I am currently sitting in my little corner of Bourke Accounting. The air conditioner is humming its peaceful white noise from somewhere above me and I’ve just put my sweater on. It’s hot and muggy outside, off and on thunderstorms. My little corner is well-decorated. It smells clean and, sort of, like scented Kleenex. If I felt like it, I could binge on free snacks in the kitchen right now. I know how good I have it.
Absently appreciating my current situation – and feeling a little guilty about it – is making me think of the people who don’t have it so nice.
In my NYC youth, I had some homeless friends. While some of them blamed mental illness or drug abuse for homelessness, some held that our entire system, political and social, was the culprit. However, the one thing they agreed on was the need to avoid homeless shelters at all costs. It was the consensus that a flattened box on the pavement was a better life choice than risking sexual assault, violence, theft and contagion in the shelters.
While being homeless is bad in the best of weather and economies, the coronavirus has exponentially worsened the circumstances of thousands of people. As social services are struggling to keep up with the demand of those in need and with businesses still not completely open, more people have been driven to shelters (Globalcitizen.org). If these were well-funded and well-appointed programs, there wouldn’t be any trouble. However, that’s not the case. Many (if not all) of these places are “overcrowded and…unsanitary” (Globalcitizen.org); in short, these are perfect breeding grounds for transmission of the virus. In addition, many of those in the most desperate of situations aren’t in good physical condition. Besides having to worry about threats they can see, now they must also fear what might be lurking in the air they’re breathing.
It would appear that they are right to be afraid: in a CDC study, recording from March 27 to April 15, it was found that “25% of residents in 19 shelters tested positive” (Factcheck.org) for the virus. While some shelters have been staggering mealtimes, trying to “limit congregation points…at entrances and exits” (Vice.com) and taking temperatures, it isn’t enough. Shelters are notoriously understaffed and, like mentioned above, dirty. There aren’t enough people to take every temperature and to disinfect all the time.
While America seems to have grown bored of the virus, I’m fairly certain it has not tired of us yet. Within the past 14 days, 20 states have reported a rise in new cases (Advisory.com). This is concerning enough for healthy people with access to food, shelter and health care. However, this is even more devastating to those going into battle empty-handed. Unfortunately, with our world in turmoil, these people are forced to suffer in the dark as they quietly slip through the cracks. This is not to say that more affluent Americans are cold-hearted – it’s literally a matter of “out of sight, out of mind.”
Obviously, we must protect our most vulnerable citizens. On a purely selfish level, if we don’t eradicate COVID-19 among the ranks of our nomadic and homeless populations, our country will forever be at risk of re-infection. We are, literally, in this together. If one of us has corona, it is just a matter of time until we all have corona.
Bourke Accounting encourages you to donate whatever resources you can towards helping each other. While Bourke Accounting knows how unsteady the ground is, we stand with our community in the hopes of combatting injustice and infection. When all is said and done, we will show that our country is one of compassion and courage.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Yes, so I can dream of escaping this h*ll of a life called work and live my days at my beach house sunning and reading Danielle Steel novels – Bill when asked if he plays the lottery.
I’ve never been a gambler, but as you can see from the above statement, Bourke Accounting’s Bill is. In Bill’s mind, a few wasted dollars is well worth the chance to be independently wealthy. Bookkeeper Christina plays, too, saying, “I play sometimes just for fun and hoping that I can win some big money.” Perhaps I just don’t have the competitive drive of my managers, but I avoid games of chance with an almost Puritanical intensity. Because of my bias, I am sharing Sweepstakes-Gone-Bad stories:
Beginning in 1997, television network HGTV has run a “Dream Home Giveaway.” This year’s winner can choose between a house worth $1,787,809 (plus $250,000 in cash, home furnishings and a car) or a cash prize of $750,000 and a car (HGTV.com). Who wouldn’t love to own an architectural masterpiece in a great neighborhood? As it turns out, many would like to, but few actually can. According to Cheatsheet.com, in the entire history of the contest, “only six [winners] have stayed living in the house for more than a year.” What’s the problem? Murderous neighbors and the angry ghosts of realtors past? Maybe. Or maybe it could just be taxes.
