Miscellaneous, distracted, various, and inimitable

[heironymouspasparagus]

OK.  Bumpy but somewhat fun.
The people who were happy with only a burger flipping skill set and some other unfortunate folks don't get to retire. For many folks not getting to retire is bad planning or choosing a lifestyle they cannot afford.  A better education would be a good start to remedy this.  Sometimes job opportunities can limit where one lives and works though.
I believe if you are self employed, your 13% might be accurate.
Social Security benefits are based on how much one contributed while working.  I cannot imaging you not complaining if benefits were adjusted upward based on the amount contributed on the difference between $160,200 for 2023 (but I'm not going to fuss over the difference to $165,000) and any larger number such as $400,000.
Maximum Taxable Earnings (Social Security): https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/maxtax.html

People on Medicare with high incomes pay increased premiums on their Part B (Doctor's office visits etc) and Part D (prescription medicine): 
Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA):    https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/medicare-premiums.html
Brackets are not as smoothly incorporated as on Income Tax.  $1.00 annual income into the next bracket can increase your premium tens to hundreds of dollars per month.

There are some tax advantages to being retired.   First off, you are not paying Social Security/Medicare Tax, unless you are only partially retired and still have earned income.  Depending on your total income, some or most of your Social Security income will not be taxed on your Federal Income Tax.  Oklahoma does not tax Social Security income and allows the first $10,000 of qualified retirement pension/income to not be taxed.  Many other states offer something similar.

My numbers are just ballpark for this.  Will be up to $165,000 sometime soon, I am sure - I was going from memory and knew it was above $160k, so just rounded up to next one.


Education;
Would be nice, and better lifestyles great,  IF education opportunities and choice were more consistent.   But we have a system designed to make most people starting down the post high school path into prey!   By institutionalized predators!   Fixing that major snafu - in the literal meaning of the acronym - would make a world of difference at leveling the playing field.

13% - a W-2 wage is half coming directly out of the paycheck every pay period.  The other half is a pass through made by the company, which ALWAYS includes that as part of "total compensation", which literally means the employee is the one paying that tax!  By definition.  If the employee was not there, no tax would be paid, so it really has no direct expense to the company - it totally derives from the employee and their work.

And yeah, being self-employed now, when I get a paycheck, it is the 13% (approx).


Benefits are based on total pay in as it should be.  If someone pays full amount on $400k, then their benefit would be higher than someone paying on the $160k.  I was told by someone close who usually gets to that "no more SS tax" point about November that their tentative SS is going to be "around" $3,500 a month based on full age, this year.  I think it is a touch higher than that, but this was a little over a year ago, so...

If someone pays on $400k,then the benefit would be higher, too.  And should be.

[Red Arrow]

Education;
Would be nice, and better lifestyles great,  IF education opportunities and choice were more consistent. 

Yep, big IF.  We need to fix our public schools.  Funding is not the only issue and throwing more $ that way will help but not fix everything.

13% - a W-2 wage is half coming directly out of the paycheck every pay period.  The other half is a pass through made by the company, which ALWAYS includes that as part of "total compensation", which literally means the employee is the one paying that tax!  By definition.  If the employee was not there, no tax would be paid, so it really has no direct expense to the company - it totally derives from the employee and their work.

Yeah, I get the "total compensation" thing as it applies to an employer's pocket book.  If someone goes over the max, I find it highly unlikely the company will kick in the company's half to the employee.  At least I don't remember my dad seeing anything like that.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Yep, big IF.  We need to fix our public schools.  Funding is not the only issue and throwing more $ that way will help but not fix everything.

Yeah, I get the "total compensation" thing as it applies to an employer's pocket book.  If someone goes over the max, I find it highly unlikely the company will kick in the company's half to the employee.  At least I don't remember my dad seeing anything like that.

I have gone over a couple times in the deep, dark, past.  Am sure by accident.  No, the company does not give you the total compensation they blather about so strongly!

[heironymouspasparagus]

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Ooohhhhh.... so NOW she doesn't want to nit-pik what the Bible says...   Got it!  Good to know!

Fascism - alive and well in the USA!


https://www.yahoo.com/news/lauren-boebert-whose-teen-son-080037314.html

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Ooohhhhh.... so NOW she doesn't want to nit-pik what the Bible says...   Got it!  Good to know!
Fascism - alive and well in the USA!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/lauren-boebert-whose-teen-son-080037314.html

People like her need to be deported to Afghanistan, Iran ...  to see what religious rule looks like.

[heironymouspasparagus]

People like her need to be deported to Afghanistan, Iran ...  to see what religious rule looks like.

We are getting to see it unfold right here, right now!   What these fascists are doing IS implementing Sharia Law.  And they know it.


