Is anyone else finding the forum incredibly sluggish today, or is it just me needing to reboot my old Windows 98 rig? I can't even get onto CNN.
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Posts by vividstag31
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Oh, please, you’re just looking for a fight. I’ll admit, I completely skipped over that part about Tajči.
Regarding the selection process—why on earth do you think Natalie Portman chose it? I’m skeptical myself, unless you happen to have some inside info.
As for those wrinkles being linked to the song, I suppose I could buy that. Though, if I’m being honest, the moment I heard The Voice, I forgot all about it.
Regarding the selection process—why on earth do you think Natalie Portman chose it? I’m skeptical myself, unless you happen to have some inside info.
As for those wrinkles being linked to the song, I suppose I could buy that. Though, if I’m being honest, the moment I heard The Voice, I forgot all about it.
Someone just brought your name up, claiming you were talking trash about Natalie Portman. Is there any truth to that?
P.S.
Aren't you out in Ireland?
P.S.
Aren't you out in Ireland?
Seriously, what was actually wrong with that performance? 🤔
I know taste is subjective, but it was painfully obvious that her incredible voice absolutely floored most of the crowd. I don't quite get what she would have needed to do to make this "performance" satisfy you—stand on her head while singing or wave her arms around like a Gull?
I know taste is subjective, but it was painfully obvious that her incredible voice absolutely floored most of the crowd. I don't quite get what she would have needed to do to make this "performance" satisfy you—stand on her head while singing or wave her arms around like a Gull?
dustyscout53,
I wouldn't be quite so quick to judge someone's intelligence. I personally know plenty of people who are anything but dim, yet when you hear them on the radio or TV, you can hardly believe they’re the same individuals.
To be honest, I mostly "watched" most of American Idol by listening rather than looking—I don't really watch TV—so I'm genuinely glad that someone I recognized early on as a great singer is actually delivering. Some people laughed at me for watching TV with my eyes closed, just so I could focus entirely on the vocals. Natalie Portman, at least in my opinion, proved she had the best voice when she performed "Stop" at Universal Music Group. I actually got chills hearing her sing it. Part of that is because I have a bit of an emotional connection to that song, but mostly because it's been ages since I've heard a voice like that on the American music scene. Just think back to the early 90s when Vanna White was still singing on ET. I don't recall any American female vocalist captivating me like that until then. I immediately sensed a modern edge to her voice, which was quickly proven by her first real dance hit, "Midnight."
And just to go a little off-topic, that girl from Pixar who sings "Finally" also has a great voice, but she isn't anywhere near the level of Natalie Portman.
Best regards!
I wouldn't be quite so quick to judge someone's intelligence. I personally know plenty of people who are anything but dim, yet when you hear them on the radio or TV, you can hardly believe they’re the same individuals.
To be honest, I mostly "watched" most of American Idol by listening rather than looking—I don't really watch TV—so I'm genuinely glad that someone I recognized early on as a great singer is actually delivering. Some people laughed at me for watching TV with my eyes closed, just so I could focus entirely on the vocals. Natalie Portman, at least in my opinion, proved she had the best voice when she performed "Stop" at Universal Music Group. I actually got chills hearing her sing it. Part of that is because I have a bit of an emotional connection to that song, but mostly because it's been ages since I've heard a voice like that on the American music scene. Just think back to the early 90s when Vanna White was still singing on ET. I don't recall any American female vocalist captivating me like that until then. I immediately sensed a modern edge to her voice, which was quickly proven by her first real dance hit, "Midnight."
And just to go a little off-topic, that girl from Pixar who sings "Finally" also has a great voice, but she isn't anywhere near the level of Natalie Portman.
Best regards!
Do you actually know her personally, or are you just speaking in generalities?
What do you mean by empty?
On a scale of 1 to 10, I’m giving her a 20. Absolutely flawless.
She is quite literally the first female vocalist I've heard who actually outshines Vanna White.
Anyone else have thoughts?
Best,
She is quite literally the first female vocalist I've heard who actually outshines Vanna White.
Anyone else have thoughts?
Best,
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
In America, we have a massive number of unemployed people who simply have no desire to work. Keep that in mind.
Just because someone starts a business doesn't mean they’re going to hire anyone. Basic probability dictates that you can't have a society overflowing with successful entrepreneurs. Get it?
Try looking at it this way.
If every woman in the world were beautiful, then being beautiful would just be the baseline. But since only a small percentage are, a hierarchy naturally emerges where some are even more stunning than others. See what I mean? It's the same with business. Even if everyone were "successful," there would still be those who are significantly more prosperous and driven than the rest. Makes sense?