According to one study, winning the house comes with “an average income tax bill of $700,000,” not including state and real estate taxes (Cheatsheet.com). In addition, the houses are huge, so one must consider the horror of utilities. Finally, this year’s house is located on Hilton Head Island, SC. Ever been? Put it this way, chain stores are forced to use tasteful wooden signs (even McDonald’s had to tone down the color of the Golden Arches), so landscaping and maintenance on the new house alone would be enough to bankrupt the winner.
Speaking of bankruptcy, HGTV’s contest actually did bankrupt one of the winners. 2005 winner Don Cruz lost his house after two years. He said that his “tax liability was close to $800,000 and [when he gave up the house] he was already $1.4 million in debt” (Doyouremember.com). One could argue that he should have sought professional financial help before it got to that point, but come on, he was a winner!
So, what about the average joe who buys an average lotto ticket at the local bodega and wins millions? A good story, unless you were Abraham Shakespeare. In 2006, he won $31 million; by 2010 his body was dug out of a shallow grave in his backyard. Shakespeare was illiterate and not great with money when Dee Dee Moore walked into his life in 2008, under the pretense of writing a book about him. By April of 2009, Moore told his friends that Shakespeare was on vacation to avoid moneygrubbers. At one point, Moore pretended to be Shakespeare and texted friends to tell them that he was okay. Friends, surprised that Shakespeare had learned to read, contacted authorities. Moore offered a few scenarios of the murder, one of which featured her 14-year-old son as the killer. The jury didn’t buy any of her concepts and she is now serving life for murder and theft (Murderpedia.org).
So, as you can see, my argument regarding the evils of seemingly innocent contests is valid; the evidence shows, wasting money is bad, but winning money can be even worse.
Although some Bourke Accounting pros play the numbers, you don’t have to worry about getting a new bookkeeper or tax preparer if they win. Bourke Accounting experts are so dedicated to meeting your needs that they could never walk away. While your Bourke Accounting specialists may, one day, be the richest financial authorities in the world, they’re definitely the best right now.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
When you’re born, you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front row seat – George Carlin
Earlier this year, my Bourke Accounting co-workers were really into the television series, Survivor. I haven’t watched the show in years, so their conversations rolled gently past me like an amicable brook. My co-workers were invested – characters’ bad behavior offended them on an ideological level and they seemed to care about contestants’ advancement. As far as reality television shows go, this one isn’t too bad. From what I remember, people engage with each other and work towards a common goal. The contestants are shown actually doing stuff. Of course, this got me thinking about America’s weird obsession with reality TV.
If someone exhibits uncommon traits, humans naturally take notice. This is quite evident when considering the “freak shows” of our past. As early as the 16th century in England, people suffering from physical deformities were put on display by enterprising – if unethical – businesspeople (Britannica.com). In America, P.T. Barnum is perhaps the best known for this practice. By Barnum’s time, performers were paid extremely well (En.Wikipedia.org) and many were saved from institutional living because of this financial freedom. However, as science, morals and disability rights progressed, “freak shows” fell out of favor (Priceconomics.com).
Since we are now an empathetic species, we no longer partake in anything as exploitive as these dishonorable past times – except when we do. For example, in 2012, cable TV’s TLC debuted a “five-part miniseries involving four morbidly obese patients” (En.Wikipedia.org) called My 600lb Life. This series followed people as they attempted to lose enough weight to safely qualify for bariatric surgery. However, since the show was so wildly popular, TLC began airing the show on a weekly basis. This is a sad indictment on both America’s health and sensibilities. The popcorn munching masses tuned in each week to cringe, judge and (is it possible?) feel better about themselves. Obviously, the only differences between this and “freak shows” of old is the comfort and anonymity of the viewer.
