the random musings not worthy of new thread thread

[phattymatty]

Hazleton football field on google maps

[PhillyPhreak54]

9-cent IRS dilemma leaves lawyer confused

He owes a nickel and is due 4-cent refund

BY JOE SWICKARD
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

"It's not the money; it's the principle" is an old saying that usually brings a knowing, world-weary scoff from veteran Detroit criminal defense lawyer James Howarth.

"But I think this time with the IRS, it is the principle," Howarth said.

After all -- this is about 9 cents.

While many may fight the Internal Revenue Service over thousands of dollars, Howarth said he's in a dilemma with the federal agency, and he insists it's no chump change controversy.

"We are talking the IRS here," he said.

In mid-November, Howarth received notice that his FICA account, even after an adjustment, was out of whack.

He owed the IRS a nickel. And the IRS was serious.

It advised him to act promptly "to avoid additional penalty and/or interest."

Howarth started calculating how much that nickel was going to cost him.

As he figures it, there is the 5 cents plus the cost of a check -- payment must be made by check or money order. Then there is his CPA's fee, an envelope, his secretary's time, his own time and a 42-cent stamp.

"The costs are several hundred percent over the nickel," he said.

But then a second letter arrived. This one said Howarth had a refund coming.

The amount? Four cents. But to get it, Howarth would have to ask for it because it was less than $1.

"When I owe them a nickel, I must pay them," he said. "It's not optional. But when they owe me, I have to ask for it."

Howarth said it is unclear from the letters what connection -- if any -- the 5-cent obligation has to the 4-cent refund.

He said he is unsure if he now owes one penny or if there was a recalculation resulting in a 9-cent swing in his favor.

"I just don't know," he said. "But I do know that if I were to walk into the IRS office with pennies taped to a piece of cardboard, they wouldn't accept it."

Howarth said he called the 800 telephone number on his letters, but gave up after "an inordinate amount of time on hold. And I'm sure the agent would have been delighted to have this file land on his desk."

IRS spokesman Luis D. Garcia said the agency does not comment on individual accounts.

As for Howarth, he said he's consulting his accountant -- and he might try to follow the lead of Wall Street financiers in seeking a resolution, although he fears his Detroit address will work against him.

"I might apply for a bailout," Howarth said. "But, for us, there seems to be some sort of stigma."

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Hazleton football field on google maps

Nice.

[MadMarchHare]

Hazleton football field on google maps

Nice.

Bonus points for being at the end of Shaft Road.

[ice grillin you]

Man demands estranged wife pay for kidney
He wants $1.5 million for the organ he gave her when they were together

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - A New York doctor is demanding that his estranged wife pay him $1.5 million to compensate him for the kidney he gave her while they were still on good terms. Dr. Richard Batista spoke Wednesday to reporters at his lawyer's office in Garden City, Long Island.

He said he gave his kidney to Dawnell Batista in June 2001. She filed for divorce in July 2005.

The 49-year-old Batista works for Nassau University Medical Center. The couple have three children, ages, 8, 11 and 14.

[Diomedes]

gee, I wonder why she's leaving such a great guy?

[mussa]

indian giver

[MDS]

so on the way from montreal i got stopped by border security because my car was missing half of its front. that was because my buddy up there drove it into a pole. so his idiocy costs me an hour while hick fargs from upstate ny search my beloved 97 camry for drugs and guns.

im not sure if they found the jesus magnet i took my from buddys house, which may be a new favorite possession ever, but they did help turn at 7 hour drive into 8. so yea.

[MadMarchHare]

Think of it as breaking up the drive.

[Cerevant]

At least they let you go home...

A 20-something clueless immigration officer decided I couldn't go home (to the house I own) and start my new job because she didn't understand how a software lead might also have some project management responsibility.  Therefore, according to her, my position description isn't covered under NAFTA, and so I get to camp out at my sister's until the government decides I'm not stealing a job that has been posted unfilled for over 4 months from the Canadian work force.  10 to 25 days until some government lackey decides "hey, this position is covered by at least 2 different exemptions".

[mussa]

you have got to be kidding

[PhillyPhreak54]

Court papers: Gotti neighbor was dissolved in acid

   
By RICHARD PYLE, Associated Press Writer Richard Pyle, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 8, 6:22 pm ET

NEW YORK – It is perhaps the most intriguing unsolved mystery from the gaudy gangland career of John Gotti: Whatever happened to the neighbor who accidentally ran over and killed the mobster's 12-year-old son — and then vanished?

According to papers filed this week in Brooklyn federal court, John Favara was shot to death on orders of the outraged Gambino crime family chief and his body was dissolved in a barrel of acid. Authorities said a cooperating witness identified Charles Carneglia, a 62-year-old former mobster, as the perpetrator in the 1980 incident.

The court documents said Carneglia told another informant that acid was "the best method to use to avoid detection."

Those details, in a 44-page evidence motion by federal prosecutors for a racketeering trial, offered a new twist on the fate of Favara, a 51-year-old furniture warehouse worker who lived near the Gottis in the Howard Beach section of Queens.

Favara was arriving home from work on March 18, 1980, when Gotti's son Frank, riding a minibike, darted in front of his car. The driver told police he was momentarily blinded by the sun and did not see the boy.

