Archive for September, 2009
AT&T Takes Aim at Google Voice
It was only a matter of time until AT&T jumped into the fight over Google Voice. As The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, AT&T sent a letter to the FCC on Friday alleging that because Google Voice does not connect calls to certain numbers, Google’s service violates FCC regulations governing phone carriers. The AT&T letter also accuses Google of violating the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules by blocking certain calls. AT&T’s arguments, however, are flawed for multiple reasons.
NPR’s Scott Simon: Troops in Afghanistan Keep Nightmare At Bay
I really can’t add anything to Scott Simon’s essay from today’s Weekend Edition entitled “Troops in Afghanistan Keep Nightmare At Bay.”
September is Road Trip Month
Today I leave for yet another road trip.
Earlier this month, I visited Skyline Drive in Virginia for the second time. That 1,000+ mile trip wasn’t enough to satisfy my travel desires, so today I leave for a week in Georgia. At 1,200 miles each way, I should discover some interesting places and hopefully some nice views too. Lately though, I seem to be perpetually restless, so this trip will only quell my desire to wander for a short while.
So where should I travel to next? Maybe a leaf-peeping trip would be appropriate for October? Leave your suggestions in the comments section.
Eight More Days to Disclose Unreported Foreign Bank Accounts
In the IRS’ ongoing battle against tax evasion, a key deadline is approaching. Individuals with previously-unreported offshore bank accounts have until next Wednesday, September 23, to disclose the accounts’ existence and pay both back taxes and penalties without facing criminal charges. The deadline comes as UBS prepared to turn over 4,450 account-holders’ names to the Department of Justice as part of the ongoing tax evasion investigation. Besides avoiding criminal penalties, individuals who voluntarily disclose their offshore accounts will not be subject to penalties for failing to file a Foreign Bank Account Report.
As Wendy Kaufman reported for NPR’s Morning Edition today, however, tax evasion cases can be hard to prove, making the decision to provide voluntary disclosure a particularly difficult one. Nonetheless, considering that the 4,450 names to be disclosed by UBS are just the starting point in the agreement between the Swiss and US governments, holders of undisclosed offshore accounts have reason to be concerned. Reflecting that concern, more than 400 voluntary disclosures were made in a single week in July of this year, more than were made in all of 2008.
Skyline Drive, Round 2
As I mentioned in my August 19 post entitled “Skyline Drive, Round 1,” I had the opportunity to drive Skyline Drive in May, but the weather did not afford many views. Ever since, I’ve been trying to plan another traverse of Skyline Drive. Just before Labor Day, the weather finally cooperated.
Eight Years Ago Today
Eight years ago today, I was a high-school senior finishing up his second-period math class when one of my school’s headmasters made the announcement that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Like most everyone alive on that day, I will forever remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard about the 9/11 attacks. But the tragedy of September 11 also had a profound impact on my life from that point forward. 9/11 marks the day the innocence of my childhood ended and my obsession with NPR, world affairs, and all things news began.
Hiatus
Now back from my long Labor Day holiday, I am in the process or organizing the 600+ photos I took while on Skyline Drive. Be patient, as I stopped at more than 50 lookouts along the 105-mile drive, and discerning which photos were taken where is a bit time consuming. The weather was beautiful, so the views should be much better than those from my traverse of Skyline Drive back in May.
Having been on hiatus for a few weeks, I have lots to talk about. Expect the frequency of my posts to pick up now that I’m settling back into unemployed reality.
