Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
YouTube - RSA Animate - 21st century enlightenment
Great clip combining some serious thought with a moving comic strip.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Friday, January 07, 2011
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Post to Monitor 12/15/2010 (a.m.)
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Disconnect for Chrome Disables Third-Party Tracking While Keeping Webapps Operational
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Wireless at the speed of plasma - tech - 13 December 2010 - New Scientist
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‘Fountain of youth’ pill could restore aging immune system | KurzweilAI
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Graphic Novel and Comic Book Creators in New York City - Graphic NYC
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Special Exits: An interview with Joyce Farmer
Special Exits: Joyce Farmer from DANGEROUS MINDS on Vimeo.
Interview with Joyce Farmer, author of the extraordinarily powerful new graphic novel Special Exits (Fantagraphics). No less of an expert than Robert Crumb himself has said of Special Exits, “One of the best long-narrative comics I’ve ever read, up there with Maus. I actually found myself moved to tears.” High praise indeed!
Jaz Coleman Talks About Paul Raven Life & Death
Sad news about one of Killing Joke's baasists and a great guy. Jaz offers a tribute.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Friday, December 03, 2010
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Post to Monitor 11/24/2010 (a.m.)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
YouTube - Punk Rock Legend Patti Smith Wins National Book Award for Memoir "Just Kids"
For the complete interview, transcript, podcast, and more information, visit www.DemocracyNow.org.
YouTube - BBC News - Will Gompertz on Drugs in Art
Jeffrey Miron on a sounder argument for marijuana legalization
effrey Miron, Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University, and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, discusses why California's marijuana legalization initiative, Proposition 19, failed, and proposes a more straightforward argument in support of the drug's legalization.
Jeffrey Miron on a sounder argument for marijuana legalization
effrey Miron, Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University, and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, discusses why California's marijuana legalization initiative, Proposition 19, failed, and proposes a more straightforward argument in support of the drug's legalization.
Post to Monitor 11/18/2010 (a.m.)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Kanye West - Runaway
Exception work. Music video by Kanye West performing Runaway (Full-length Film). © 2010 Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC.
Post to Monitor 11/16/2010 (a.m.)
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Trees Infused With Glowing Nanoparticles Could Replace Streetlights | Popular Science
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McDonald's and PepsiCo to help write UK health policy | Politics | The Guardian
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New low-cost, rapid method for reading genomes uses ‘recognition tunneling’ | KurzweilAI
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Vint Cerf "Internet on My Mind" at 6UK Launch 1/2
Vint Cerf speaks about IPv6 at the launch of 6UK 1/2
6UK is a not-for-profit membership organisation founded in April 2010 to help the UK and UK organisations secure every competitive advantage available from the rapid adoption of the new protocol, and otherwise to make sure no segment of UK industry and wider society gets left behind.
6UK is a not-for-profit membership organisation founded in April 2010 to help the UK and UK organisations secure every competitive advantage available from the rapid adoption of the new protocol, and otherwise to make sure no segment of UK industry and wider society gets left behind.
Post to Monitor 11/12/2010 (p.m.)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010
Post to Monitor 11/05/2010 (a.m.)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Question of Virtual VAT
I am no expert and last time I had to involve myself with this was 25 years ago. But reading up on recent changes and in response to some requests, I am doing my best to summarise a complex issue. It is not a comprehensive guide nor a legally-qualified one, just an outline of the principles and possible dangers where online facilities are concerned.
VAT (or "Value Added Tax") is probably one of the fairest forms of taxes ever conceived were it not for the fact that its logistics have been endlessly tweaked by beaurocrats for self-serving purposes and an effective job-creation scheme for accountants. The principle behind it is clear...
Anything of value, be it a product, goods or services, has a percentage of it's price charged by the government as a kind of "sales tax" paid by the end consumer. Items considered to be "luxury goods" have the tax levied at full rate, with semi-essential goods at a lower rate. Wholly esstential goods and services are either "zero" rated or included in a list of exemptions. "Essential" goods and services are by and large now defined by the valies of 50 years ago rather than the present. An example might be the tax on communications. At heart, the tax "should" apply to items people "want" and not the items they "need".
The mechanics of the tax are also easy to understand. If the supply chain can be viewed as a "ladder", each rung of that ladder has the tax applied to it, but the tax can be reclaimed at every level except the final sale. The final sale is where it reaches the consumer. Small enterprises that do no reach the "turnover threshold" to register for VAT counts as consumers, but of course they are spared the admin costs of charging it too.
Once a company is registered for VAT they are assigned a number whiuch can be traced up and down the supply chain to prevent fraud or mis-charging The tax is added to invoices and bills at the time they are issued, but accounting is normally after-the-fact by around 13 weeks or more. Taxes are then handed over to the government, whilst any taxes paid during creation or manufacture are simultaneously deducted from the total "sales" tax due to be handed over.
In the EU (European Union), VAT is imposed by law throughout member states and a minimum tax of 15% (at full rate) is also imposed by the same legislation. Some states operate VAT at a considerably higher rate, but none at a lesser rate. Where cross-state (international) transactions are invloved, the final VAT is imposed at whatever rate applies in the country where the final sale is made. As a consumer tax, VAT is not levied on exports - it will be imposed at the destination country within the EU or not at all in countries where VAT is not used at the final point of sale.
Goods and services "imported" into a VAT-charging country have VAT applied the moment they arrive in that country - whether for direct sale or as components in the supply chain. No VAT is payable or chargable to or by foreign territories who are part part of the VAT-charging community of countries as a rule, since taxation of this sort is a matter for the country of origin.
