45 days & Top 10 Song List!!

It's been over a month since my last post, and I'm not apologizing for the delay.  Work was extremely busy in December (more than normal), I was in Vegas for 4 days, trip to Nashville, TN for work but saw some friends as well, Adult Winter Prom 2010 (ok, so it was just a house party where we just in formal wear...sorta), 2 Pacers games, Thanksgiving weekend, Xmas weekend, and now approaching New Years. 

Vegas was awesome as usual.  Good to get out there w/ Marko for once - first time I've gone out w/ him.  Andy also went and I think that's our 3rd time being out there together.  A lot of good gambling stories, including learning the intricacies of how to play Craps (and not just betting the Pass Line only - thanks Marko), turning $10 into $500 at a blackjack table, and hitting my first ever NFL parlay bet.

But now, the moment I've been working towards, albeit mentally, since our Athens GA road trip back in October.  During the drive down, I think it was Scott who presented the idea that we all should come up w/ our lists, or maybe he said one of his friends had done it and he thought it was a must that our circle of friends do it as well. 

This is a lot harder than you would think, so i needed a process to get started. 

• Step 1 - Open ITunes, grab a beer  
• Step 2 - Go through 2,000 song list by artist, jotting down favorite song by artist
• Step 2a - Grab second beer
• Step 3 - Shrink 2,000 songs down to Top 30
• Step 4 - Grab another beer
• Step 5 - Take Top 30 and make the tough decision on which songs crack the Top 10

Really the only requirement that I used was "Would I ever turn this song off it came on the radio/ITunes."  If I could answer YES to that question, then it did not qualify.  I obviously like music, all different types (minus most country), so it was tough to go through and realize that many songs that even though i may "like" them, they didn't pass the radio/ITunes test.....thus not included.  In addition, every song that made my Top 10 List, and most that were in the Top 30, all have some sort of story or memory attached to it on why I have a fondness for it.  Most memories revolve around high school/college or the few years after college, but nevertheless, they take me to a good place when I hear them.   HERE WE GO....

#1 - Sweet Child of Mine - Guns & Roses. 
#2 - Clocks - Coldplay
#3 - Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
#4 - Two Step - Dave Matthews Band
#5 - Wonderwall - Oasis
#6 - Let Her Cry - Hootie & the Blowfish
#7 - Up All Night - Counting Crows
#8 - Burden in My Hand -Soundgarden
#9 - Yesterday - The Beatles
#10 - California Love - 2Pac / Dr. Dre

Honorable Mention:  Life in Technicolor II (Coldplay), One (Metallica), Remember the Time (Michael Jackson), Learn to Fly (Foo Fighters), Mr. Brightside (The Killers), Clumsy (Our Lady Peace) Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn), The Valley Road (Bruce Hornsby), I Walk Alone (Oleander), Separate Ways (Journey). 

There ya go - Top 10, w/ another 10 for good measure.

Since the new year will be upon us, i'm sure my next post will be about my 2011 goals.  I had 3 goals for 2010.  I completed goal #1 (boxing class), about 20% completion on increasing culinary skills to what I had previously envisioned, and a 0% completion rate on learning the whole Thriller dance (readers choice goal, sorry people who voted for that!).  I also did not do any baby-sitting, which was 2nd in votes for my 3rd goal.  We'll see what 2011 brings...   

Thankful

Since I don't have a family of my own, my holiday traditions/routines still revolve around my parents and family up in Elkhart.  Nothing wrong w/ that, I enjoy the Holidays up in northern Indiana.  However, I do have a Thanksgiving tradition in Indy that i've been lucky enough to be a part of for at least 7 years or so now.  Every year around this time, my Ritter crew group of friends all get together and do a dinner theme at someone's house.   I believe the first time we did this was either the 1st or 2nd year at "The Plex" (1st or 2nd year after college) and we had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at the house.  Since then it's evolved into a different food theme each year.   This year the theme was Italian/Pizza.  The dinner was tonight at Dave & Mo's house and was attended by the usual crew (Scott/Sara, Andy & his friend Elizabeth, Gigi/Matt, Matt/Abby, The Bucks, and then the oddball - me).  Now as we are getting a bit older, there are some young children involved as well.  As always, it was a good time as we ate, drank beer/wine, and rehashed numerous stories that we've told for years that date back to either their Ritter high school days, or our college & post college days.  I've heard their Ritter high school stories so many times I feel like I was there. 

