Archive for June, 2010

How To Get Out Of Jury Duty Summons – 16 Fool-Proof Excuses

You will be called for jury duty one day – I guarantee it. If the state, city, or county knows that you exist, you will get a summons to appear for jury duty at least several times in your life. And while we really should all be willing to do our civic duty when called upon, sometimes the timing or location of said duty doesn’t work for us at all. So instead of just ignoring the summons as inconvenient and throwing it in the trash (which can land you in contempt of court), you should try to reschedule or get out of jury duty this time, and hope it’s a while before you are asked again. But how do you get out of your civic duty of being a jury for one of your peers? Try on some of these excuses for size. While some are entirely legal and legit, and some are just plain silly (and possibly illegal), it may be worth the effort to give some of them a try if the timing of your jury duty doesn’t fit in your schedule.

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2010 Federal Income Tax Brackets & IRS Tax Rates

Since we are half way through 2010, I figured now was a good time to check out what the 2010 Federal tax rates were so you still had 6 months to make any changes to your withholdings if necessary. Every year there are always small changes to the absurdly wordy tax code, and 2010 is no different. (Good thing I have my brother, an accountant, to keep track of this stuff for me!) So if you were wondering, here are the marginal Federal tax rates for 2010, along with some other small changes that you may not have even noticed.

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Best Companies to Work for in the US – Top Employers & Their Benefits

Think you have it good at your job? You might, but maybe not as good as some of these employees have it. (Then again, even having a job in this economy can be considered good – but I digress.) Fortune Magazine has released their annual Top 100 Employers To Work For List for 2010, and some of the companies on the list may surprise you (they did me, for sure). I remember back when I worked in the movie business and worked at Universal Studios in California, we were near the top of this list because of the solid perks, pay, and job security we had. Things have certainly changed due to different industries taking off and others faltering, but if you have a job at one of these Top 100 you probably have it pretty good right about now. So what kinds of things can put a company on this list? Let’s take a look at some of the perks that companies can provide which certainly help:

Tipping Etiquette Guidelines – How Much to Tip Hairdressers, Movers, Hotel Staff, Valet, Cab Drivers, Food Delivery, Waiters and More

Ever wonder who you should tip, when you should tip, or how much you should tip? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone – not even close. Most of us take a guess at the amount and hope for the best; hoping we left enough to be remembered in a good way rather than a bad way! And while most of us tip for service in restaurants and bars, there are a lot of other places where tips are a way of life. Like them or not, tips can make or break the service you get for your money or even more importantly, help people make ends meet due to the low pay at their jobs. I am of the mind to tip most of the places we are “supposed” to tip, out of courtesy and thanks to those I am tipping, while some friends of mine only tip if service is exceptional. These opposite ends of the spectrum on tipping seems to account for the majority of people, so who really knows what the “right” way of doing things is? For me, that means tipping well for many different services. So for those of you looking for advice on when/who/how much to tip, I went and did some research and found out a bunch of info that I hope is helpful to you next time you are out and about. Let’s take a look…

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How to Get Rid of Roaches – Cockroach Control

Ever had a problem with cockroaches in your home? I have, and it’s not fun.

Back in college (which feels like 1000 years ago at this point) I lived with another guy in an old duplex we shared with another couple of guys (parties were great!) that had bullet holes in the back door. And yes, you could still see through them to the outside… good times.