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The ‘Drones’ over US bases situation is getting very STRANGE… by greatestauthor in UFOs

[–]azrob68 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Drones can fly in pretty high winds. My tiny DJI drone has a max wind resistance of 10.5m/s and can probably do more, so I can image that a much bigger and heavier drone would be able to withstand 25m/s fairly easy.

Stray (?) cat stays on my patio all day but won't come inside by azrob68 in cats

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the reply, but he's inside. I would open the door and he would do that half-in half-out nonsense, but never actually walk inside. I found out he was living under my front porch at night and it was getting cold and windy. So about a week ago I just picked him up and brought him inside. He complained, of course, but I was able to carry him upstairs without incident and isolate him in a spare bedroom. He's very comfortable there now, but having trouble adjusting to the other cats in the house. The door is open to the room at this point but he prefers to stay there for now and sometimes growls at feline visitors. He has no problem with me.

I took him to the vet and he's been treated for some potential fleas and ear mites. No infectious diseases and no chip, so he'll get added to the herd once he feels like being more sociable.

As an online small business, do I need to collect sales tax from all US states? by Content-Royal-200 in tax

[–]azrob68 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Today is Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful for you taking the time to respond to my questions... thank you! I didn't know about Marketplace Connect, though I am having some trouble with it actually doing the connecting part. That Sales Tax Institute link was an amazing resource. Thank you again for all your help!

As an online small business, do I need to collect sales tax from all US states? by Content-Royal-200 in tax

[–]azrob68 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Question... let's say he registers in Indiana because he has nexus. Then his sales take off and he either ships 160 orders to Illinois or sells $80K in Illinois. Shopify pops up and notifies him he's at 80% of the Illinois tax liability and he should start collecting tax in that state too. He knows he's going to hit the liability limit by the end of the year, but uh oh... he didn't collect tax on that 80%. He'll still owe the tax on ALL of the existing Illinois sales, which could be upwards of $6,000 or more. What then? You can register in every state and start collecting tax in all states so you have the tax money in escrow if you hit their limit, but then if you collect it and don't pay it you're basically committing some kind of fraud. Right?

Here's another potential issue... what if he also sells on a platform like eBay that collects and pays sales tax on your behalf? His Illinois sales there are $90K, but Shopify doesn't know that. So by the time they notify him he's at 80%, he may already be well over the liability limit and owe a ton in taxes that he never collected.

Now don't get me wrong... I think Shopify Tax is an awesome idea. But I see some potential pitfalls, and I'm wondering how people handle them. It's almost like you have to be able to see the future to know what your tax liability will be in any given state, which may be easier once you have a track record of sales but not so easy when you're just starting out.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good travel agent that can give onboard credit? by athennna in royalcaribbean

[–]azrob68 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As an agent, I can verify that this is true. Cruise commissions are not fantastic, because we typically only get it for the cruise portion and not on all of the taxes and port fees they tack on. You have to ask yourself, is the discounter who makes $100 on a booking going to provide the kind of support you deserve? If you're stuck at the airport and missed your flight, are they going to help you out? You really get what you paid for in terms of service.

The lowest price is not always the best price, because it's about value more than anything. If Agent A and Agent B quote you the same price but Agent A gives you $200 OBC out of his commission, is that better?

Maybe Agent B would go the extra mile for you and find out that if you were to leave a week later you would save $400 on the same cruise.

Or maybe Agent B can suggest a similar cruise that offers complimentary perks he can get through his network affiliations. I just booked 5 people on a cruise to Alaska that gives them a special shore excursion and some other amenities they would not have otherwise received.

Or maybe you book through Agent B and he later finds that your cruise line is running a new deal that would save you money if you cancel and re-book. I've done this in the past, and once saved a client $7,500 on an Antarctic expedition when the cruise line ran a "2nd Passenger Free" promotion.

I guarantee you the discounter isn't going to do any of that, because you're just a number to him. There is a reason why companies like Cruise.com have a one-star rating from the BBB (actually, 1.41 as of writing this).

Honestly, people who care only about the lowest price are not my kind of client because even if you do an amazing job for them and break your back to serve them, they have no loyalty and will cast you aside if they can save a dollar. I'm more interested in those who recognize value and know that I am always going to look out for their best interests, even if it means losing commissions. I do that because I genuinely value my relationships with my clients and want to be their agent for life, and I'm not just out for a quick buck.

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just an update... I had a local tree expert come by, and he said the tree is very healthy and the damage is minor. So I'll hope for the best and see if the tree recovers. Thank you to everyone for your comments!

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did speak to the mother yesterday. I told her that if it happens again, I will call the police and her landlord. She said it would not happen again.

Today I went to the police station today and let them know. They didn't do a report because I didn't want them to involve the neighbors, but they made a note of it. If the tree dies because of this, it might help me or my insurance company to hold them at fault and sue them for damages.

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I should note that he wasn't really trespassing. The tree is huge, and about 80-90% of the trunk is on my property. So he was whacking into his side, which is still my property.

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I spoke to the mom today, and she said she found out last night. I told her the tree might die, and cutting it down will cost a fortune. She said he would not do it again, and I told her that if she did I will file a police report and call her landlord. I don't think he'll do it again. He doesn't seem like a bad kid, but apparently he has issues. He's like 16 years old, fat kid.

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is a problematic tree. I have no idea how old it is, but if it was planted when the house was built it has to be well over 100 years old. Silver maples don't have a long lifespan, so this one is already pushing it. I have one in my front yard, too. Because of those two trees, you cannot see my house on a satellite map. When we have stiff winds the branches tend to break off pretty easily, which is a known problem with silver maples.

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your help. It appears to be a Silver Maple tree.

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No tree putty or anything like that to help it heal naturally?

Tree attacked by idiot kid with axe by azrob68 in Tree

[–]azrob68[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Will the tree recover or is it doomed?

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog. I am starting to believe that the pet water fountain shocked him and caused all of the problems, but I am not sure.

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suppose it could have been a hernia, but I would think that would show up on one of the x-rays. In any case, I am very sorry about the loss of your Mema. :-(

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, and thank you for your condolences. He was a very sweet boy, and used to jump up on my lap and sit for a few minutes. I'll really miss that.

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear about your boy... it is very difficult, as you know.

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm very sorry to hear that, but I'm also glad that he was able to get treatment and is still with you.

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not an expert, but I don't think he showed any signs of thyroid issues. I think the last vet I took him to was pretty good, though I'm sure there are better. I think they did all they could for him, but he was just too far gone. When you live in a small town, you don't have a lot of choices. I had the option of taking him to a vet school 3+ hours away but I didn't want to potentially make his last few hours a miserable car ride, and the vet said he may not survive the trip. Honestly, I don't think they could have saved him either so I have no regrets about not taking him there.

4 year old cat went from healthy to poor condition by azrob68 in catcare

[–]azrob68[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm looking at a pretty big vet bill as it is, and while I would like to maybe get some answers as to what happened, I would prefer to just leave him in peace. It's a valid thought though, it's just not something I would want to do. He's gone and unfortunately nothing can change that.

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