The crash was ruled an accident by police, but Favara was subjected to death threats and harassment for months. His car was stolen and later smeared with the word "murderer," and he was threatened by Gotti's bat-wielding wife when he tried to apologize.

However, he ignored suggestions that he should move away.

Five months later, on July 28, 1980, Favara disappeared after leaving work on Long Island and no trace of him was ever found. Witnesses saw him being beaten and heard tires squealing. The Gottis gave police hotel receipts showing they were in Florida on that date, and no arrests were ever made.

Jerry Capeci, an author and expert on the Mafia who has written extensively on Gotti, said rumors circulated that "Favara's body had been put into a cement-filled oil drum and dropped in the ocean."

John Gotti Sr. at that time was a captain in the Gambino family, already scheming and murdering his way to becoming boss. After two courtroom acquittals that earned him the sobriquet "Teflon Don," the swaggering hoodlum was finally convicted in 1992 of murder, racketeering and a smorgasbord of other crimes. He died in federal prison in 2002.

Carneglia, according to the court documents, was part of a seven-member hit squad that committed murders on order and disposed of the victims. He faces trial for racketeering and five murders.

The prosecutors' motion, signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Burlingame, includes Favara's case among several "uncharged crimes."

Carneglia has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

The new revelation raises yet another question for experts who have been studying gangland activities.

Asks Capeci: "What kind of acid could be used in a metal drum without leaking?"

[4and26]

At least they let you go home...

A 20-something clueless immigration officer decided I couldn't go home (to the house I own) and start my new job because she didn't understand how a software lead might also have some project management responsibility.  Therefore, according to her, my position description isn't covered under NAFTA, and so I get to camp out at my sister's until the government decides I'm not stealing a job that has been posted unfilled for over 4 months from the Canadian work force.  10 to 25 days until some government lackey decides "hey, this position is covered by at least 2 different exemptions".

A year ago we bought some new network equipment for over half a million bucks.  During negotiations we asked for their best trainer to come train us.  The best they had was a guy out of NYC.  Great......   So he arrives at the boarder tells the customs official he is here to do training.   They sent him home and the letter I received had this line in it "Canadian's Teach Canadians.  Such provisions for this US trainers are not covered by NAFTA".

Are you kidding me - we eventually got him here on a "business trip"

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Canada sucks

Yep, it sure does.

"Sucks" is probably not a strong enough word.

Cliffs Notes edition

[SD_Eagle5]

Fat chick lies about weight on a site, goes on date, forum battle ensues

Fat chick

I've met some jerks in my life, but this one has been by far the worst.
I'll start off by saying how I noticed a lot of men here complain about not getting messages. Therefore, I decided to take it upon myself to message men in my area who I found interesting. This one in particular was creative, intelligent and handsome...or so his profile led me to believe. We messaged each other on and off through here and IM for about 3 weeks before we met. It's amazing how much of a connection you can make with someone just by talking to them online. We had a lot in common and a lot of the same outlooks. I could not wait to meet him in person.

So the day we meet rolls around and I dress up nicely and wear my hair beautifully, and let's face it...I looked HOT. We meet at a little cafe/restaurant place, and he was just...rude. He barely made eye contact with me, he spoke in a bored monotone voice. I did most of the talking, and I swear to God he would kind of roll his eyes in a childish way. He habitually checked his watch and his cell phone. When the meal ended he only offered to pay for his half, and then bails. Doesn't offer me a ride or anything. What did I do wrong? It was so depressing since I really liked him online.

Naturally, I go home and drink almost a full bottle of wine when I get a text message from him. He asks if I want to come over his place and hang out, maybe watch a movie. I thought "This is great, he's going to make it up to me and maybe he was just nervous before". Well I get there and drink some more with him, and next thing you know we're having sex. At the end of the night he calls me a cab and I go home, THINKING that this is just the first of many dates. The last thing he said was that he'd call to take me out to concert nearby.

A week comes and goes, no word from him. I text him and no reply. I call and get the answering machine. I write him on Okcupid and he deletes his whole account. I was so baffled. That was until saw that he created a NEW profile just yesterday. All it says is that he had a bad okcupid experience, and to please have a full shot of your body.

Ok. I get what this icehole did. He treated me like complete shtein because I'm not super model skinny. I don't have a full body pic, but I did tell him that I was average, which is TRUE. I am average, I have curves, I don't fit into a size skinny jeans. Is this reason to treat me the way he did? GOD it's scumbags like these which make me lose all faith in mankind!     

His side of the story:

Okay, so I'll give a little input on my side. I'm going to have to end up deleting this page anyway. Before we met I asked why she had no full body pics. She said it was because she takes all her pics and can't get her whole frame that way, but said she was average sized. I took that to be maybe 140, 150 at the most. Not ideally healthy, but she seemed pretty cool and I gave her props for messaging me. But when we met for our date, this girl was very VERY large and that is not something I am comfortable with. I reacted by acting a little rude because I felt deceived and it was unexpected.

One detail you forgot in your drunken stupor is that you texted me first, and asked to get together. I was in the mood and watching a lot of porn so I agreed. And I never invited you to any concert, I just told you about the concert. I never responded because I thought the best way to get rid of you was by ignoring you in hopes that you'll get the hint. Get it? Peace.