out of a State or even out of the country continues to be a very real possibility.
At the very least those of us in States that are leaning toward even more control and more abuse of their citizens should seriously consider moving to a State that is less so (yes...there are still some States left that enshrine more than others, more of the values that once made the U.S. great) while of course doing all we can to influence elected officials to act reasonably wherever we happen to be.
Personally I do not think all our efforts to influence politicians are going to do much good as most seem quite set in their ways...not matter what, We the People, say.
Having said all that, I want to acknowledge that there is One who can influence government through the prayers of those who follow Him. And we should avail ourselves of His help first and foremost respecting any attempts to rein in politicians gone amok.
But His help is oriented around making sure what we live a peaceful and quiet life, free from undue governmental interference or persecution...so that those who call themselves by His name might better be able to promote the Gospel.
God is not so much concerned I think with whether we are taxed at 5% or 7%, whether the government funds this or that pork project, or other such worldly matters that have little impact on the Gospel.
But such things do have an impact in all our lives (please note that I said God is not as concerned about this as much as He is about the overall state of government influence over us either pro or against the Gospel. I did not mean to say that He is not concerned at all about the lesser things too in so far as they do indeed impact our lives). And if I have a choice to live under a less overbearing and authoritarian form of government than the U.S. is moving quickly toward being...I think there is liberty to move or otherwise place myself under whatever government is the most likely to afford me and my loved one's a chance to live in peace and to be left alone to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness according to the dictates of our own conscience.
In line with that liberty those of us who can should prepare ourselves for the possibility that at some point it may be best to move than to stay where we are.
In line with what I have said above I would like to highlight something that is coming down the pike but which few people are as yet aware of.
Some states have started to pass laws that force online retailers like Amazon.com to start collecting and paying sales taxes to those states where they have affiliates.
This means for example that if I have a link to Amazon.com on my web site and get a small commission from sales made at Amazon through that link...that Amazon must now start collecting and remitting sales tax on every sale made through my web site link for no other reason than that I live in the State in question.
I am not employed by Amazon. I am not buying anything from Amazon. My web site might even be hosted half way around the world. My site visitors who buy from Amazon through the link on my web site may not even live in the U.S. never mind my State!
But...because I live in my particular State the State now is demanding that Amazon pay a sales tax to the State.
What do you suppose the reaction of affiliates and Amazon is to this insanity?
If you guessed that they refuse to pay this tax and that affiliates are up in arms you would have guessed correctly.
Amazon and a host of other online retailers have dropped, literally overnight, affiliates in the States which have passed legislation to tax their sales through affiliates living in their States!
Some affiliates have been ruined. Literally overnight! They have lost 30-40% or more of their income. Overnight!
And to the degree that States start seeing some States pass this they will start to want to copy it.
Of course one can only imagine the absolute nightmare it would be for any online retailer to try and abide by 50 State laws all designed to try and collect their pound of flesh from every retailer possible.
All this is a result of the incredible debt that the U.S. and States have incurred in recent years. A debt that causes them to turn over every leaf and look under every cranny to try and squeeze every last little penny from tax payers.
And it's going to get worse. Much worse.
The irony is that most Americans won't care since they are not affiliates, little realizing that eventually such measures will result in even more companies moving overseas. In even more jobs being lost. In even less money coming into government coiffers, not more. Which in turn will make governments even more desperate to find another way to take another tax dollar out of our pockets!
A never ending, vicious cycle that will ultimately result in less freedom and a more authoritarian and unbridled government coming to power.
Throw in a terrorist attack or two, which is likely to happen at some point, and you can add an ever greater reason to take control over every aspect of our lives, into the mix. In a seemingly benign goal of protecting us from further attacks.
Not good. Not good at all.
Here's is more on the affiliate tax http://blog.seorevolution.com/2009/0...rs-are-idiots/
Incidentally I do not condone the way the author or the commentors on his blog post call politicians idiots and such but it does show the level of anger over what politicians are doing that is starting to become more and more the norm.
Carlos
Total Comments 4
Comments
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Where out of USA would you move
Sounds like a good idea, but where will you move that will be anybetter than here?Posted 07-10-2009 at 06:17 PM by bunnybaker
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Hi bunnybaker (I hope I got your namne right...I left my glasses at a friend's and can't hardly see anything LOL).
Welcome to my blog! At least I don't recall ever getting a comment from you before.
You ask a good question. One that I would normally not hesitate to answer but given that if I move out of the States that I would want to make a clean break and fall off any official radar you'll have to forgive me if IU don't say which country specifically I would move to.
It's not that I am doing something that the U.S. might get me for. It's that I don't trust the U.S. government to be kind and considerate, understanding, and non-abusive in the future. So the best thing for me personally is to just fall off the rader screen if I can if I decide to move out of the U.S. entirely.