Furthermore, if everyone were an entrepreneur, who on earth would actually work for them?
Under capitalism, you have bosses and you have laborers. If you want to be the boss, you have to follow certain rules—just like anywhere else in the world. If you choose to be the laborer, you have to accept the rule that you aren't getting anywhere without capital.
It’s quite straightforward.
Success isn't about youth or poverty; it's strictly about having sound ideas.
Here is another painful truth for you.
LOANS ARE DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE MONEY, NOT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T.
Once you finally grasp my point, a lot of things will start to make much more sense.
Stop expecting the world to build something for you. Those who already hold positions of power will always remain light-years ahead. That is the harsh reality, and whining about it is useless.
Back in the early nineties, you could start a company with just $500, and we all saw exactly where that path led us.
Robert Kim, tell me exactly which of my points I haven't addressed? I've been buried in work the last few weeks so I haven't been following closely, and frankly, this nonsense regarding Iraq is weighing on me more than it should.
Oh, and one more thing: stop meddling in other people's business and focus on your own. Thankfully, thanks to Marcia, I'm working here and doing quite well, but I don't waste my energy on politics; I just try to navigate the situation to my advantage whenever possible.
Just because someone starts a business doesn't mean they’re going to hire anyone. Basic probability dictates that you can't have a society overflowing with successful entrepreneurs. Get it?
Try looking at it this way.
If every woman in the world were beautiful, then being beautiful would just be the baseline. But since only a small percentage are, a hierarchy naturally emerges where some are even more stunning than others. See what I mean? It's the same with business. Even if everyone were "successful," there would still be those who are significantly more prosperous and driven than the rest. Makes sense?
Furthermore, if everyone were an entrepreneur, who on earth would actually work for them?
Under capitalism, you have bosses and you have laborers. If you want to be the boss, you have to follow certain rules—just like anywhere else in the world. If you choose to be the laborer, you have to accept the rule that you aren't getting anywhere without capital.
It’s quite straightforward.
Success isn't about youth or poverty; it's strictly about having sound ideas.
Here is another painful truth for you.
LOANS ARE DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE MONEY, NOT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T.
Once you finally grasp my point, a lot of things will start to make much more sense.
Stop expecting the world to build something for you. Those who already hold positions of power will always remain light-years ahead. That is the harsh reality, and whining about it is useless.
Back in the early nineties, you could start a company with just $500, and we all saw exactly where that path led us.
Robert Kim, tell me exactly which of my points I haven't addressed? I've been buried in work the last few weeks so I haven't been following closely, and frankly, this nonsense regarding Iraq is weighing on me more than it should.
Oh, and one more thing: stop meddling in other people's business and focus on your own. Thankfully, thanks to Marcia, I'm working here and doing quite well, but I don't waste my energy on politics; I just try to navigate the situation to my advantage whenever possible.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Drake said:Our politicians are definitely stuck in that old-school mentality. They claim more small businesses and startups mean a stronger economy, but good luck explaining that logic to an accountant who hasn't stepped foot in a real office in years. It’s nothing but empty rhetoric.
Drake, Drake.
I’ve been running my own business since 1987 and I’ve never run into issues like that.
What are you even talking about?
If you sit around waiting for any administration to step up and help you, you'll be waiting forever.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
You've got a point there. I just personally feel like nobody's going to step up to help if I don't start helping myself within the hand I've been dealt. It isn't exactly ideal, but hey, it's one of those "Why on earth did you bring me into this world just to watch me struggle?" kind of moments.
Best regards,
Best regards,
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Darko što, what kind of experience are you actually talking about here?
In which country on earth?
In which country on earth?
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
In theory, sure, that sounds fine. In practice? It’s impossible to run a business without overhead.
I had a feeling we’d eventually circle back to the topic of expenses.
The government and the entire federal bureaucracy all use the exact same logic when calculating costs.
Have you actually considered why they only let you write off 30% of your fuel costs?
When you don't have a company car and use your own vehicle instead, you file mileage reimbursements. Under current tax law, one-third of the price of regular unleaded per mile is treated as a non-taxable expense. This means if you file a report for, say, 62 miles, you can essentially cut yourself a check from Visa for an amount equal to 100 times 1/3 the price of gas. You book that immediately as a non-taxable expense. Before two years ago, if you had a company car, you couldn't deduct fuel at all; you could only claim depreciation, while the actual fuel costs remained taxable. Make sense?