Driving home tonight after our dinner, I got to thinking about many of the things in my life that I'm thankful for, so I thought I'd list a few.  

- I'm thankful for my group of Ritter HS / U of I college friends.  Dave, Scott, Andy, and Matt had a strong bond between them from their Ritter HS days and I've been blessed to have been infused into the group.  So much so that I was part of Scott's wedding and will also be in a groomsman in Dave/Mo & Matt/Abby's weddings in 2010. 

- The countless memories that i have w/ those 4 guys mentioned above, including all the debacles that have taken place over the past 10 years.  After all, who can forget these classics (in no particular order:)

• Matt getting knocked out (and possibly concussed) by a tequila bottle at my apartment either junior or senior year of college.  Or Matt concussing himself in a downtown Indy parking garage after a night out at the Ratheskellar.
• The cruises that both Dave and Matt have gone on w/ me
• Multiple trips to Windsor (Canada) and Vegas
• Ritter alumni basketball league.  Ritter alumni golf outings
• My 21st b-day.  Andy's 21st b-day. 
• At least 8 or 9 of the past 10 New Years Eves
• Various weddings of friends of ours that we've gone too
• The night before our college graduation - not sure if Scott remembers this....
• Trips up to Lafayette to visit Gaddis
• Concerts/music festivals
• Halloween awesomeness

- I'm thankful for many of my other non-Ritter friends as well, including my high-school buddies and many other friends that I met at U of I

- I'm thankful for my relationship w/ Marko - a kid who grew up in a different part of the world (Croatia) and taught me a lot about understanding other cultures/traditions

- I'm thankful for my family

- I'm thankful for my job/career/coworkers.  It has really helped shape me over the past 7 years - as well as provided some financial means to help produce many of the memories above. 

That's enough reflection for the night.  On other notes, the Pacers took their talents to South Beach tonight and pouneded LeBron and the Heat.  That was fairly shocking!  NFL bets are approaching historical proportions...well historic for me...73%!!  I still have 5 more weeks and the Playoffs for the laws of gambling to catch up to me, but i can't complain!

Vegas trip w/ Marko and Andy in less than 2 weeks.  We will be there Dec 3-6 - should be a blast as usual!  We are staying at Bally's...I hope I don't get the H1N1 flu this year like I did last year.  I won't have Dr. Scott w/ me this time to call in prescriptions of Tamiflu for me. 

No funny video link tonight.  Enjoy Thanksgiving!

your quick tax education

This post has nothing to do w/ me personally, my adventures of awesomeness, my kick-ass NFL gambling record (68% in case you're curious), the best holiday ever (a.k.a Halloween), or my upcoming trip to Vegas.  None of it.  This post will educate my friends and family members about what could possibly happen w/ your taxes for 2011 (April 2012 filing) barring any shocking legislation from Congress.

Most of you have probably heard the term "Bush Tax Cuts."  This comes from 2001 and 2003 tax laws that lowered taxes for all Americans and took the capital gains and dividend tax rates down to 15% (and 0% in some people's cases).  Capital gains for most people come into play on stock sales/gains.  The top tax rate was lowered from 39.6% to 35%.  A 10% bracket was installed.  The current tax rate system progresses as follows - 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, 35%.  As you  make more money, you progress into a higher rate.  For example, the 10% bracket for a married couple is used on your first $16k of income, then 15% rate is used on income between $16k & $68k, and so forth.  These rates benefit all US taxpayers. 

In addition to the lower tax rates, the Bush Tax Cuts also installed various deductions and increased tax credits for people, most notably the increased Child Tax Credit from $500 up to $1,000.  These credits are straight reductions of your tax liability and typically increase your refund.  Most middle class families get a benefit for these child tax credits (they get phased out at approximately $150-160k of gross income).  So for the majority of American families, these credits decrease the amount they owe or increase their refund.  There are numerous other deductions and credits that the Bush Tax Cuts increased or extended that for the most part apply to 90% of American taxpayers (excluding the wealthy mainly because they get phased out due to income limitations).