Guys going to jail because they wear a dress??   Come on...what happens when a Scotsman comes to visit and has his formal attire with him?   Gonna put him in jail???

These guys "get it"....

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/vandoliers-perform-in-drag-tennessee-law-1234690309/

[heironymouspasparagus]

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Whew!   Sometimes I wish I had chosen a shorter, easier to type, name!

[heironymouspasparagus]

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It's a shame Elon is traveling down the same d bag path of Trumpists everywhere!  Lumping NPR in with Russia and China propaganda outlets.   That is disgusting.  But then he is a Republican, so there's that....

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/npr-quits-elon-musk-s-twitter-over-government-funded-label/ar-AA19M480?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=77f3ff39e2734425a17db78820ab1524&ei=37

[heironymouspasparagus]

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Well, at least they are consistent...the half dozen or so in the US House that show all the characteristics of working directly for Putin.  Just like T****!

Today attacking the US Military.  Again.  Showing how these clowns really are just haters of the military, while gaslighting people stupid enough to actually vote for them!

One has been blocking promotions and position placements.  This one today wants to cut the pay of the Secretary of Defense to $1 a year.  When in truth, she should be making much less than that!



https://www.yahoo.com/news/house-approves-amendment-marjorie-taylor-192539636.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

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Can hardly wait to see the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the Republicontins when Biden hits back at the ones who most recently killed our soldiers.   They are all into Putin so you know it's gonna happen!

"We shall respond" Biden says.  Lot of raw material in that area - turn it into a field of glass!  Two of the grands were in Iraq for about a year and received several of those rocket attacks...one got his bells rung pretty good.  Still ringing, I think.  Make the people doing this evaporate!

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https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-01-29-24/index.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

And once again, Oklahoma showing why large corporations should all be just flocking to the state in droves!

Owasso Public Schools.   16 year old kid killed in a hate crime attack by having their head bashed on the concrete floor over and over again.  And the school couldn't even be bothered to call the parents to tell them about it.  About what we have come to expect from that school system.

But being where this all took place, my bet is on no hate crime charges.  And no murder charges.  Because,....well, we all know why...this is what our Piece of Stitt and Ryan Walters are promoting in the state.   No doubt they are still celebrating one less "different" person among us.

"You're doing fine Oklahoma...!   Oklahoma, ok...!"       --Rogers and Hammerstein

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nonbinary-teen-nex-benedict-dies-184426914.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

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Owasso cops say that little girl did not die from trauma....  Oh.  Good to know they have the medical degrees and background to know a subdural hematoma could not possibly hurt some one...!   Glad they are there to protect us.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

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Owasso cops say that little girl did not die from trauma....  Oh.  Good to know they have the medical degrees and background to know a subdural hematoma could not possibly hurt some one...!   Glad they are there to protect us.

OWASSO, OKLA. (KTUL) — The Medical Examiner's Office released preliminary information on the autopsy that was performed on Nex Benedict, the 16-year-old Owasso student who died Feb. 8.

The Owasso Police Department said preliminary findings indicate Benedict "did not die as a result of trauma."

https://ktul.com/news/local/preliminary-autopsy-information-shows-owasso-students-death-not-a-result-of-trauma-16-year-old-died-feb-8-owasso-police-department-investigation-physical-altercation-in-bathroom-teen-died#

[heironymouspasparagus]

https://ktul.com/news/local/preliminary-autopsy-information-shows-owasso-students-death-not-a-result-of-trauma-16-year-old-died-feb-8-owasso-police-departmThisent-investigation-physical-altercation-in-bathroom-teen-died#

Released to whom???   Not to the public.   And anyone believe for a second there won't be some 'changes' along the way?   Yeah.  Little girl gets her head bashed against a concrete floor several times.   No damage gonna occur from that.

This is prime candidate to be white-washed and swept under the rug.

This was first and foremost a hate crime - NO MATTER WHAT the other things get defined as.


And then to top it all off, they suspended the girl who got her brains bashed in for two weeks!   And nothing reported so far for the criminals who assaulted her!

The real story here about this autopsy report is going to be who these 3 criminals are connected to in the county power structure.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

From my experience working for a local gov't, usually the ME releases the preliminary findings to the local PD investigating the case. The local PD through it's public information office releases the info to the media. The ME usually doesn't want to release info to the press because there may be info the PD don't want released that could be critical to the case. Preliminary physical exams take just a few days to cut open the skull and examine the brain, as well as cut open the chest cavity to examine, weigh, cut tissue samples from the internals. Those initial exams are rarely conclusive without toxicology and tissue testing of all the organs.

From what I have read this is a tragic case and justice needs to be served. As for Owasso's handling of things, I'm not surprised in the least.