Another quasi-public service program is A&E’s Intervention. This show features people suffering from horrific substance abuse issues while their families try to get them into treatment. The addicts are filmed going about their addicted lives, often shown doing highly embarrassing, illegal and dangerous things. The final payoff is when the addict, filmed months later and happy, has renounced drugs forever. While over 30 people have died as a result of substance abuse after being filmed (NickiSwift.com), it’s fairly obvious that these addicts were never treated as legitimate sick people. Instead, it appears that they were only important until the primetime ratings came in.
Profiting from human frailty and disability is disturbing. While TV’s “freak shows” might include high end graphics, they are no more noble than their darkened tent, sawdust on the floor, ancestors. Put bluntly, the proper word for entertainment gained from suffering is “sadism.” As the people of the past turned their faces from exploitive amusements, I think we might want to do the same.
You will, most likely, never see camera crews at Bourke Accounting. Although Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers are intelligent and talented, watching them work isn’t extraordinarily interesting. Now that I think about it, I could picture a Bourke Accounting expert on America’s Got Talent. There is no one who can process paperwork as quickly and as accurately as a Bourke Accounting professional.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
I was leaving my little corner of Bourke Accounting when a friend sent me a text about an NPR program that I just had to listen to. I said that I would, but I wasn’t planning on it (while I am notorious for “yessing” people, I am working hard on changing this behavior). Before signing off, my friend added that it was a recent Terry Gross interview with Howard Stern. All right, I became a little interested.
Growing up both in the North, and attending a Catholic school, I listened to Howard Stern religiously. He was naughty and sexual; his morning crew was made up of deranged people and he talked about bodily functions. In short, his radio show was tailormade for grade schoolers. In addition, since he was still on terrestrial radio at the time, it was pretty tame. As I got older, however, I lost my attraction to the show. His constant sexism was tedious and degrading, his guests, and the humiliating antics they subjected themselves to, grew pathetic and, ultimately, I found Stern irrelevant – the one trick the pony knew had become dusty and stale.
When I settled in to listen to the December 2019 interview, I expected Stern to start by inquiring about Gross’ bra size. Instead, Stern talked about his ongoing psychotherapy and devastating childhood traumas. He admitted that when he looked back, his past tended to “trouble” (12/31/19 NPR interview) him, as he had grown as a person. Stern also acknowledged that a lot of his outlandish behavior was caused by a desperate need for validation and ratings. I was stunned to find that “Fartman” had grown up.
What is perhaps the most stunning aspect of Stern’s transformation is the backlash from former fans. For example, Bruce Bawer, writing for City-Journal.org, lambasted Stern for “bowing to the king to win favor at court.” Bawer intimated that Stern’s exhibition of introspection and inclusivity made for “a sad spectacle” (City-Journal.org). Bawer also accused Stern of “disowning the best part of his” craft (City-Journal.org). Bawer might want to rethink his philosophy if he believes Stern’s “best part” was coercing women to do gross things for breast enhancement surgery.
It’s a distasteful human trait, but a lot of people just don’t enjoy it when others fix themselves. I find it despicable when people I know accuse newly sober friends of being boring. I don’t know how to tell you this, but talking at someone in a coma is a lot more boring than engaging in a coherent conversation. You don’t have to be a shrink to know that some folks fear their friends changing. It’s comforting to know that, come Friday night, Mike is going to be a drooling mess at the end of the bar. However, if Mike, instead, spends Friday helping out at the soup kitchen, it causes one to look at their own life choices.
Selfishly, some of us like having that one friend to look down on. This toxic thinking makes certain people feel better about themselves: my life is bad, but at least it’s not as bad as so and so’s life. When the other person first makes positive changes and then – gasp! – actually surpasses her/his “friend’s” accomplishments, the friendship dynamic is forever changed.
