Nprc lost Records Update 05 ► 3K to 5k restored Weekly

IRS Reform ► House Passes 9 Reform Bills | First in 20 Years

The day after Tax Day 2018, as the Internal Revenue Service struggled to restore a balky website, the House on 18 APR nearly unanimously approved a package of nine bills touted as the first reforms to the tax agency in 20 years. With titles such as “21st-Century IRS Act” and the “Taxpayer First Act,” the bills would redesign the tax agency to stress customer service, new taxpayer appeal rights, improved responsiveness to victims of identity theft and modernization of technology. “A new tax code calls for a new tax administrator, and we have worked together so that the IRS can be transformed into an agency with a singular mission: “taxpayer first,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX). The bills are “refocusing the agency to live up to its mission of quality service, and reining in its enforcement powers to prevent future abuse.”

In floor debate, Brady said the measures remind “the IRS they are not just an enforcement agency – they are also our tax administrator. That’s why the legislation changes the title of the IRS chief from commissioner to administrator.” Oversight Subcommittee chairman Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) said on 18 APR, “As a CPA, I’ve seen first-hand countless examples of the IRS being out of date with technology and out of touch with the needs of the taxpayer. Yesterday’s website failure at the IRS added more urgency to the need to modernize the IRS and focus on the taxpayer experience.”

Democrats largely backed final passage, though some objected during voting on the rule for the major bills because they didn’t have opportunities to offer amendments. Ranking Ways and Means member Rep. John Lewis, (D-GA) said days before the vote on the Taxpayer First Act, “I am very proud of our work to set an income level for the private debt collection program," which "costs three times more than it collects. It also targets and abuses thousands of low-income taxpayers by enrolling them in installment agreements that they cannot afford. In my heart of hearts, I believe that the program is a shame and a disgrace, and that it must end. I am glad that our bill moves us in the right direction.” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has said he supports the package. [Source: GovExec.com | Charles S. Clark | April 19, 2018 ++]

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Vinegar Update 04 ► Multiple Uses | De-stinking Stuff, Pet Help, & Misc Magic

De-stinking Stuff

1. Rescue your lunchbox -- Wipe out the inside with vinegar to kill weird smells. Pour vinegar and water in the Thermos and let sit overnight to remove any odors.

2. Eliminate kitchen odors -- Having a fish fry or a cabbage boil? Leave a small dish of vinegar nearby to neutralize olfactory havoc. If it’s too late to prevent the smell, put a half-cup of vinegar and one cup of water into a small pot and boil until it’s almost gone.

3. Wipe out sponge smells -- Kitchen and bathroom sponges can develop some pretty gnarly smells. Soak them overnight in a 50/50 vinegar and water bath.

4. Deodorize the remodel -- Since vinegar neutralizes strong scents, keep shallow dishes of the stuff in rooms that you’re painting.

Pet Help

1. Remove urine stains -- Wash the carpet with mild soap and water, rinse and blot as dry as possible. Saturate the area with a 1-to-3 mix of vinegar and water and allow to stand for 10 minutes, then blot.

2. Think inside the box -- After emptying and washing the cat box, add half an inch or so of vinegar. After 20 minutes, rinse well and dry before adding fresh litter.

3. Shine the aquarium -- Vinegar and a nylon scrubber can remove mineral deposits from the glass.

4. Kill pet pests -- Spray pets with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution (cover their eyes!) to discourage fleas and ticks. This may be easier said than done, especially with cats.

5. Save the upholstery -- Deter cats from attacking couches and chairs by spraying on a little full-strength white vinegar.

6. De-skunk the dog -- Should Fido have a run-in with Pepe Le Pew, spray him with a 2-to-1 mix of water and vinegar, rubbing the liquid in well. Wait five minutes, then rinse well. And no, he won’t like it much.

Miscellaneous Magic

1. Keep eggs intact -- Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to the cooking water so the shells won’t crack.

2. Coax out condiments -- Add a small amount of vinegar to the last of the salad dressing, then shake. If the mustard bottle is mostly empty, add some vinegar and shake well. This makes a zesty addition to cooked greens, soups and stews.

3. Wash vegetables -- Want to remove residue from fruits and veggies? Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar in 1 pint of water.

4. See more clearly -- Dampen a lint-free cloth (not a paper towel, which can scratch plastic lenses) with vinegar and wipe off smudges and oil.

5. Clean DVDs -- Skipping or freezing issues? Dampen a microfiber or flannel cloth with vinegar and wipe the disc from the center straight to the edge. Once all the surface has been cleaned, use a second soft cloth to wipe dry.

6. Clean scissors -- Wipe gummy blades with undiluted vinegar.

7. Adhesive remover -- Kids put stickers on the windows again? Remove them and their residue by wiping with vinegar. This works on bumper stickers and other decals as well.

8. Strip wallpaper -- Soak the paper you want to remove with a 50/50 vinegar and water mix. Wait a few minutes, then attack with a scraper.

9. Bust rust -- Drizzle vinegar over rusted/corroded nuts, screws or hinges to make them easier to remove. Soak rusted hand tools in vinegar for a couple of days, or until the rust goes away.

[Source: MoneyTalksNews | Donna Freedman | March 7, 2018 ++]

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Have You Heard? ► Senior Citizens 3

I am a Seenager. (Senior Teenager)

I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50+ years later.

I don’t have to go to school or work.

I get an allowance every month.

I have my own pad.

I don’t have a curfew.

I have a driver’s license and my own car.

I have ID that gets me into bars and the liquor store.

The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant.

And I don’t have acne.

Life is Good!

-o-o-O-o-o-

Brains of older people are slow because they know so much.

People do not decline mentally with age, it just takes them longer to recall facts because they have more information in their brains, scientists believe.

Much like a computer struggles as the hard drive gets full, so too, do humans take longer to access information when their brains are full.

Researchers say this slowing down process is not the same as cognitive decline.

The human brain works slower in old age, said Dr. Michael Ramscar, but only because we have stored more information over time.

The brains of older people do not get weak. On the contrary, they simply know more.

Also, older people often go to another room to get something and when they get there, they stand there wondering what they came for.

It is NOT a memory problem, it is nature's way of making older people get more exercise!

-o-o-O-o-o-

Dorothy and Edna, two "senior" widows, are talking.

Dorothy: "That nice George Johnson asked me out for a date. I know you went out with him last week, and I wanted to talk with you about him before I give him my answer."

Edna: "Well, I'll tell you. He shows up at my apartment punctually at 7 pm, dressed like such a gentleman in a fine suit, and he brings me such beautiful flowers! Then he takes me downstairs. And what's there; a limousine, uniformed chauffeur and all.  Then he takes me out for dinner; a marvelous dinner, lobster, champagne, dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Then we go see   a show.  Let me tell you Dorothy, I enjoyed it so much I could have just died from pleasure! So then we are coming back to my apartment and he turns into an ANIMAL.  He went completely crazy, He tears off my expensive new dress and has his way with me three times!" 

Dorothy "Goodness gracious!... so you are telling me I shouldn't go?"

Edna: "No, no, no... I'm just saying, wear an old dress."
-o-o-O-o-o-

Couple in their after 65 years are both having problems remembering things. During a check-up, the doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember ..

Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. 'Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?' he asks.

'Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?'

'Sure.'

'Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?' she asks.

'No, I can remember it.'

'Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so as not to forget it?'

He says, 'I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.'

'I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, write it down?' she asks.

Irritated, he says, 'I don't need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!'

Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment.

'Where's my toast?'

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