[Imported from somewhere less pseudonymous]
Anyone remember the estate tax hullabaloo a while back? Were they trying to reduce it or eliminate it? What ever happened with that? I recall my position being a unilateral, "Fuck you, give the government money." I stand by that position in the case of people who are money-rich; I maintain that the people who benefit the most from our economic and societal systems should pay the most to maintain them. However it's recently come to my attention that the tax is in need of a bit of reform.
The existing combination of estate and property tax systems disincentivizes ecological conservation. The estate tax hits people who inherit chunks of wilderness disproportionately hard and a lot of the time they end up having to sell the land to pay the tax on it. When you need to sell a big chunk of the middle of nowhere in a hurry (estate taxes come due 9 months after the owner's death), timber companies and "developers" are the ones most likely to buy. These people think the estate tax should be immediately and permanently repealed for this reason. Their site says that the estate tax generates about 1.5% of annual federal revenues; that's an awful big baby to throw out with the bathwater. It seems to me entirely feasible to alter the estate tax code to provide exemptions or breaks for people inheriting wilderness. Several states, for example, have tax breaks for people who own undeveloped land and file a conservation plan, or assess the value of undeveloped land by its current use instead of its "best potential use" (best potential use, it is implied, is the standard M.O. I really don't know.) Does this create the possibility for abuse? Sure! But what tax law doesn't? I just want more forests to stay standing and less wetlands drained to make room for malls.
5.31.2008
Success! ... and then maybe more succes! Or alternately, theft.
[Imported from somewhere less pseudonymous]
Three facts about me:
1. I grocery shop by bus as infrequently as possible and have a great deal of trouble getting two massive handfuls of plastic bags full of food home.
2. I feel bad using massive handfuls of plastic bags, even though I reuse them as garbage bags.
3. I like camping.
Considering these three facts together, this weekend I invested in a hiking backpack. Expensive? Yes. BUT! Going camping no longer includes the bother of finding a backpack to borrow. Plus, I thought, I can take it with me grocery shopping and load all my foods and stuff in there, resulting in fewer plastic bags and sore hands. Today was the first test run. I purchased $100 of groceries, including 2.25 gallons (18 pounds) of liquid, which would've torn my fingers off if carried as typical. I jammed the liquids and most of the other stuff in my shiny new backpack, with only one plastic bag's worth left over (I was on the verge of missing the bus; might've managed to fit it all in the backpack if I'd had time to engage better packing strategery). Getting it home on the bus? Effortless. Except the part where the driver missed my stop and I had to be all "'Scuse me!" That added a dozen or so yards to my walk (there's a bus stop right afront my building), which would've been torture with bags. Again, effortless with the backpack. I win! And my stuff, despite spending a bus ride all banging around in a backpack, is not ruined. The gallon jug of orange juice is a little misshapen, but that's all.
In other news, I decided my lettuce is a lost cause. Have I mentioned my lettuce? I decided to start up a window box, which I planted with basil and salad mix, having been told that leafy things like lettuces do well in low light. Had some trouble finding a long narrow planter that would work for the window situation, then found my mom had one, so she just gave it to me when I was helping her move. Win. So I threw some dirt in it, threw some seeds in the dirt, threw some water on the seeds in the dirt, got sprouts and... that's about it. No sign of secondary leaves anywhere. I guess lettuces don't do quite so well in light this low. Today I figured, there's sun outside. Why don't I just stick it out there? My erstwhile window box now resides in a sunny spot on the south side of my building, with my apartment number carved into it. Best case: it grows into food. Worst case: it gets stolen. In which case, the planter was free, the dirt and seeds were cheap, it's one less thing I have to move in August, and it wasn't doing anything in my apartment anyway; best of luck to whomever ends up with it.
Speaking of when I move in August, I'm starting to get into "I don't want to have all this shit to move" mode and am becoming motivated to divest myself of much of my shit. Problem is, most of my shit is books. And whereas I've read most of them once and then never touched them again, I like having them. It makes me feel wealthy. In, you know, knowledge and culture and stuff. On the other hand, they represent Stuff that I have and don't use, that will increase the amount of work it takes to move, and that could be exchanged for money. ANGST AND CONFLICT!