With a company vehicle, you write off depreciation, which is also a non-taxable expense. You even have accelerated depreciation schedules available, which are quite useful if used correctly. You just have to be careful; if you max out your depreciation this year, you'll be facing a much higher profit—and thus higher taxes—next year. You really have to crunch the numbers to see if it's worth it.
It isn't actually that bad if you apply the rules properly.
Personally, I wouldn't mind a 90% tax rate as long as there's enough left over to pay my employees a decent wage. The overhead isn't the issue; the problem is that our margins are razor-thin. The previous administration made a massive blunder by crushing large corporations, leaving small businesses struggling to survive unless they act as subcontractors for the giants. It's especially brutal for sole proprietorships.
Look at Sweden. Their corporate tax can range from 25% up to 90%, yet they live better than almost anyone else in the European Union. It's not just about sales tax or corporate income tax rates.
Rest assured, in every single country, people complain that the government is too expensive and taxes are too high.
Check this out.
The U.S. federal budget is roughly $6 trillion.
That breaks down to approximately $16 billion a day.
Or about $680 million an hour.
Or about $11 million a minute.
Or $833 per second.
Someone has to earn that kind of money.
I had a feeling we’d eventually circle back to the topic of expenses.
The government and the entire federal bureaucracy all use the exact same logic when calculating costs.
Have you actually considered why they only let you write off 30% of your fuel costs?
When you don't have a company car and use your own vehicle instead, you file mileage reimbursements. Under current tax law, one-third of the price of regular unleaded per mile is treated as a non-taxable expense. This means if you file a report for, say, 62 miles, you can essentially cut yourself a check from Visa for an amount equal to 100 times 1/3 the price of gas. You book that immediately as a non-taxable expense. Before two years ago, if you had a company car, you couldn't deduct fuel at all; you could only claim depreciation, while the actual fuel costs remained taxable. Make sense?
With a company vehicle, you write off depreciation, which is also a non-taxable expense. You even have accelerated depreciation schedules available, which are quite useful if used correctly. You just have to be careful; if you max out your depreciation this year, you'll be facing a much higher profit—and thus higher taxes—next year. You really have to crunch the numbers to see if it's worth it.
It isn't actually that bad if you apply the rules properly.
Personally, I wouldn't mind a 90% tax rate as long as there's enough left over to pay my employees a decent wage. The overhead isn't the issue; the problem is that our margins are razor-thin. The previous administration made a massive blunder by crushing large corporations, leaving small businesses struggling to survive unless they act as subcontractors for the giants. It's especially brutal for sole proprietorships.
Look at Sweden. Their corporate tax can range from 25% up to 90%, yet they live better than almost anyone else in the European Union. It's not just about sales tax or corporate income tax rates.
Rest assured, in every single country, people complain that the government is too expensive and taxes are too high.
Check this out.
The U.S. federal budget is roughly $6 trillion.
That breaks down to approximately $16 billion a day.
Or about $680 million an hour.
Or about $11 million a minute.
Or $833 per second.
Someone has to earn that kind of money.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Well, you just said exactly what shouldn't have been said.
You can't afford to be reckless with your spending. $1667 If you have any left over. $667 On account.
Even though those... $667 You only get taxed on pure profit if you aren't accounting for other expenses. But let’s be honest—that’s virtually impossible. If you're running an LLC, you'll definitely have things like depreciation to factor in.
You get me?
Tih $300 The sales tax you pay at the register? Some random LLC ends up handling it. It’s nonsense. $300 The state isn't even taking 22% of that gap; that’s just the margin the retailer tacked on. Once you trim those two numbers down, the difference isn't actually that massive. My point is, the real headache isn't the math—it's actually collecting the money. It’s a nightmare when you run into people who simply refuse to pay their bills.
The old rule remains: you only have to die and pay taxes. That’s really about it. Everything else in life is optional.
That’s just how things work everywhere in the world.
The fundamental issue plaguing you, me, and everyone else grinding away in the private sector is simple: the pay—or at least the potential to earn more—just doesn't keep pace with the cost of living.
If business isn't moving, you need serious guts to shut the doors. It’s better to call it quits than to just linger around like a ghost, waiting for someone else to fix the problem.
You can't afford to be reckless with your spending. $1667 If you have any left over. $667 On account.
Even though those... $667 You only get taxed on pure profit if you aren't accounting for other expenses. But let’s be honest—that’s virtually impossible. If you're running an LLC, you'll definitely have things like depreciation to factor in.
