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From WiseBread: What are your chances of getting audited by the IRS? Your guess is probably wrong

According to this Kiplinger’s tax tip video, only 1 in 150 personal tax returns get audited. Realistically speaking, your odds of getting audited are probably even lower than that. In fact, it’s virtually zero.

The Kiplinger editor calls the taxpayer’s fear of audits ‘very stupid.’ He explains that you will not get audited as long as you don’t claim any insane tax deductions. Therefore, everyone should be aggressive and take advantage of all the available deductions within reason.

Our irrational fear of audits

One recent survey conducted by a CPA at Louisiana State University shows that the average taxpayers believe 1 in 7 people gets audited by the IRS. Over 80% of the people surveyed had unrealistically high expectations of getting audited.

When the survey takes into consideration the likely income bracket of the participants, the results get even more ridiculous:

Pretty Mouse
Originally uploaded by funkatron.

I’m a mouse stickler, and I’m hearting this new puppy. Picture turned out pretty well too.

Since last post was a good Myspace trashing, I thought I’d mention a social network site I’ve been digging: Virb. Here’s why I like it:

• It’s pretty and clean. You’re not overwhelmed with information. It’s *pleasant* to look at Virb.
• It’s easy to make basic changes to your profile, and you have full CSS control if you want or need it. I haven’t come across a site that handled “themeing” as well as Virb.
• Virb clearly thought about how to organize your stuff, and it does a good job of letting you do so in an easy and logical manner
• It’s easy to add new modules to your profile that can include more advanced html and embedded media. Where your media can come from is whitelisted, which means better security; there’s much less chance of having your profile hijacked just by viewing someone else’s page
• Embedding Flickr photos is SO easy. Since I use Flickr for everything, it’s totally awesome.
• If you’re into music, Virb does a good job of letting you check out tunes, add bands, keep track of their shows, and the like *without* all the shittiness of Myspace
• It’s not flooded with ads and doesn’t make you log-in and ‘start over’ unnecessarily

So what don’t I like about Virb so much?

• I really really wish I could import data into my profile via RSS. I already have 3 blogs (counting my work blog) — I have no interest in maintaining another. If I could just have my blog entries imported into my Virb blog, it’d be perfect. (update: Virb has blog importing via RSS listed as “Coming Soon”)
• Worse, no RSS feeds for my Virb blog! This is a big missing piece, and I’m really surprised they don’t have this yet. This bad boy should be filled with subscribable (is that a word?) data so you can track your friends, your bands’ shows, and the like.

So consider this an invitation:

• My personal Virb profile
• Cult of Jester’s Virb profile

Marcys Whitney thinks MySpace Sucks as a Social Tool:

So, I think MySpace sucks.  It sucks because it has absolutely no technically social qualities outside of itself aside from RSS and email, both of which are very limited and poorly implemented.  Wordpress on the other hand is an example of the Internet as an operation system environment.  Do you think it sucks?  If so why, if not… I don’t think I care.

It is a great user generated content web destination however.   So kudos to them for at least succeeding there

It’s very insular, indeed, which is why I’ve pretty much given up on it. Plus the extremely obvious attempts to pump up ad view stats with crap like:

- Letting me view some of a person’s profile while not logged-in
- Forcing me to log-in when I want to view, say, pictures
- Not returning me to where I was before I logged in, but forcing me to AGAIN navigate back to the person’s profile.

Beyond lame.

I happened to notice on my entry at discogs.com that there as a google ad for my album Golgo 13. I clicked on it, and I found that people were selling my album on Amazon for $25 used and $30 new.

This was stupid.

So I added my own listing. You can buy brand new, still sealed copies of Golgo 13 from me via Amazon for $6 + s/h.

If you want to hear samples, check out the COJ Myspace page.

I intend to offer digital puchases sometime soon (DRM-free, of couse). If you express interest, I’ll surely speed up the process. 8)