To put it bluntly, encourage and support positive change in each other. If a friend is leaving you behind, then work harder to keep up! A true friend doesn’t want someone to look down on, a true friend wants eye contact with an equal.
Bourke Accounting experts want their clients to thrive. Besides the fact that Bourke Accounting pros are pretty altruistic, there is an ulterior motive: if you don’t succeed, Bourke Accounting doesn’t succeed. In symbiotic relationships, such as the one you share with your Bourke Accounting specialists, we’re all on the same team, here to fortify each other.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Since I began writing Bourke Accounting blogs, I’ve written about unscrupulous tax preparers pumping up fake deductions and I’ve written about illegal practices of stockbrokers. I’ve even written about people claiming kids who are in the sole custody of exes. The amount (and diversity) of shady and petty things we get up to is astounding.
I stumbled across something yesterday that really exemplifies some bad apple taxpayers of the past. The interesting thing about what I have learned is that implications of deception were almost instantly apparent.
With incredulity, I give you The Tax Reform Act of 1986. Under this reform, taxpayers were obligated to include the social security numbers of any dependents aged five or older on their tax returns (SSA.gov). For some of us, we can’t remember a time when a social security number wasn’t required; including our socials (and that of our dependents) is as second nature as filling in first and last names. Shaking our collective head, we question: Wait, if you didn’t need an identifying number, what was to stop people from claiming as many kids as they wanted? Remember that instantly apparent deception? The tax reform was responsible for turning a big old spotlight on less than legal practices.
In 1986, tax returns listed 77 million dependents (LATimes.com). That’s a lot of kids, but perfectly understandable, considering the meager television offerings of Alf and Growing Pains. However, by 1987 (the first year the tax reform went for a spin), “only 70 million exemptions were identified” (LATimes.com). I’m no demographer, but it seems kind of strange that 7 million kids all turned 19 the same year. And in terms of money, this wasn’t the same as taking a penny from the little tray at the store register: 1987 filers ended up paying an “extra $2.8 billion in taxes” (LATimes.com). I can just picture armies of 80s IRS agents smiling gently and saying, “we foxed you, you bad, bad civilians.”
Perhaps it was because of the stark evidence of ne’er do wells in our midst that Congress, in 1988, decided to join the game as Player 2. Congress’ idea was for all parents who took “a special tax credit for childcare expenses to identify their daycare providers” (WashingtonPost.com). Likes socials, this is another simple requirement that we’re all accustomed to. It was most likely a result of those 7 million kids who all grew up at once, but by 1989, “2.6 million babysitters” (CSMonitor.com) also disappeared. Without those caregivers, taxpayers claiming the credit dropped by 30 percent (CSMonitor.com), decreasing credits from “$3.7 billion in 1988 to $2.5 billion in 1989” (WashingtonPost.com).
Since these new rules have come into effect, one would think taxpayers would stop claiming invented children. You should know better. As recently as 2011 Norma Coronel was given an 18-month Federal prison sentence and ordered to pay $302,186 to the IRS (LATimes.com) for tax fraud. After having one kid, she “applied for and obtained Social Security numbers for at least 20 fictitious children” (LATimes.com). She claimed that she had all of these kids on the same day and, uh, well, I guess no one thought that was weird.
There’s nothing I hate more than a thief. Well, except for a stupid thief. I’ve said it before, but paying taxes is paying for the upkeep and future of our country. As citizens, it’s our job to pay our share and to play the game fairly. You know, those streets don’t fix themselves with happy thoughts.
At Bourke Accounting, the customers are always right – unless they’re not. While Bourke Accounting experts like kids, they’re not willing to play catch with fake ones. Your Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer might not be keen on bending the rules, but with their vast knowledge and skill, there’s never any reason for them to cross the moral, or legal, line.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Bourke Accounting doesn’t believe in body shaming. This is not because Bourke employers fear lawsuits; this is because body shaming is cruel, infantile and inappropriate. In addition, my Bourke boss, Bill, understands that a hostile work environment inevitably leads to a decrease in work production. While Bill might be a decent fella, the bottom line is still definitely important to him.