UPDATE: Window box stolen.
Three facts about me:
1. I grocery shop by bus as infrequently as possible and have a great deal of trouble getting two massive handfuls of plastic bags full of food home.
2. I feel bad using massive handfuls of plastic bags, even though I reuse them as garbage bags.
3. I like camping.
Considering these three facts together, this weekend I invested in a hiking backpack. Expensive? Yes. BUT! Going camping no longer includes the bother of finding a backpack to borrow. Plus, I thought, I can take it with me grocery shopping and load all my foods and stuff in there, resulting in fewer plastic bags and sore hands. Today was the first test run. I purchased $100 of groceries, including 2.25 gallons (18 pounds) of liquid, which would've torn my fingers off if carried as typical. I jammed the liquids and most of the other stuff in my shiny new backpack, with only one plastic bag's worth left over (I was on the verge of missing the bus; might've managed to fit it all in the backpack if I'd had time to engage better packing strategery). Getting it home on the bus? Effortless. Except the part where the driver missed my stop and I had to be all "'Scuse me!" That added a dozen or so yards to my walk (there's a bus stop right afront my building), which would've been torture with bags. Again, effortless with the backpack. I win! And my stuff, despite spending a bus ride all banging around in a backpack, is not ruined. The gallon jug of orange juice is a little misshapen, but that's all.
In other news, I decided my lettuce is a lost cause. Have I mentioned my lettuce? I decided to start up a window box, which I planted with basil and salad mix, having been told that leafy things like lettuces do well in low light. Had some trouble finding a long narrow planter that would work for the window situation, then found my mom had one, so she just gave it to me when I was helping her move. Win. So I threw some dirt in it, threw some seeds in the dirt, threw some water on the seeds in the dirt, got sprouts and... that's about it. No sign of secondary leaves anywhere. I guess lettuces don't do quite so well in light this low. Today I figured, there's sun outside. Why don't I just stick it out there? My erstwhile window box now resides in a sunny spot on the south side of my building, with my apartment number carved into it. Best case: it grows into food. Worst case: it gets stolen. In which case, the planter was free, the dirt and seeds were cheap, it's one less thing I have to move in August, and it wasn't doing anything in my apartment anyway; best of luck to whomever ends up with it.
Speaking of when I move in August, I'm starting to get into "I don't want to have all this shit to move" mode and am becoming motivated to divest myself of much of my shit. Problem is, most of my shit is books. And whereas I've read most of them once and then never touched them again, I like having them. It makes me feel wealthy. In, you know, knowledge and culture and stuff. On the other hand, they represent Stuff that I have and don't use, that will increase the amount of work it takes to move, and that could be exchanged for money. ANGST AND CONFLICT!
UPDATE: Window box stolen.
A moment of selfishness
[Imported from somewhere less pseudonymous]
Yes, with the end of the Oil Age I'm desperately concerned about rising gas prices and the attendant rising food prices and rising everything else prices and especially about the fact that no oil means no plastic and fucking everything is made of plastic now (I have major mixed feelings about corn plastic. Yes, it's driving up the cost of food by using corn for non-nutritive purposes, but at least it's a renewable and biodegradable plastic-like thing). These problems are hitting some other countries worse than us, but it's a definite belt-tightener even here, and my heart weeps Virgin Mary tears for everyone affected by these problems.
But I need to have a moment of unalloyed selfish concern here, for which I hope you'll forgive me. During high school and in the couple summers thereafter, the International Travel Bug jabbed me with its spirochete-laden sting. I loved seeing other countries and desperately long for a time when I have the financial means to travel abroad again. Meanwhile, I've recently been thinking the airline industry isn't long for this world; airlines have been going bankrupt and merging for quite some time now, fuel prices are getting ready to go crazy, and I've heard ugly things about the aluminum industry. I saw a story on MSNBC or CNN or something about how buses and trains are doing record business and starting to see a need to scale up their services; I've even been dicking around on Amtrak.com and finding a few trips cheaper by train than plane. I'm starting to worry about whether airlines will continue to exist, at least for intercontinental travel. Or will we have to get used to a month-long boat ride across the Atlantic to see Europe? Maybe we can use zeppelins.
