Clarkson Energy Homes

Here’s a common question which pops up just about everywhere.

If the free market is so wonderful and the private sector so superior, then why aren’t there any free market schools?

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On technical email lists this is especially helpful. If a poster asks more than one question, it becomes almost necessary to use bottom posting. The experienced top poster is not phased. He or she will have no problem answering multiple questions by simply writing them out and leaving the duplicates in the unedited section below their reply. Bottom posting makes it easier to follow a conversation. It is especially easy to read after the thread gets large. Because of all the editing the reader is not reading the same passages repeatedly. They also know precisely which part of a previous post is being replied to. In complicated messages it is easier to spot who said what and to whom a reply is for.

– No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.4/318 – Release Date: 4/18/2006 – No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.4/319 – Release Date: 4/19/2006 – No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.4/320 – Release Date: 4/20/2006 – No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.4/318 – Release Date: 4/18/2006 – No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.4/318 – Release Date: 4/18/2006

Bottom posting involves editing a post such that only the most relevant information remains and then answering those relevant sections below that section. One thing you seldom find in a bottom posted message is repeated nonsense text. Like this text which came from the message I was sent. I have run across quite a few excuses for not bottom posting. My favorite is that MS OUtlook places the cursor at the top of the message. So, if the programmers at Microsoft were to jump off a bridge … In honor of these top posters, I decided to reverse this rant. If you find it hard to read, you’re probably not top-posting enough. Experience shows that many many people won’t have any problem reading this at all. I received an email today. It was a copy of a conversation which someone knew would be interesting to me. At one point, each poster accuses the other of not knowing English. Here’s a thread where each poster placed their reply on top of the statements of the lase poster and they are worried about the use of grammar and languages.

I was reminded, today, of an anecdote about a rescue. It seems that this man swam out to rescue a swimmer, but was unable to calm the drowning man enough to save him. He decided to punch the swimmer. This knocked him out long enough for his rescuer to get him back to shore. The hero had to use an otherwise evil solution to get a good result. (more…)

I just had the most interesting conversation with the Tax Man. I am two years behind on filing my returns and the IRS is rightfully concerned. Almost all my income comes through Clarkson Energy Homes, Inc. (CEH) and passes to me as income. CEH is an S corporation which allows distribution of non social security income to me. I was a little shocked when the Tax Man said he expected all income to be reported as W2 income. He said an officer of the company should be paid a salary and that he should receive W2 income. To hide my dismay and to avoid an argument I said, “I didn’t know that. I thought income could be passed to me through an S corporation without a need for W2 income. I guess I should speak with my accountant about this.” He replied that without W2 earnings I would not be paying into Social Security or Medicare. I took a few deep breaths while looking at the phone receive like it was going to bite. Finally, I said “Oh that sounds bad.” I swear I kept the calm in my voice. Why in the freaking hell would anyone find motivation from joining Social Security and Medicare? Yes, Mr. Tax Man I want to be a good little Socialist too. It’s my Patriotic Duty to follow every stupid lame government program that comes down the pike. I have often read that you should only follow the written advice of IRS representatives. That oral advice should never be considered. This makes sense since you cannot blame the IRS for poor oral advice. But this a Revenue Officer. I would assume he had the first clue about how we use corporations to avoid taxes as much as possible. True, he probably assumed a late filer was not the most sophisticated tax dodger, but to suggest that all distributions be filed as W2 income. Oh Brother!

I don’t know if all my terms are accurate. I am not an accountant or an economist and my definitions of some accounting and economics terms probably do not match the technical definitions. I am not the best business person. I tend to establish some policies and then let people slide even when it is obviously detrimental to my business. For example, I have people agree to certain rules when renting a lot space in the small mobile home community I live in. The park rules include which items should not be stored outside, I am constantly allowing people to slide. This failure on my part affects my bottom line. I make more money by enforcing some rules. (more…)

I have often been in a debate where my opponent mistakenly views property rights as the right to own tangible property. It is not uncommon for them to restrict property rights to only include real estate, automobiles, and other tangible items. Statists who accuse us of presenting a Utopian System make this mistake often. They also do not seem to realize just how big a can of worms the property rights debate is. (more…)