Help out the Columbia, MO Wikipedia WikiProject

These projects could use some help

• History of the University of Missouri (talk, to do)
• Rock Bridge High School (talk, to do)
• Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Area (talk, to do)
• Mizzou Arena (talk, to do)
• Quarterdeck Office Systems (talk, to do)
• Ragtag Cinema (talk, to do)

Should Missouri outlaw the use of Cell Phones while driving?

Would the roads of Missouri be a lot safer if there was a ban on using cell phones while behind the wheel? Let me know your thoughts?

Will New BIG Businesses Drive Out the Small Businesses we Love?

Due to the fact that Columbia, MO population is on the rise we have recently seen the addition of places like TGI Fridays, Hooters, and Macy's Department Store. My question is will this have a direct impact on our local small businesses that we all love like Booches, Sparky's, The Heidleburg and more. Please respond with your comments.

(in*gre*di*ent) Restaurant

Tonight we just ate at a great local restaurant here in Columbia, MO. Located right at 304 S. 9th Street in the heart of the Downtown District of Columbia, Ingredient provides what the Columbia Tribune calls a "sushi-type menu" that includes five types of fresh greens and 65 toppings. Customers can choose two greens and five ingredients - some as fancy-schmancy as oven-roasted mushrooms and honey ginger carrots - and, voila, an Ingredient salad is born. There are many great food items other than salads to include awesome grilled sandwiches, wraps, and soups. I personally recommend the Spicy BLT.

Find Online Promo Codes & Printable Store Coupons

If your a cheap yet not too stingy shopper like me or just trying to save a dollar or two check out RetailMeNot.com. RetailMeNot features online promo codes that you enter upon checkout. Not only do they have promotional and discount codes they also have several printable store coupons available from many of your favorite retail stores to include Target, Home Depot, Victoria Secret, and more.

Search Google Shopping by UPC Product Code

I have recently found an awesome way to do comparison shopping online with the Google Shopping Search Engine. Instead of doing simple keyword searching you can visit your local store that contains the item you desire and write down the UPC Product code. This number is usually either 8 or 12 numbers long. This includes not only the numbers in large font but the smaller numbers to the left and right of the main UPC code. Once you have the code enter it into the Google Shopping Engine Search Area and enjoy your finds.

2008 Tax Deductions

• Most people qualify for the standard deduction: $5,450 for Single and Married Filing Separately, $10,900 for Married Filing Jointly and Qualifying Widow(er), and $8,000 for Head of Household.
  
  
• If itemized deductions are more than the standard deduction, itemizing will save you more.
  
  
• You can claim above-the-line deductions whether you itemize or not.
  
  
• Schedule C filers may qualify for additional deductions.
  
  

Tax deductions allow you to reduce your taxable income and also your tax bill. A tax deduction differs from a tax credit, which is applied directly to your tax bill, reducing it dollar for dollar. There are 4 major categories of tax deductions.

The Standard Tax Deduction

Most taxpayers claim the standard deduction — a fixed amount that reduces the income on which you are taxed. Here are the standard deduction amounts according to filing status.

• Single or Married Filing Separately — $5,450
• Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Widow(er) — $10,900
• Head of Household — $8,000

Itemized Tax Deductions

If total itemized tax deductions are more than the standard deduction, it's usually a good idea to itemize. For most taxpayers, purchasing a home makes it worthwhile to itemize deductions because they can deduct interest, real estate tax, and, for loans taken out after 2006, certain mortgage insurance premiums. Here are some popular (and commonly overlooked) itemized deductions not related to home ownership:

• Medical expenses — In addition to what you've spent on doctors, hospitals and medicine, other tax deductible items include health insurance premiums, prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses, hearing aids, medical transportation, equipment for disabled people, and nursing home expenses.
• State and local income taxes — This category includes income tax or sales tax and personal property tax.
• Charitable contributions — These include cash and property such as new and used household goods and items, securities, and vehicles donated to qualified charitable organizations. Volunteer expenses also can be deducted.
• Casualty losses — If you suffered a loss because of theft, fire, storm damage or other casualty, you can deduct an unreimbursed loss if it is more than the sum of $100 and 10% of your adjusted gross income.
• Unreimbursed out-of-pocket job expenses — Tax-deductible expenses include vehicle expenses (other than commuting), travel expenses, uniforms, union dues and continuing education expenses.
• Miscellaneous expenses — Safe-deposit box fees, investment expenses, tax preparation fees and certain legal fees are examples of miscellaneous tax deductions. The tax deduction for this category of expenses is allowed only for the total of these expenses and unreimbursed job expenses that is more than 2% of your adjusted gross income. Note: There are a few miscellaneous tax deductions that are not subject to the 2% floor. These include repayments of amounts exceeding $3,000 that you previously included in your income, gambling losses, estate tax on income in respect of a decedent, and a decedent's investment in a pension.

Above-the-line Tax Deductions

If you qualify, you can claim these tax deductions even if you don't itemize. There are also above-the-line tax deductions for self-employed individuals.