That's one reason I insist on not giving out Social Security numbers if I can at all help it to businesses that want to use it to track my shopping habits.
Aside from wanting to protectd my identity thtat's why I shred every piece of paper that has my name and/or address on it before I throw it away.
That's why I don't mind at all not being able to have an address where I can receive mail in my trailer and must opt for getting a P.O. or PMB box instead.
When I get safeway discount cards I insist on getting one without handking over my identifiable information.
I don't use credit cards partly because at one time years ago, I overused them and ended up with bad credit but now also because I don't like how easily they can be used used to track all kinds fo things about me.
Although I am not opposed to such things and would have some if I could afford them...I don't [resemt;u own a home or a car and have no assets to speak of. No inestements. No other tangible items through which I can be tracked. Which is a nice side-benefit of being relatively poor.
And my name Carlos G. s like John Smith in Spanish. It simply cannot be tied to the real me. I don't hardly ever, give out my full name as indicated on my U.S. passport. Just my first and last name is more than sufficient for most all things.
Some might call me paranoid. Maybe so to a degree. But I prefer to look at it as being wise in that the U.S. government could, I emphesize could, become a form of government that becomes incredibly overbearing, authoritatrian, and near if not explicitly dictatorial n it's policies in the future.
Given that possibility it pays for me to go about in life in such a way as to make myself virtually untrackable and untraceable if I can do so without too much difficulty.
That way I can just move and leave the U.S. behind falling off the radar screen if I chose to do so.
To be sure the U.S. government does have information about me and to some extent where I am. Tax returns have my Social Security number and an address (though the address is a P.O. Box or PMB box since I have noo other address).
So I am not entirely untraceable or untrackable but my point is that I can fall off the radar screen entirely if I move to another country.
Even though I won't say which country that might be for me...I will say this.
Some of the countries in South America are very nice. Yes...there is some political upheaval in some from time to time so one might not want to move to some of those countries. But there are others that are very, very stable policically. Where the cost of living is low. Where the people are very friendly and warm-hearted. Where the government is small and unobtrusive (few governments are as large and as obtrusive .as the U.S. government is).
Where budgets are balanced such that the government is not desperate to come after every penny they can get from teh citizenship.
Where morals and values as a society are still, on the whole old fashioned and descent. Where homorsexuality is still considerd a sin. Where abortion is frowned upon if not entirely illegal (except in where the life of the mother is truly at stake).
Where the culture centers around relationships instead of television and where materialism at least of the kind as so often found in the U.S. is virtually non-existant.
Such countries, while certinaly not perfect, DO exist. I know. Because I have been to a number of countries and have actually lived in a number. I am a citizen of one such country.
That's the other thing. If one can become a citizen of another country of the kind I have described...that's even better. A person can then open bank accounts, travel, and otherwuise conduct their business affairs in the privacy afforded by doing it all under a second passport.
I just like to keep my options open.
But whether one goes about in life trying to maintain their privacy as I do (unless I volunatarily give it up) or not...there are a number of countries in South America that a U.S. citizen can move to.
The biggest hurdle I think is leaving family relationships behind. That is the biggest single hurdle preventing people from easily moving.
I hope that makes sense.
CarlosPosted 07-11-2009 at 11:36 AM by carlos123
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Taxes should only cover infrastructure. Community and churches used to provide social services to those who needed it. Now - taxes are expected to cover everything and everyone who wants a handout.
I grew up going to church. They beleived in tithing. However, this did not refer just to money. Instead of $$, you could donate time. You work 40 hours a week, you can donate 4 hours. And not just at the church . . . at the library, the food bank, the animal shelter. If you owned a business, you could donate materials, etc.
I think that if everyone tithed that way - taxes beyond those to cover infrastructure would not be necessary.Posted 07-15-2009 at 10:52 AM by MissNM
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Hi MissNM. Welcome to my blog!
I agree with what you said about how taxes should cover infrastructure (I assume you also are including fire and police services in there) though I would also add defense as part of neccessary expenditures.
You are so right about how community and churches used to provide help to those who needed it...until they got back on their feet.
The benefit of doing it that way is that the people who were helped in those days were known to those who were giving the help. The help was given much more personally and as such there was much less opportunity for abuse in that someone who just wanted a free lunch would have been quickly found out and dropped.
Today the system is ripe for abuse in that the government has taken over the role of churches and community groups. Those getting help are not known. They just have to cross the T's and dot the I's on a bunch of paperwork and they get help. Such a way of helping people that are unknown personally and not in relationship to those doing the helping is ripe for abuse.
In one sense I see a silver lining in the hard economic times that have come upon us in that perhaps we will have to get back to neighbors and church members helping those they know again since the government won't have enough money to help everyone that wants it anymore.
The New Testament model of helping those in need was very much one of personal involvement and truly is a better way of helping.
CarlosPosted 07-15-2009 at 11:32 AM by carlos123