The Bush Tax Cuts also increased the estate tax exemptions amounts, saving normal families millions of dollars in estate tax. 

Now, fast forward - these cuts expire at the end of 2010.  If Congress does nothing, the Bush Tax Cuts go away and everything reverts to what it was pre-Bush Tax Cuts.  Most of you have probably heard some of this in the media and how Obama wants to essentially eliminate these cuts.  Without getting into too many details, the basic way this is spun to the public is that the lower 15% capital gains rate will go away for people who make more than $250k.  The "tax argument" is being spun to be a rich vs poor argument.  Tax the rich more since they make more $$$ - i get it, it makes sense and does have validity, but THERE IS A HUGE PIECE YOU AREN'T BEING TOLD.   You don't know what you don't know and this is why many people are going to be in for a rude awakening in the winter/spring 2012 when they file their 2011 taxes and see that their typical refunds have been slashed in half or have disappeared all together.   Bear w/ me now.....

If Congress does absolutely nothing or they only extend the capital gains 15% rate for people under $250k, the Obama administration is going to spin it as "See, we are raising taxes on the rich."  However, what you are not being told is that the tax bracket rates for all Americans is going to raise. 

That 10% rate bracket - GONE.  The lowest rate will be 15%.  So you're already missing out on a 5% savings for the first $16k of income (or $800 is what your refund will shrink by) Next rate will be 28% - no 25% rate, so another 3% increase.  Oh, and those lovely $1,000 child tax credits for kids under the age of 16, those will decrease to $500/kid. 

Let's say we have a young married couple - husband makes $50k and wife works part-time and is still in school.  They also have a kid.  Their refund is going to shrink from say $2,000 to maybe $700.  A $1,300 difference!  For a young family that only makes $50k annually, $1,300 decrease in cash flow is a fairly big deal.  (This example is hypothetical and there are many other factors that could come into play here, but you get the picture)

Here's the point - don't be fooled when you hear that taxes are only going to go up for the rich.  The message you aren't hearing is that credits and deductions are going to be reduced/eliminated as well as tax rate brackets may disappear....   Deductions being slashed and credits being reduced is also known as "A TAX INCREASE," but again, that message isn't being portrayed.  Everyone's taxes are going to go up, but portraying that message doesn't win Presidential elections.  The stimulus & health care reform packages have to be paid from somewhere and the the rich already pay 90% of this country's taxes. 

There has been recent rumors surrounding what Congress may or may not do, and w/ the recent election, who knows what will happen.  It's possible they could extend the Bush Tax Cuts for another few years, which would postpone the scenario outlined above.  I'm not even going to get into that here - way to many variables there. 

If you liked this post, let me know and I can try to provide more similar to this into my blog routine.  With the end of the year approaching and the House being turned back over to the Republicans, we could be in for some interesting tax legislation in the next few months - or absolutely no activity at all because Congress won't be able to come to an agreement on anything.

BC

here we go

So a quick update on my life.  Had a sweet skin infection in early/mid September which shut me down for about 3 weeks.  Seriously, one day i could barely walk to due to the "area" being inflamed and extremely painful - not to mention it was in a fairly uncomfortable place on my leg/thigh.  Luckily my kick ass immune system finally beat it, with the assistance of some high dosage antibiotics and awesome pain pills.  This is the really the first time in my adult life that i've had something seriously wrong w/ me (outside of minor rotator cuff issues).   3 weeks w/ no alcohol, no physical activity, and basically no fun. 

But now i'm back.  Took Dad to the Colts game against Chiefs - his first experience at Lucas Oil Stadium...i think he enjoyed it, even though the game was a little dull....19-9, how many times do you see that as a final score for the NFL game?  

