Breaking News - VAs in the News!

ABC News has a new feature story on their site, Virtually There: Small Businesses Look Far Away for Help.

The article talks about the many benefits of working with virtual assistants, particularly for small business owners.

Candy is mentioned, both as a VA and as the president of IVAA on page 2.

Behind the Times

Okay, confession time.

I get all my news from other people.

It's true. I am a writer, not a journalist, and a bit liberal, so the news has mostly depressed or annoyed me for the last, oh, 10 years, so I just stopped watching/listening/reading.


What this translates to is that I get ALL my news from other people, usually via listservs and occasionally via email links. Occasionally this leads to my "hot topics" being woefully out of date.

In this case, I posted on July 24th about the IRS using private tax collectors, here. Turns out, the article I used to source that post came out on June 29th. On July 18th - six days BEFORE I posted about the House's failed efforts to eliminate private tax collection, it was overturned.

For the real, current scoop, check out this article from CNNMoney.com. And remember, always check the dates on information BEFORE you pass it on. And if you happen to be my mother, always check snopes.com before forwarding me urgent news about how microwaving food in plastic containers will give me cancer.

Congrats to Reid and Soanya...

As those of you know that have been following my blog, know that I've been following the 1000 Days Non-Stop at Sea blog. I'm obsessed with these guys, who have a dream and are following it. So many people give up on something they really, in their hearts, want to do. Stop by their blog and check it out. Amazing. You can see it at http://1000daysatsea.blogspot.com

Aside from that, I don't even camp. The idea of spending 100 days (Today is Day # 100 - That's what the Congrats is about) on a boat just amazes me. Dude, I need my A/C and books and internet and... and... and... what about a pedicure?!?!?!

*laugh*

Variations on a Theme

First it was the IRS, as we noted here. Now it's the DOJ and the IRS.

Seriously. As much as I don't always agree with the government, I think they are the only people/group on the planet who have NEVER spammed any of my many email accounts. What're the odds they're gonna start now?

Or, indeed, that your first official notification of a confidential matter from any government agency would come in the form of email?

Can I just smack the Internet's forehead and say, "Duh!"?

For the record, if you do get one of these suspect emails, Uncle Sam wants to know.

Yahoo! Knows You - and They're Selling That to Others

Yahoo!'s latest advertising "innovation" is something called "SmartAds". Basically, it is an ad template that has a few blanks to be filled in based on the user's geographic location and various other demographics collected by Yahoo!.

I have to admit, as a writer this "fill in the blanks" ad methodology intrigues me. As a web user, it appalls me.

I know, I know, to keep things like Yahoo! Groups free to users they have to sell advertising. To more effectively sell advertising they have to tell advertisers who hangs out where in order to find a target audience. It doesn't mean I have to like it, though.

I'm off to search for skydiving lessons, sushi, and sword fighting instructors, just to confuse the SmartAds.

Debt Unto Uncle Sam

I had an anonymous source at the IRS who told me years ago that if my refund was less than 10K I was pretty safe from an audit. Since we've never had to PAY more than that, either, I figured it was a general cut-off number for the IRS.

Apparently not. In 2006 the IRS began using private collection agencies to hunt down tax debtors who owe, for the most part, in the 5-10K range. Since 2006 these private agencies have collected about $20 million in unpaid taxes.

Last year, the same year the program went into effect, the House voted to reduce the IRS budget for outside collections to $1 million, which, according to the IRS, would kill the program. The Senate sat on it until it died and the private collection companies are still being used to collect public debts.

So, let me get this straight. They have to spend MORE than 1/20 of what they collect in order to collect. How much more? The accountingweb article I read didn't say, but I may have to look into it.

And, of course, that is completely separate from the issue of Uncle Sam handing out our tax records (well, okay, those of delinquent tax-non-payers) to private companies. Yea, NOT cool.

Readers Make Good Workers....

Finally, I have found a good comeback for those looks I get when I inform people that I read over 100 books per year - as does Tom - and most of us here at OffAssist, now that I think about it!

According to this article in the Kansas City Star, those that read a lot for fun make great workers. No seriously, read it - it does make several great points. Check it out!

Also, if you are a reader, I would like to recommend my favorite online book trading place, Paperback Swap. Enjoy!

Lucky Number Seven

Talk about your lucky numbers!

Little Jack Allen Falkner was born on 7/7/07 - a number considered by many numerology fans (and gamblers) to be very lucky thanks to all the lucky sevens.

Jack, however, wasn't taking any chances. He ensured his good luck by weighing in at exactly 7 pounds, 7 ounces.

The lucky tykes home town website announced his good fortune here.
By the afternoon after he was born, the AP caught on and spread the good news over their wire service.

Calc-ulating Shortcuts

We passed on some spiffy Excel tips last month.

In the spirit of fairness, and because here at OA we are open source fans, we decided it was only fair to pass on some Open Office Calc tips, too.

Interested? Check out all the hints & tips in Bruce Byfield's blog at LinuxJournal.com.

Faster than a Speeding... Deposit?

Apparently we were a wealth of useful information last November, since I seem to keep to referring back to posts from then...

In November we made brief mention of electronic deposit imaging, then still a tool for big companies with massive numbers of checks to process. Well, the times they are a changin'.

According to Celent LLC, a financial industry consulting and research firm, via accountingweb, the number of terminals used to create digital deposits in the US is expected to double from March to December 2007. I tried to find a record of the info at Celent, but their research division is strictly pay-to-play outside of their press info.

If you want more info on how to become a digital depositer, Google is your best bet. If you really don't want to look it up, that's okay, I looked up a few resources for you:

Creative Cash Flow Solutions - A good overview of the whole electronic check processing thing

RemoteDepositCapture.com - Another good overview with a multi-provider service listing to help you get started

Federal Reserve Board - Confused? Check out the FRB's FAQ on the law that made it all possible.

Full Text of the Check 21 Act - Is exactly what it says, for you fine print lovers out there.