You get me?
Tih $300 The sales tax you pay at the register? Some random LLC ends up handling it. It’s nonsense. $300 The state isn't even taking 22% of that gap; that’s just the margin the retailer tacked on. Once you trim those two numbers down, the difference isn't actually that massive. My point is, the real headache isn't the math—it's actually collecting the money. It’s a nightmare when you run into people who simply refuse to pay their bills.
The old rule remains: you only have to die and pay taxes. That’s really about it. Everything else in life is optional.
That’s just how things work everywhere in the world.
The fundamental issue plaguing you, me, and everyone else grinding away in the private sector is simple: the pay—or at least the potential to earn more—just doesn't keep pace with the cost of living.
If business isn't moving, you need serious guts to shut the doors. It’s better to call it quits than to just linger around like a ghost, waiting for someone else to fix the problem.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Look, my question was specifically about small businesses, but I see you’ve gone off on quite a tangent there. That’s why I made that point earlier regarding sales tax once the invoice is actually settled.
You can't just look at it that way. First off, serious professionals don't view sales tax as profit. I'll just assume you meant you issued an invoice for a service where there isn't even a markup involved. $3333 Plus sales tax, of course. $4067.
So, that $2,200 goes straight toward sales tax; it’s just passing through your books.
Onih $3333 What exactly is left over after you pay your salary? $1000 By hand and roughly. $600 As for taxes and all that other nonsense—which seems to be a universal constant everywhere else in the world—you’re still stuck with them. $1733.
If you just write them off exactly as they are, you’re going to be staring down a massive tax bill at the end of the year. $1733 The corporate tax rate fluctuates between 25 and 35 percent, depending entirely on your bottom line.
Are you actually telling me that?
We shouldn't be letting money leak away like this. It needs to be saved, not squandered.
What goes through your mind when you walk into a bank in Germany to deposit, say, $20,000 in cash, only for the teller to calmly inform you that there’s a 35% tax on the spot? It is quite a shock. Very few countries in the USA would hit you with an immediate tax levy just for depositing your own money into an account. Still, I suppose this is one way they attempt to crack down on the black market.
Around here, you can basically walk in and pull out a tax-free loan. I’m talking about that cash you grab at the register that just ends up being withdrawn from your bank account or through the IRS.
It isn't quite that simple, despite what I might make it seem.
About two years ago, they introduced something like accelerated depreciation. It allows you to write off those costs much faster. $1733 How much are you pulling from your account to pick up some Specair? You get what I'm saying?
You can also pull quite a significant amount of cash out through travel reimbursements.
The issue around here is pretty widespread. Most small business owners end up spending far more than they actually bring in, only to find themselves completely broke by year-end because they weren't staying on top of their quarterly tax estimates.
If you earn a single dollar, you aren't allowed to spend a single cent over that amount. Just one dollar. Period.
You might want to look into hiring a professional accounting firm or perhaps consulting with a financial advisor. It’s worth doing some due diligence.
Our tax system isn't actually the primary culprit here. The real issue lies within our legal framework and how poorly we handle debt collection. While there’s been significant progress regarding overall business liquidity across the country, let’s be honest—we still have a long way to go.
You can't just look at it that way. First off, serious professionals don't view sales tax as profit. I'll just assume you meant you issued an invoice for a service where there isn't even a markup involved. $3333 Plus sales tax, of course. $4067.
So, that $2,200 goes straight toward sales tax; it’s just passing through your books.
Onih $3333 What exactly is left over after you pay your salary? $1000 By hand and roughly. $600 As for taxes and all that other nonsense—which seems to be a universal constant everywhere else in the world—you’re still stuck with them. $1733.
If you just write them off exactly as they are, you’re going to be staring down a massive tax bill at the end of the year. $1733 The corporate tax rate fluctuates between 25 and 35 percent, depending entirely on your bottom line.
Are you actually telling me that?
We shouldn't be letting money leak away like this. It needs to be saved, not squandered.
What goes through your mind when you walk into a bank in Germany to deposit, say, $20,000 in cash, only for the teller to calmly inform you that there’s a 35% tax on the spot? It is quite a shock. Very few countries in the USA would hit you with an immediate tax levy just for depositing your own money into an account. Still, I suppose this is one way they attempt to crack down on the black market.
Around here, you can basically walk in and pull out a tax-free loan. I’m talking about that cash you grab at the register that just ends up being withdrawn from your bank account or through the IRS.