Unfortunately, not all workplace cultures avoid body shaming. In fact, at some places, body shaming is so rampant and casual that one begins to ignore it. For instance, I once had a job where comments about my weight were a daily occurrence. Being on the thinner side, I was constantly accused of being on drugs (I’m not) or having an eating disorder (I don’t). It got to the point where I began absently responding to the nickname, “Bones.”
While being equated to the Crypt Keeper didn’t make me feel great, at least I was openly insulted. For people in heavier bodies, an insult is often wrapped in “good” intentions. For example, during lunch, a co-worker can “sweetly” ask a heavier co-worker if s/he really needs another slice of pizza. The question is obviously offensive and publicly humiliating, but the co-worker can argue that it was only asked out of concern for a colleague’s health. Call me Crypt Keeper all day if it means I won’t be subjected to wide-eyed, “oops, didn’t mean to” abuse.
In early 2020, USNews.com reported that more than 40% of Americans are obese, with 1 in 10 qualifying as severely obese. Because of these statistics, it would make sense if weight discrimination in the workplace was declining. However, that’s not the case. According to a study by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, “obese adults are 37 times” more likely to endure bias regarding employment; the severely obese are 100 times more likely (WestSoundWorkforce.com). According to Forbes.com, employers could possibly justify not hiring larger applicants, as the losses for “obesity-related absenteeism is estimated to be $8.65 billion per year.” To make everything just perfect, another study found that “61% of [poll] respondents did not consider negative remarks about weight to be offensive” (Forbes.com).
Why does body shaming exist in professional environments? The simple answer is because it’s “legal in almost all states” (Bustle.com), except for Michigan and a few scattered cities (Time.com). We all know that discrimination based on sex, race and religion is illegal, but discrimination regarding weight is okey dokey. However, there are two occasions where this sort of prejudice wouldn’t stand. For example, if weight is only mentioned in connection with one sex, there could be a basis for a sexual harassment complaint (Bustle.com). The second circumstance is if the comments “could relate to someone’s disability status” (Bustle.com), as disability discrimination is prohibited under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In my own situation, it must be admitted that my fellow employees were savages towards everyone. While I was made fun of for being too thin, my other co-workers were ridiculed for being too tall, too short, too heavy, too hairy or too stinky. We all know it’s not nice to speak negatively about a person’s appearance, so we shouldn’t do it – don’t make the workplace Eighth Grade – Part II.
Bourke Accounting professionals aren’t tacky and they know how to stay in their lane. No matter where on the spectrum your weight falls, you won’t hear about it from your Bourke Accounting bookkeeper or tax preparer. While Bourke Accounting specialists will have to ask you personal questions, your dietary habits will never be one of them.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
I watched The Purge for the first time last year. I didn’t find it to be a charming story on film and the live-action version certainly isn’t any more endearing. We’re doing this wrong. From tips to toes, we are doing this entire thing all wrong. Protesting deplorable actions is a good thing. Police officers protecting bystanders and businesses is a good thing.
So, why is it that we’re getting everything wrong? The amount of violence in our streets is ridiculous. Peaceful protests are turning violent within seconds; police and protesters are ripping each other apart. Is this mob mentality taking control or is it simply stark evidence of deep-rooted resentment and hatred flowing through everyone involved? Or is it both?
For example, on May 30, eight young men brutally beat an unarmed woman with their fists and with 2X4s in front of a shop. There is clearly nothing that says “justice and equality” quite like a group of men punching a lone woman in the head. So, don’t you worry, Status Quo, not matter what social changes are made in the future, it will, most likely, still be permissible to humiliate and hurt women. After all, we can’t have too much progression at once.