Heading to Georgia on Thursday (10/14) until Sunday for the annual "Act Like I'm Still in College Trip", which involves hanging around college bars on the beautiful campus of the University of Georgia, drinking way way way too much, tailgating for an SEC game, eating too many grilled/fried foods, and all foolishness that comes in between those things.   Convinced Andy to go w/ us this year, so he along w/ Scott making his second trip will hit the road (9 1/2 hour drive) down to Athens Georgia to meet up w/ my high school buddy, Craig Hisey.  Always fun! 

Gambling - been fairly decent the past month.  Great start to the NFL season, going 7-3 through 5 weeks.  Been playing a little more online poker lately w/ some of the free time I had due to my infection and that's been steady also. 

Final notes - season 3 of the Sons of Anarchy (FX) and the new Boardwalk Empire (HBO) have been awesome.  I've also been watching FX's new show, Terriers, and that's been good as well.  Very excited the MLB playoffs have started - already some great drama/moments!

My final thought - this song has been in my head for days for some reason, so naturally I felt like I needed to see the video, as well as share w/ all of you  Seriously, the hair styles in the 80's are fantastic - i really think I missed out since I was in my 1-9 years during that decade.  And doesn't the lead singer look a little like a young Paul McCartney or is that just me? 

Cook's 2010 NFL Predictions

One of the best times of year.  The weather is starting to get a little cooler, Kirk Herbstreit is on TV every Saturday morning for College Gameday, Notre Dame will most likely disappoint me, and the start of the NFL season.  With the NFL comes many glorious things like fantasy football, trash talking w/ friends, marathon Madden video game sessions, gambling, and going to many Colts games. 

Without further ado, here are my NFL predictions for 2010

• Brett Favre starts 10 or fewer games this year
• The Vikes go 8-8 or worse
• Chris Johnson rushes for over 2,000 yds, becoming 1st player to achieve that feat twice
• The Colts once again achieve at least 12 regular season wins (for the 8th straight season, i think)
• AFC Division winners - NE, Baltimore, Indy, San Diego.  wild cards - Tennessee & Miami
• NFC Division winners - Dallas, GB, NO, SF.  wild cards - Atlanta & Washington
• Aaron Rodgers wins the MVP
• The Raiders finish w/ a better record then the Broncos
• The Texans finish w/ a better record then the J-E-T-S
• Detroit wins at least 5 games (2 last year)
• Colts & GB play in the Super Bowl....Colts winning

Once again i'll be doing my annual betting, sticking to 2 games per week.  I didn't do quite as well last year as I did 2 years ago, but still finished above 50% going 27-23 on the season.  Looking to get back up to above 60% again this year.   

Big weekend coming up w/ the ND/Michigan game.  I'm going 42-34 ND.  Wake Up The Echoes.....

it's been a month, almost

Long time since my last post, but that's OK.  I'm over the 90:1 almost win, courtesy of Uruguay in the World Cup.  So what did July bring?  Hmmmm...

Best weekend was probably the Jimtown Outing weekend.  Andy, Dave, and Scott joined me this year.  I'm fairly certain they had a good time.  36 holes, free beer and steak, along w/ great weather made for a great day!  I shot an 82 in the morning round, while the others didn't play their best...  Andy even got a Hacker Trophy for being the worst golfer there (141 i think).  However, we stepped it up in the scramble, mainly on the putting green.  we shot 9-under to win the C Flight...and beat my Dad's foursome by like 6 shots, so that's always goal #1.   I've played in probably 10 outings w/ those 3 guys and this was by far the best we've ever putted.  we hit at least 3 birdie putts of 20-25+ feet, including yours truly knocking in a 50 footer to top the round off. 

Andy and I went to Cincy last weekend to see Gaddis along w/ the intention to scalp tickets to the Reds game against the Braves.  Normally tickets to the Reds are easy to come by as they never sell out...even when they are first place.  Of course, they sold out this series (1st of the year), so we ended up just going to a few bars and hanging w/ Gaddis.   Good times though, great to catch up w/ my former college roommate! 