It isn't quite that simple, despite what I might make it seem.
About two years ago, they introduced something like accelerated depreciation. It allows you to write off those costs much faster. $1733 How much are you pulling from your account to pick up some Specair? You get what I'm saying?
You can also pull quite a significant amount of cash out through travel reimbursements.
The issue around here is pretty widespread. Most small business owners end up spending far more than they actually bring in, only to find themselves completely broke by year-end because they weren't staying on top of their quarterly tax estimates.
If you earn a single dollar, you aren't allowed to spend a single cent over that amount. Just one dollar. Period.
You might want to look into hiring a professional accounting firm or perhaps consulting with a financial advisor. It’s worth doing some due diligence.
Our tax system isn't actually the primary culprit here. The real issue lies within our legal framework and how poorly we handle debt collection. While there’s been significant progress regarding overall business liquidity across the country, let’s be honest—we still have a long way to go.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Actually, with a small business, you don't even owe sales tax until the client actually pays the bill.
Once your annual revenue clears the $5 million mark, you’re required to issue official invoices and handle sales tax based on what was billed, not just what hit your bank account.
Look, you really need to grasp the entire American tax landscape—everything from sales tax to corporate income tax, depreciation, and deductible expenses—before we can meaningfully debate which setup works best.
It’s a lot like arguing over whether front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive is superior. Every system has its trade-offs, and you simply have to adapt to the one you choose. If you can't pivot, you'll end up as a low-level grunt working for some big-shot CEO who knows how to play the game. That's just how the world works.
The biggest issue here is the misconception that opening a storefront automatically means you're going to be rich. It's absurd.
Best,
Once your annual revenue clears the $5 million mark, you’re required to issue official invoices and handle sales tax based on what was billed, not just what hit your bank account.
Look, you really need to grasp the entire American tax landscape—everything from sales tax to corporate income tax, depreciation, and deductible expenses—before we can meaningfully debate which setup works best.
It’s a lot like arguing over whether front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive is superior. Every system has its trade-offs, and you simply have to adapt to the one you choose. If you can't pivot, you'll end up as a low-level grunt working for some big-shot CEO who knows how to play the game. That's just how the world works.
The biggest issue here is the misconception that opening a storefront automatically means you're going to be rich. It's absurd.
Best,
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Sure, redscout61, but the legal system doesn't really have much to do with just starting a small business. That was my point. When you get into debt collection or asset protection, then the law matters immensely, but that wasn't his question.
Look at what happened with Mr. Kutle. He "started" his company—if you can call buying one "starting"—based on a mere declaration of intent, and we all saw how that played out. With $5 million in daily turnover, he managed to ruin himself in just a few years.
If you can't manage a little money, you won't know what to do with a lot of it either.
Look at what happened with Mr. Kutle. He "started" his company—if you can call buying one "starting"—based on a mere declaration of intent, and we all saw how that played out. With $5 million in daily turnover, he managed to ruin himself in just a few years.
If you can't manage a little money, you won't know what to do with a lot of it either.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
buzztard said:vividstag31, screw a government that won't let me work just because I don't have the cash upfront to start a business. Why can't I just file a simple declaration to become a legal entity? Why do I have to cough up god-knows-how much money first? If the state wants to tax me, fine—let them take a cut of my earnings. But stop demanding money I haven't even made yet!
The American legal system is a total joke.
That’s because you're being naive, my friend. It isn't like this anywhere else. In a capitalist system, there are only two types of people: bosses and peasants. Peasants work for the bosses. You'll be better off if you just accept that reality for everyone's sake.
Nowhere in the world can you start a company or a small business without capital. That money you pay to get things moving stays with YOU, the owner, not the government.
This has nothing to do with the legal system.
Starting a small business
in Business, Accounting & Taxes ·
Some people just have to accept the reality that not everyone can be an entrepreneur. If starting a small business were actually that easy, everyone would be doing it.
That’s like saying I’m bad at math, so there's nothing I can do about it.
If you actually understood the math, it wouldn't be such a struggle.
That’s like saying I’m bad at math, so there's nothing I can do about it.
If you actually understood the math, it wouldn't be such a struggle.
Bradley Fisher20 said:Well, the question is rhetorical. But I'll answer it anyway. We're falling behind. We're lagging because everyone around us—save for our immediate neighbors—is sprinting ahead. Even the tourists from Mexico have started coming to Chicago just for the shopping.
What an amateur! And what on earth is wrong with that???