I don't like either football team in the Superbowl this year. If I really had to choose between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco Forty-Niners, I would choose the Ravens because there are shades of purple in their team colors. Yes, I will be that silly!
Seriously, though, I love the game of football. I learned the sport when I was in 5th grade. Our teacher would put on NFL films. I'm sure our kids today don't remember the reel-to-reel films, but that medium is nostalgic. Our family home movies were reel-to-reel. More importantly, though, the magic of football and the rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers mesmerized me through those films. I was hooked. Thanks Mr. Hogle!
I have many stories to tell and share that relate to football. The history is fascinating because it includes things such as the AFL (remember that anyone?), team moves, expansions, and certainly growth in the fan base to global levels. I remember being in London one time and discussing the game of football with the concierge at the hotel. He was so excited to be chatting about the game with an American.
It is refreshing to see the changes such as more and more female fans and more and more female sports correspondents. I'm still adjusting to the latter, but I'll get there.
I have also noticed over the many years as a fan the number of Black quarterbacks that are first strings. This certainly was not the case when I started watching football at the age of 10.
Another notable fact is that this year, there is a large quantity of very talented quarterbacks. I have questioned why my favorite team doesn't have one. Yes, I am of the opinion that Tony Romo needs to go. This season, I was envious of the teams that found themselves in a dilemma of whether to start their second string quarterback or not. That's a good problem to have!
So the rigmarole through the season culminates in the most important Sunday of the year - Superbowl Sunday. It is exciting because it involves athletes, celebrities, strategy, entertainment, and TV commercials. This year, it's taking place at the Mercedes-Benz New Orleans Saints Superdome. My cousin Carol and I just saw the Superdome when we were in New Orleans in October last year. We were living it up in NOLA because YOLO. I'm sure Bourbon Street will be nuts!
This year the Superbowl is historical because the coaches of each team are brothers - the Harbaughs. Their parents must be very proud.
How do you root for a team when your team is not there? I usually vote for the team that represents the conference that my favorite team is in, but this year the NFC East is not represented. This has not happened in a very, very long time.
I've said it before that Colin Kaepernick piques my interest. His coming to be seems like a fairy tale. He grew up in Turlock. That fact alone could convince me. But that's not enough for me to root for the Niners. And Joe Flacco is just so so. (Hey that all rhymes.) Even the shades of purple in the Ravens' colors won't be enough to sway me to their side.
I said I would root for my Superbowl pool squares. Even that won't capture my interest throughout the game. So then I guess I will root for the Superbowl commercials and go to the bathroom when the game is on...
Thursday, January 31, 2013
La la la la la
I was on the phone with my sister Rose for over 2 hours tonight. She prevented me from eating dinner. Just kidding.
We talked about a variety of topics, including what the definition of a bonus is versus the definition of commission. These can be used interchangeably, but the definitions are different. As a human resources and payroll expert, I can explain the differences easily. I can probably also debunk some myths along the way.
One highly held myth is how these different types of income are taxed. I've been told a couple of times just within the past six months that the tax rate for bonuses is higher than the tax rate for commissions. This is simply not true. Income is income, and at the end of the day (or year when you file your taxes), you are taxed at the rate that the IRS says you are to be taxed at.
I'm sure the confusion is in the difference between "tax rate" and "withholding rate." Employers are required to withhold your income tax. When you receive additional income such as a bonus or commission, the withholding rate is higher. So when you see your $10,000 bonus net out to $6,000, your employer was required to withhold at a 40% "withholding rate." You just paid the IRS $4,000. But when you file your taxes and you are in the 30% "tax rate" bracket, you were supposed to pay only $3,000. You will receive a refund of $1,000.
Are you able to absorb this information? I think some people naturally repel it just by virtue of the subject. My sister and I spoke about that too. We won't name any names, but some children in our family can easily absorb information and others are what we call our "La la la la la" children. We hold on to hope though because some "La la la la la" children grow up to be successful adults.
To help them along the way, we (parents and teachers) need to recognize that children learn differently. Some do well on tests, and some don't. Some are more artistic, and some are more academic. Some are leaders, and some are followers. Some care about details, and some don't. How do we make the learning environment more accommodating or more conducive to the different learning styles? I honestly don't know but have some ideas. However, that's for another day and another blog post.