Golf has been fairly decent too me this summer.  Although shooting a 96 at Oakmont doesn't sound good, trust me, i played decent and was happy w/ that.  I've fired two 82's the last two rounds I played (Cedar Lake @ Jimtown Open, and The Fort).  I also shot an 82 at West Chase back in June.  An 88 at Coffin two weeks ago as well, so I can't complain.  To top it off, i have 4 golf outings for work in the next 3 weeks, and the Ritter Open later August, assuming tennis doesn't get in the way.   Speaking of tennis...

Since my winter tennis league team won our league, we've qualified to advance on to try and win the state title.  We have two matches next weekend to see who represent Central Indiana (and Southern IN) in the state title match.  If we can advance from that, we'll play the representative from Northern IN for the state title the weekend of August 14th.  That's where my team lost last year to a team from Ft. Wayne...so looking to improve upon that. 

It's almost NFL season, so that means my NFL Preview column, including my annual betting columns/advice for those who partake in those actions.  I'm sure some fantasy football items will make it into the columns as well. 

Until next time, a nice video for you.  This is an embarrassment to all of us who as kids used to do awesome tricks jumping out of swings   

90:1...almost

Like my buddy Scott, I could dedicate this whole post to the World Cup and how the U.S. did fairly well despite the officials trying to screw us in every which way possible because they are obvioulsy afraid of our impending dominance of the world's sport.   My only other thought on the World Cup is that I was so close to getting the best gambling payout of my life....90 to 1 odds on Uruguay to win the whole thing.  Unfortunately they went down in the semi-finals today.  even though I didn't bet a lot of money, at 90:1 odds, even a non-CPA can figure out that it's a nice payday.  As with most things, gambling makes 99% of things more interesting! 

Alright, been a few weeks since my last post. Highlight of those weeks was my Myrtle Beach w/ mom's side of the family.   The trip was very fun.  Despite that this is the first vacation that i've taken in like 5 years w/o one of my buddies going w/ me, I was able to keep myself entertained by playing w/ the 5 kids under the age of 10, my step-brother and his wife (Tad & Kimberly), along w/ the Heitkamps, my mom & step-dad, and my Aunt Pam & Uncle Terry.  My 17-year old cousin Nick and I made the drive out to Myrtle, just the two of us in 12 hours flat.  A fairly easy road trip.  Most days went something like this... wake up around 8:30-9.  at beach by 9:30.  come in around noon and eat lunch/start drinking Bud Light.  back out to the beach around 1:30 and remain there until 4:30-5.   Continue drinking.  Dinner, then an array of card/board games along w/ some Rock Band sessions.  The older adults would normally be in bed by 10:30-11, while us younger adults would play more cards.  I also won our big round-robin, 2-night, Euchre tournament.....never a doubt!  (except for when I was in 2nd to last place after the first night).  

I tried to load some pics but for some reason can't get them to attach to the posting...not sure what the problem is since i've added pics in the past.  Tawnya Keitkamp and Kimberly Frahm have a lot of good pics from the vacation, so you can check their facebook pages if you are really interested. 

Let's see.  i went to Elkhart for the first time since Xmas for July 3rd-4th.  Heather was home so I got to see her.  Hung out w/ a few cousins most of the day on Satruday, then spent some time up at my Aunt Geneva's lake cottage on Sunday before making the car ride back.   Sunday night was one of those disasterous successful nights.  Craig, Buell and I ran up a $270 bar tab in about 5 hours celebrating America's b-day.  Ummm, Monday, July 5th was essentially a wasteful day until one of my water heater pipes decided to spring a leak.  That cost a few dollars today to get repaired, but now I have hot water again. 

Summer tennis league is going OK.  My team is 3-4, but personally i'm 4-1 in my individual matches, w/ my only loss coming in a 3rd set tie-breaker.  We've lost some close matches as a team...could easiliy be 6-1, but oh well.   I've been very active this summer playing basketball (Monday), softball (Tuesdays - although doesn't start for me until next week), tennis (Wednesdays) and kickball (Thursdays).  Kickball is fairly interesting...a lot harder to score runs then you would think.  Much more strategy playing against adults then what I remember playing as kids. 

Also, since my last post 3 weeks ago, the Cubs are now 99% officially out of the NL Central Race.  until next time (or year in the Cubs sake...)