What else? Oh, let’s not forget 77-year-old retired officer and security guard David Dorn, who, on June 2, was shot and killed by Stephen Cannon. What was the retired officer’s crime? He was responding to an alarm at the pawn shop he watched over. Mr. Dorn, who had nothing to do with the travesty that befell George Floyd, lost his life anyway. For what? Pawn shop trinkets?
Obviously, we must not ignore what the police have been up to. Who could forget Officer Vincent D’Andraia, NYPD’s Newest Hit Maker, shoving Dounya Zayer to the ground, causing a concussion. Naturally, he had to remind her that she’s a “stupid f——- b—-” (Businessinsider.com) as he pushed her. He showed her that standing peacefully won’t be tolerated on his watch.
And then there was the stellar performance of Buffalo, NY cops as they gracelessly pushed Martin Gugino, causing him to fall and hit his head. Mr. Gugino, bleeding in the video, “suffered a brain injury as a result” (NBCNewYork.com). Although the White House Bunker Squatter accused Mr. Gugino of being some super deadly “ANTIFA provocateur” (NYTimes.com), I’m not sure the 75-year-old man was posing enough of a threat to warrant brain damage, anarchist or not.
We’re doing this wrong. The police are causing violence to prevent violence; the people are causing violence to protest violence. We must realize that behind the badges and behind the protest signs are real humans, scared and angry. Not every cop is an evil tool of the devil and not every protester is a blood-thirsty criminal (and to be clear, it must also be noted that not everyone out in the streets are even legitimate protesters. Some are merely opportunists). It must also be remembered that the innocent bleed the same color as the guilty. We must stop burning each other down and start putting ourselves back together.
Bourke Accounting professionals share your confusion. At Bourke Accounting, we look forward to a peaceful future, changed for the better. Having your tax returns completed by July 15th isn’t going to erase the horrific images that are now playing, but consulting a Bourke Accounting specialist will ease any financial anxiety you may be feeling. If we can offer you even a tiny measure of security, it’s worth it.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. Stay Sane!
Written by Sue H.
Now that I look at the title, I’m wondering if I should have called this something else…
Lawyers see a lot of divorce; real estate agents see it, too. I’d like to say tax firms, like Bourke Accounting, are exempt from such sad occasions, but that would be a lie. If you work in the financial industry, you’ve probably experienced that awkward silence that comes after cheerfully joking with a client, “Hey, [Your Significant Other] is too good to meet with me today? What’s up with that?” After the awkward silence, there’s an even more awkward explanation regarding SO’s current location. Sometimes, it’s a quick and easy divorce story: It just didn’t work out. But sometimes, sometimes there’s nothing easy about the story; heartbreak, betrayal, four-letter words, pool guys and secretaries…
Divorce is sad. Generally, when people walk down the aisle, they’re not planning the uncomfortable tax preparer meeting a few years in the future. Whether the divorce occurs because of abuse or money issues, most people simply don’t expect their “I do” to someday expand into “I do hate you.”
However, for anyone going through the Big D, I have a little bit of good news for you. If your spouse happened to accidentally fall into bed with your best friend, why don’t you sue that conniving, dirty best friend of yours?
Although this sounds mental, if you live in Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Dakota or Utah (AJC.com), it is legal to bring down a storm of litigation onto the head of your own personal homewrecker.
If you live in one of the above states and your SO left you for someone else, why not try alleging Criminal Conversation or Alienation of Affection (AJC.com)? These torts began life in 17th century England (so you know they’re classy), “based off the notion that a man ‘owned’ his wife’s affection” and anyone who turned the wife’s head, ought to be held monetarily liable (AJC.com). To win with Criminal Conversation, infidelity must be proven, generally with photos or video. It’s almost like taking your spouse to the cleaners during the divorce proceedings, but you get to exact revenge on that hotsy totsy seducer, as well.