Recent changes for electronic commerce have somewhat confused the system further. Telecommunications and similar networking systems are liable for VAT, despite being "essential" tools of living in the modern world. VAT is charged via the web or other electronic space in much the same manner is if the purchse where in a physical shop or from a physical office. The person selling something electronically will be registered for VAT with their government and will pay the tax to that government. Within the EU, the tax will be levied at the rate charged by the government where the final sale takes place.
There are now instances where non-EU countries or VAT-charging countries may be seen to be imposed VAT on sales where in the physical world this would not be possible. A business in California for example, has to charge the USA equivilent of VAT, "sales tax" to customers within its own state, whereas they do not charge "sales tax" on export to other states or outside the USA itself. (Even though other tariifs and export duties may apply). When the product or services from California arrives in the UK or another EU country, VAT applies and is imposed by the reseller or agent as physically enters the country. But if there is no reseller, traditionally no VAT can be charged. If you buy a Californian product in a shop, you pay VAT to the government, but if the same product is sent to you direct in the mail, there is no reseller involved to charge VAT and thus you will not be paying VAT. (You might be paying other import duties, but not VAT). Since electronic sales have more in common with the latter example, new provisions have been made of countries to collect VAT on consumer purchases originating outside the EU, but equally there must be provision for the charged VAT to be paid to the government when the final sale is made.
Using the previous example, if someone in California charges you VAT for something purchased electronically, you need to make sure the tax is verified. For this purpose, the seller must provide you with a VAT registration number and the rate of VAT must be that charged by the VAT-charging country you are in. In any other instance, charging of VAT will be a fraud and be the stealing of funds rightly due to your own government. If in doubt, demand the VAT registration number and then verify that registration number with the customs and excise authority in the country you are in. They will be able to take further action if there is anything suspicious.
VAT (or "Value Added Tax") is probably one of the fairest forms of taxes ever conceived were it not for the fact that its logistics have been endlessly tweaked by beaurocrats for self-serving purposes and an effective job-creation scheme for accountants. The principle behind it is clear...
Anything of value, be it a product, goods or services, has a percentage of it's price charged by the government as a kind of "sales tax" paid by the end consumer. Items considered to be "luxury goods" have the tax levied at full rate, with semi-essential goods at a lower rate. Wholly esstential goods and services are either "zero" rated or included in a list of exemptions. "Essential" goods and services are by and large now defined by the valies of 50 years ago rather than the present. An example might be the tax on communications. At heart, the tax "should" apply to items people "want" and not the items they "need".
The mechanics of the tax are also easy to understand. If the supply chain can be viewed as a "ladder", each rung of that ladder has the tax applied to it, but the tax can be reclaimed at every level except the final sale. The final sale is where it reaches the consumer. Small enterprises that do no reach the "turnover threshold" to register for VAT counts as consumers, but of course they are spared the admin costs of charging it too.
Once a company is registered for VAT they are assigned a number whiuch can be traced up and down the supply chain to prevent fraud or mis-charging The tax is added to invoices and bills at the time they are issued, but accounting is normally after-the-fact by around 13 weeks or more. Taxes are then handed over to the government, whilst any taxes paid during creation or manufacture are simultaneously deducted from the total "sales" tax due to be handed over.
In the EU (European Union), VAT is imposed by law throughout member states and a minimum tax of 15% (at full rate) is also imposed by the same legislation. Some states operate VAT at a considerably higher rate, but none at a lesser rate. Where cross-state (international) transactions are invloved, the final VAT is imposed at whatever rate applies in the country where the final sale is made. As a consumer tax, VAT is not levied on exports - it will be imposed at the destination country within the EU or not at all in countries where VAT is not used at the final point of sale.
Goods and services "imported" into a VAT-charging country have VAT applied the moment they arrive in that country - whether for direct sale or as components in the supply chain. No VAT is payable or chargable to or by foreign territories who are part part of the VAT-charging community of countries as a rule, since taxation of this sort is a matter for the country of origin.
Recent changes for electronic commerce have somewhat confused the system further. Telecommunications and similar networking systems are liable for VAT, despite being "essential" tools of living in the modern world. VAT is charged via the web or other electronic space in much the same manner is if the purchse where in a physical shop or from a physical office. The person selling something electronically will be registered for VAT with their government and will pay the tax to that government. Within the EU, the tax will be levied at the rate charged by the government where the final sale takes place.
There are now instances where non-EU countries or VAT-charging countries may be seen to be imposed VAT on sales where in the physical world this would not be possible. A business in California for example, has to charge the USA equivilent of VAT, "sales tax" to customers within its own state, whereas they do not charge "sales tax" on export to other states or outside the USA itself. (Even though other tariifs and export duties may apply). When the product or services from California arrives in the UK or another EU country, VAT applies and is imposed by the reseller or agent as physically enters the country. But if there is no reseller, traditionally no VAT can be charged. If you buy a Californian product in a shop, you pay VAT to the government, but if the same product is sent to you direct in the mail, there is no reseller involved to charge VAT and thus you will not be paying VAT. (You might be paying other import duties, but not VAT). Since electronic sales have more in common with the latter example, new provisions have been made of countries to collect VAT on consumer purchases originating outside the EU, but equally there must be provision for the charged VAT to be paid to the government when the final sale is made.
Using the previous example, if someone in California charges you VAT for something purchased electronically, you need to make sure the tax is verified. For this purpose, the seller must provide you with a VAT registration number and the rate of VAT must be that charged by the VAT-charging country you are in. In any other instance, charging of VAT will be a fraud and be the stealing of funds rightly due to your own government. If in doubt, demand the VAT registration number and then verify that registration number with the customs and excise authority in the country you are in. They will be able to take further action if there is anything suspicious.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Beyers Seller interviews Noam Chomsky yesterday in Second Life. Fascinating stuff! For more metaverse television, check out our portal or Get our new MBTV Player now from Adobe.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Monday, October 04, 2010
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Friday, October 01, 2010
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