How many zero's?

Check out the video “Powers of Ten” by Ray & Charles Eames from Netflix of somesuch. The tax thing is just stupid and in answer to the last question:

How many zeros in a billion?

None, but there is an “i” after the “b” and an “o” in front of the “n”.

That’s an amazing piece. It’s just mind-blowing the amount of money that flows through the US Government – not to mention the state and local governments.

Another mind-blower: can you imagine if there was just ONE tax for the the US Government – let’s say 10% of your income, one for the state, let’s say 3%, and a local, 1%? No loopholes, everybody pays the same percentage. The amount of money that would flood into the economy and into the tax coffers (as counter-intuitive as that seems), would be insane.

The tax issue is just insane now in this country. Most of it goes to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or other entitlement programs. Just try to slay those fat cows, as a politician.

It’s really too bad; this country wasn’t build by people treating the government like an ATM. I listen to the likes of liberal democrats, and the overlying theme is “If you don’t have it , we’ll get it for you!” – if you elect us. That makes me sick. Now we have a population that will be older coming up, and no younger population to support them – thanks to abortion wiping out some 40 million people. That means more people on entitlements. We are a rich country, but not limitless in our supply.

Ok, that’s my rant. Thanks! :)

-- -Be Blessed!, Patrick

don’t even get me started…. politicians … ha!...

why can’t we all be friends, and do whats best for the people?

it’s a dog eat dog world out there in D.C….

-- My Drinking Club has a Woodworking Problem...

It is amazing how our politicians throw away enough money before breakfast to set up any of us (or maybe all of us) Lumberjock’s up for life.

I get a little testy, though, when I see this bit about the Katrina relief act. It’s a total misrepresentation of facts. That $250 billion (a pie-in-the-sky number nobody ever expected to materialize in full) was not for New Orleans, but for the entire area affected by the storm. Over 850,000 homes were destroyed or rendered inhabitable by Katrina. Millions of people were directly affected. And that money was never intended to be split up among people to rebuild homes anyway, but covered the full spectrum of destroyed and damaged infrastructure, including public schools and hospitals. People around the country look at TV news, and all natural disasters tend to look alike on the small screen. But the scope of Katrina was something totally unprecedented in U.S. history.

Yes, I know….it’s stupid to rebuild a city that lies partially below sea level in a hurricane-prone area. Hmmmm… lets see what people have to say when the inevitable “big one” earthquake hits Los Angeles.

Enough ranting for now. :-)

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I’ll have to check out that video grumpycarp.

I as well as many others I’m sure agree with you pashley that the tax issue is just insane now in this country.

You also said most of it goes to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or other entitlement programs. What burns my ass is that most of the money that is meant to help fellow Americans that legitimately need the help but can’t get it because it’s going to illegals.

You hit the nail on the head purplev with “why can’t we all be friends and do what’s best for the people”

Charlie I saw something awhile back about foods, blankets, pots, pans, clothes and other donations that were donated for victims of Katrina that were about to be thrown away because no one claimed them or they wouldn’t be delivered or some dumb reason. There was another story showing all the new campers at a storage area just sitting there and not delivered to the people who needed them.

This is a great country with some of the most intelligent people in the world, it’s just a shame all the dumb asses are in charge of running it.

Anyway, the taxes are nuts and I thought the comparatives of what a billion is was cool.

-- Kirk H. -- http://www.kjwoodworking.com

Torches and pitch forks.

If we hung a few politicians that would get them thinking and maybe they would work for us instead of for themselves.

If you didn’t work for it you probably don’t deserve it.

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Since it looks like this is turning into a beat up fest against politicians I’ll toss in this old quote:

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
English humorist & science fiction novelist (1952 – 2001)

You think YOU got problems kj – I’m English and a billion is, literally, 1000 times worse for us!

“A billion seconds ago it was 1959” – I get that as around 31709 years

I sure hope you guys don’t use the same math when measuring for projects…..

60seconds x 60minutes x 24hours = 86,400 seconds per day

1,000,000,000 / 86400 = 11,574 days.

11,574/365 = 31.7 years (not counting leap years)

2008 – 32 = 1976.

I too get a little testy about some of these comments: More entitlements because of abortion? That’s a stretch. Let’s stick to woodworking. Chain e-mails are about as useful as a warped jointer bed.

-- GSY from N. Idaho

I wondered why everything came out so big!
Seriously – in the UK, outside financial circles, a billion is a million million, not a thousand million.

“separated by a common language”