Alienation of Affection is a little more difficult to prove, but seemingly worth it. For this offense to be effective, you must prove that a third party was responsible for your break-up. While it’s mostly used against the other woman/man, it also includes “therapists, clergy members and family members” (Divorcenet.com). For this to work, you have to prove that you and your SO had a good marriage and someone else’s “wrongful and malicious behavior directly caused the alienation” (Divorcenet.com) between you and your SO. If your mother-in-law convinces your spouse to leave you, you just might be looking at a cool payday. For example, in North Carolina in 2011, Betty Devin, the mistress (and now wife) of Donald Puryear was ordered to pay $30 million to his ex-wife, Carol Puryear (Wikipedia.org). Puryear will probably never get the money, but she made her point. I guess.
These claims are stupid and archaic. A third party has no responsibility to protect the sanctity of someone else’s relationship. When people get married, it’s their responsibility to stay true. These torts are akin to one engineer suing a rubbernecking bystander after the train crash. Obviously, these lawsuits are designed to sooth hurt feelings and wreak vengeance upon another person.
Your Bourke Accounting professionals have dealt with divorced clients before, so you won’t shock anyone with tales of torrid affairs. Also, your Bourke Accounting specialist can help you and your ex come to reasonable, financial terms. Bourke Accounting experts aren’t divorce attorneys, but they can guide you and your unintended to an equal and fair resolution.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
Bill over here at Bourke Accounting says that I complain too much. My ma says that I complain too much. When I talk about them saying that I complain too much, my friends say that I complain too much. I don’t agree with them (so they’re wrong). I don’t complain at all; I merely “express dissatisfaction or annoyance” (Lexico.com) most of the time. And that’s not complaining.
However, since I’m being painted as a whiner anyway, I am going to share three things that have been getting on my nerves recently. If you look deep within yourself (or maybe not even that deep), I believe you will agree with me:
1) People wearing pajamas in public. I don’t mean the bathrobe mailbox checkers. I mean people who get into the car, drive for 15 minutes and then spend 30 minutes shopping, all while sporting a Cookie Monster onesie. It’s especially special when you can see, by the numerous and poorly mopped up SpaghettiOs stains, how they truly love canned pasta. Obviously, public pajamas are just another indication of a decaying world. Throwing on a shirt and jeans takes less than 60 seconds, but the lives of these pajama people are clearly too action-packed to waste even a minute. Honestly, I think this practice is evidence of an increasingly careless society. It shows, perhaps, a lazy lack of respect for one’s self and others. I’m not saying we should spend 4 hours getting ready to go to the store, but we should at least wear pants that don’t have butt flaps when wandering around Kroger’s.
2) Ill-behaved children. I once watched a kid, while screaming incessantly, deliberately knock bottles of olive oil off of a store shelf. The parent crouched down, said something like, “Hey, Champ, if you don’t break anything else, I’ll buy you a Happy Meal.” And, off they went (I wonder if the parent informed workers about the slippery mess). Some parents want to be friends with their children and I don’t think this is a good idea. Obviously, when the child reaches adulthood, the parent/child relationship changes to something closer to a peer relationship, but that shouldn’t happen when the kid is 5. If little Johnny won’t stop peeing on the dog, stronger direction is clearly needed. Also, when a parent allows a child to treat her/him as an equal, the child will think it’s all right to treat every adult as an equal. If a child has ever told you to “shut your stupid mouth, stupidhead,” you know the exquisite, and admittedly irrational, rage this inspires. Child psychologists suggest that the dawn of the “helicopter” parent has created a generation of children that “never learn to manage their own behavior” (TheGlobeandMail.com), as mom and dad are constantly doing it for them. In addition, I think social media is giving children an over-inflated sense of worth and entitlement. When a child gets 20 “likes” with practically no effort, that child will believe that every single little thing they do is worthy of instant adoration – and have a tantrum if they don’t receive it.