Yes, with the end of the Oil Age I'm desperately concerned about rising gas prices and the attendant rising food prices and rising everything else prices and especially about the fact that no oil means no plastic and fucking everything is made of plastic now (I have major mixed feelings about corn plastic. Yes, it's driving up the cost of food by using corn for non-nutritive purposes, but at least it's a renewable and biodegradable plastic-like thing). These problems are hitting some other countries worse than us, but it's a definite belt-tightener even here, and my heart weeps Virgin Mary tears for everyone affected by these problems.
But I need to have a moment of unalloyed selfish concern here, for which I hope you'll forgive me. During high school and in the couple summers thereafter, the International Travel Bug jabbed me with its spirochete-laden sting. I loved seeing other countries and desperately long for a time when I have the financial means to travel abroad again. Meanwhile, I've recently been thinking the airline industry isn't long for this world; airlines have been going bankrupt and merging for quite some time now, fuel prices are getting ready to go crazy, and I've heard ugly things about the aluminum industry. I saw a story on MSNBC or CNN or something about how buses and trains are doing record business and starting to see a need to scale up their services; I've even been dicking around on Amtrak.com and finding a few trips cheaper by train than plane. I'm starting to worry about whether airlines will continue to exist, at least for intercontinental travel. Or will we have to get used to a month-long boat ride across the Atlantic to see Europe? Maybe we can use zeppelins.
About a Blog, or Portrait of the Artist, Who Is a Young Man
Look, another blog! Surely critical mass has now been reached and the world will become a carbon-neutral progressive wonderland any day.
Who I Am: Male. Twentysomething. Recent college graduate. Gay. Atheist most of the time, a little bit Pagan others. Moving across the country to Pacific Northwest Suburb soon. At that time, I will be a teacher. I try to be as eco-friendly as an American can. I try to be as much an ally to feminists and people of color as a white dude can. My greatest aspiration is to have a modest home in the city where I can live compactly and efficiently, walk or bike everywhere, and grow as much of my own food as possible; and also own a large chunk of forested Middle of Nowhere where I can build a cabin and be your kooky survivalist uncle. A partner to share that with is also high on the list. I swear kind of a lot.
Who This Blog Is: My interests center on issues related to education, feminism, LGBTQ rights, social justice, environmentalism, and kooky survivalism. Everyone has numerous issues, and most people pick one windmill to spend most of their time tilting at. I haven't picked one yet, so my focus tends to wander amongst all the above. Maybe in the near future my focus will improve. Maybe blogging will help with that. Or maybe I'll just bea terribly unfocused mess of contradictions a renaissance man all my days.
Who I Am: Male. Twentysomething. Recent college graduate. Gay. Atheist most of the time, a little bit Pagan others. Moving across the country to Pacific Northwest Suburb soon. At that time, I will be a teacher. I try to be as eco-friendly as an American can. I try to be as much an ally to feminists and people of color as a white dude can. My greatest aspiration is to have a modest home in the city where I can live compactly and efficiently, walk or bike everywhere, and grow as much of my own food as possible; and also own a large chunk of forested Middle of Nowhere where I can build a cabin and be your kooky survivalist uncle. A partner to share that with is also high on the list. I swear kind of a lot.
Who This Blog Is: My interests center on issues related to education, feminism, LGBTQ rights, social justice, environmentalism, and kooky survivalism. Everyone has numerous issues, and most people pick one windmill to spend most of their time tilting at. I haven't picked one yet, so my focus tends to wander amongst all the above. Maybe in the near future my focus will improve. Maybe blogging will help with that. Or maybe I'll just be
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