• Student Loan Interest Deduction — up to $2,500
• Tuition and Fees Deduction — up to $4,000 of qualified higher education expenses
• Moving expenses — the cost of moving your family and belongings to a new job location
• Alimony paid
• Military reservists deduction — a tax deduction for unreimbursed travel expenses for reservists who travel more than 100 miles from home and stay overnight
• Traditional IRA contributions — up to $5,000 ($6,000 if 50 or older)
• Contributions to HSAs (health savings accounts)

Above-the-line tax deductions for self-employed individuals:

• Half of your self-employment (Social Security and Medicare) tax
• 100% of self-employed health insurance premiums for yourself and family
• Contributions to self-employed retirement plans, such as SEPs and SIMPLE plans

See how much self-employment tax you'll owe this year with our Self-employment Tax Estimator.

Schedule C Tax Deductions

If you own your own business, some additional tax deductions apply to you. These are claimed directly on your business schedule, called a Schedule C. (Note: Farmers use Schedule F and owners of rental property use Schedule E.)

• advertising and promotional costs
• business liability insurance
• legal and professional services
• car and truck expenses
• wages, employment taxes, employee benefit plans and contributions to employee retirement plans
• home office expenses
• depreciations

Spoofee.com

Spoofee.com has been around for over 5 years helping consumers find deals and coupons everyday. Spoofee.com currently has around 1,000,000 visitors every month and the traffic / community continues to grow everyday.

Woot

Woot is an Internet retailer based in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, Texas. It was founded by electronics wholesaler Matt Rutledge and debuted on July 12, 2004.^[2] Woot was the pioneer of the "one deal a day" business model on the internet. Woot's main website generally offers only one discounted product each day, often a piece of computer hardware or an electronic gadget. Other Woot sites offer one original t-shirt per day, two selections of wine per week, and one closeout deal per day in cooperation with Yahoo! Shopping.

How to Change a Thermostat?

Due to rising energy costs, many homeowners are opting to replace their old manual thermostats with newer digital, programmable thermostats. Experts estimate that the decision to change a thermostat can save a homeowner up to 35% in energy costs per year. Instead of maintaining a constant temperature for 24 hours a day, seven days a week like a manual thermostat, a digital thermostat can be set to turn off during the day when the family is at work or school and to kick on when they come home. Different programs can also be established for weekends and evenings.

When purchasing a replacement thermostat, be sure to confirm that the new thermostat is compatible with the home’s heating and cooling system. Although many people choose to replace their thermostat with a digital model, one can also be replaced with the older, manual style, which is, in fact, cheaper. Most employees at the local hardware store’s electrical section can help with this choice. All that is needed to change a thermostat is a standard screwdriver, a drill, a level and masking tape. For safety, many experts recommend wearing safety goggles to change a thermostat.

As with any electrical project, when beginning to change a thermostat, be sure to disconnect the power to avoid a shock. Although the wires in a thermostat are low voltage, it is smart to disconnect the power in order to change a thermostat. This can be accomplished at the fuse or breaker box, or a switch may be located around the heating and cooling unit. If the breakers are not individually marked, one may have to shut off power to the entire house. The following is a list of step by step instructions on how to change a thermostat.

* Remove the cover of the thermostat.
* Using masking tape, label the wires according to their screw terminal locations, then remove the wires from the screws.
* Unscrew the body of the thermostat to remove it from the wall. Make sure that the wires don’t fall behind the wall during this step.
* New mounting holes for the new thermostat can be marked by holding up the base and marking the holes using a pencil. Once this is done, drill the new holes.
* Thread the wires through the base of the new thermostat and connect them to the terminals on the base. Pay close attention to the wiring instructions or diagram of the new thermostat, as the color coding may not correspond from the old thermostat to the new thermostat.
* Install the body of the thermostat to the base, and make sure to install new batteries if needed. Restore the power.

When a homeowner decides to change a thermostat, he or she is making the first step in updating an important system in the home. To change a thermostat is a simple home repair, but as with any electrical job, if it becomes overwhelming or confusing, an electrician can always be called to finish the job. Once the job is finished, many older thermostats have mercury switches and must be disposed of properly, according to city ordinances.

Interrogatives

"There are these four ways of answering questions. Which four? There are questions that should be answered categorically [straightforwardly yes, no, this, that]. There are questions that should be answered with an analytical (qualified) answer [defining or redefining the terms]. There are questions that should be answered with a counter-question. There are questions that should be put aside. These are the four ways of answering questions."

First the categorical answer,
then the qualified,
third, the type to be counter-questioned,
& fourth, the one to be set aside.
Any monk who knows which is which,
 in line with the Dhamma,
is said to be skilled
in the four types of questions:
 hard to overcome, hard to beat,
 profound, hard to defeat.
He knows what's worthwhile
 & what's not,
proficient in (recognizing) both,
he rejects the worthless,
 grasps the worthwhile.
He's called  one who has broken through
to what's worthwhile,
  prudent,
 wise.