I was not a "La la la la la" child, but my sister Rose was. It's true. She was not interested in math and hated it. This translated into not doing well in the subject but certainly did not mean she wasn't intelligent. I loved math and always did well. I can probably talk your ear off about how algebraic formulae can help solve everyday problems or what's exciting about derivatives.
Are we successful adults today? I think so. Rose is a certified personal trainer, which means she is an expert in physical fitness and nutrition. I am a startup junkie, which means I am an expert in building startup companies. I "La la la la la" her expertise and she "La la la la las"mine.
And I'm sure most people will "La la la la la" the IRS.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you learned something from my post today.
We talked about a variety of topics, including what the definition of a bonus is versus the definition of commission. These can be used interchangeably, but the definitions are different. As a human resources and payroll expert, I can explain the differences easily. I can probably also debunk some myths along the way.
One highly held myth is how these different types of income are taxed. I've been told a couple of times just within the past six months that the tax rate for bonuses is higher than the tax rate for commissions. This is simply not true. Income is income, and at the end of the day (or year when you file your taxes), you are taxed at the rate that the IRS says you are to be taxed at.
I'm sure the confusion is in the difference between "tax rate" and "withholding rate." Employers are required to withhold your income tax. When you receive additional income such as a bonus or commission, the withholding rate is higher. So when you see your $10,000 bonus net out to $6,000, your employer was required to withhold at a 40% "withholding rate." You just paid the IRS $4,000. But when you file your taxes and you are in the 30% "tax rate" bracket, you were supposed to pay only $3,000. You will receive a refund of $1,000.
Are you able to absorb this information? I think some people naturally repel it just by virtue of the subject. My sister and I spoke about that too. We won't name any names, but some children in our family can easily absorb information and others are what we call our "La la la la la" children. We hold on to hope though because some "La la la la la" children grow up to be successful adults.
To help them along the way, we (parents and teachers) need to recognize that children learn differently. Some do well on tests, and some don't. Some are more artistic, and some are more academic. Some are leaders, and some are followers. Some care about details, and some don't. How do we make the learning environment more accommodating or more conducive to the different learning styles? I honestly don't know but have some ideas. However, that's for another day and another blog post.
I was not a "La la la la la" child, but my sister Rose was. It's true. She was not interested in math and hated it. This translated into not doing well in the subject but certainly did not mean she wasn't intelligent. I loved math and always did well. I can probably talk your ear off about how algebraic formulae can help solve everyday problems or what's exciting about derivatives.
Are we successful adults today? I think so. Rose is a certified personal trainer, which means she is an expert in physical fitness and nutrition. I am a startup junkie, which means I am an expert in building startup companies. I "La la la la la" her expertise and she "La la la la las"mine.
And I'm sure most people will "La la la la la" the IRS.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you learned something from my post today.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I Need My Knee
I am blogging again. What should I blog about? It's been just about 3 years since my last post.
Well it's Tuesday night, a bowling night for me. I bowl at 4th Street Bowl in San Jose on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, I bowl at Mission Lanes in Milpitas.
All this bowling, including tournaments, is affecting my knee. I also do cross-fit training Wednesday nights. My sister Rose Academia is a certified personal trainer. She is in fantastic shape, and she tries to keep us in good shape. However, I think cross fit and bowling might be affecting my knee adversely. I prefer to run. I am more of a runner than a gym or bowling person.
So I find myself in a quandary. I might forgo crossfit now and bowling in the summer. To get out of this quandary, I need my knee.
Well it's Tuesday night, a bowling night for me. I bowl at 4th Street Bowl in San Jose on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, I bowl at Mission Lanes in Milpitas.
All this bowling, including tournaments, is affecting my knee. I also do cross-fit training Wednesday nights. My sister Rose Academia is a certified personal trainer. She is in fantastic shape, and she tries to keep us in good shape. However, I think cross fit and bowling might be affecting my knee adversely. I prefer to run. I am more of a runner than a gym or bowling person.
So I find myself in a quandary. I might forgo crossfit now and bowling in the summer. To get out of this quandary, I need my knee.
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