3) People who have entire conversations using speakerphone in confined spaces. I don’t want to know who Pauly cheated with and I certainly don’t care what you’re going to do when you run into the little homewrecker. I could go on about this particular pet peeve for years….
These things annoy me. What annoys me more, though, is when a stranger tries to “fix” someone’s annoying behavior in public. As humans, we must face the fact that we are the most irritating animals on Earth and give each other a little slack. Since we’re stuck here anyway, running around like maniacs, everything will go much smoother if we quietly forgive and move along to the next aisle.
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers won’t look at you funny if you wear your electric blue onesie to your appointment (and I’ll stay quiet). Since Bourke Accounting experts are professionals, they have a very high annoyance tolerance. The only things your Bourke Accounting specialist care about is delivering the best and most accurate service and keeping you happy always.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.
It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours – Harry S. Truman
Since I’ve started working for Bourke Accounting, I’ve learned new things; I’m not ready to complete your corporate tax return, but I’ve absorbed some information. Because of this, I was embarrassed that I couldn’t definitively list the fundamental differences between a recession and a depression. I knew that both recessions and depressions meant less money for everyone. I knew that, in 2008, the recession made finding a job nightmarish. And I also knew that The Great Depression was one sincerely dark period for America that I read about in History class.
My skimpy comprehension laid bare above is none too impressive. What is even less impressive than that is the fact that, although economists might be able to provide an intelligent definition, they’re almost as ignorant as I am regarding how to combat either.
Cashay.com defines a recession as a “period when the gross domestic product…falls for two consecutive quarters.” At this point, it should come as no surprise that The National Bureau of Economic Research has just reported that the “COVID-19 crisis has officially launched the US economy into a recession” (Finance.Yahoo.com). Cashay.com then backs up the NBER data by reminding us that all of the omens for a good old recession are in the air: unemployment, real estate slumps, lack of consumer spending and drops in business activity. Yeah, a recession warning seems legit.
According to Cashay.com, a depression is “considered a more severe and extended recession.” Basically, a depression is just your average recession on crack. What makes our current situation a lot scarier is that, besides failing businesses and bankrupted individuals, we’re also forced to contend with a disease. If, after states fully reopen, there’s an increase in corona infection, people will be reluctant to “resume shopping, eating out and engaging in other consumer activities” (NBCNews.com). Obviously, it will be hard to restart the economy if no one is out there spending.
So now that we’re dipping our toes in the recession pool, we find that the water is cold. Some articles attempt to offer guidance on how best to struggle through these times. The most common tip is to save money; Sea.Mashable.com suggests saving “3 to 6 months’ worth of monthly expenses.” I’m not sure how to tell Sea.Mashable that unemployed people, some of whom still haven’t received benefits, have nothing to save. Another great piece of advice is to use your emergency fund. Great idea, but “just 40% of Americans could pay an unexpected $1,000 expense” (CNBC.com), so what emergency fund, guys?
The final word? Take whatever help the government is offering. Literally, that’s the last bullet point in about 10 articles I’ve read. There is no encouragement given after that suggestion, either. No “don’t worry, it’ll be ok,” – nope, it’s just “hold out your hand and hope the government has something left for you.” Dare I wonder if America’s financial journalists are depressed?
I don’t believe that there will be a depression and I think that our recession will be short-lived. Trust the person who couldn’t define the words when she tells you not to worry about either. Maybe I’ve watched too many 1980s romance movies, but after everything we’ve been through, I think the underdog is going to score the winning goal and get to kiss the popular love interest at the end. Oh, and don’t worry, it’ll be ok.
At Bourke Accounting, the advice is much better than the kind given by sad writers. While our Bourke Accounting pros won’t sugarcoat your situation, they will explore every avenue to help you. Our Bourke Accounting experts won’t suggest the impossible and they sure as anything won’t tell you to hold out your hand and hope for the best. At Bourke Accounting, you will receive real assistance to battle any recession.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.