Where does your blog live?

As a web designer and hosting provider, I have often "tried" to explain where a website and other online date is stored and how it is accessed.

Rarely have I been able to convey the concept properly.

It was simple enough to explain a domain name by comparing it to a street address. Explaining exactly where the website data is stored and how it is accessed is quite another thing altogether.

Once, I was wrongly accused of all kinds of fraudulent activity, simply because my client was able to look up the information on their domain at another domain registrar's website. I was never able to make them understand that anyone can look up who owns a domain name - and so I lost the client. No problem. Good riddance.

Today I read an excellent article at CNN.com by John D. Rudder, explaining the "Online Cloud." I highly recommend it if you've ever wondered about this stuff.

Here's the link: A trip into the secret, online 'cloud'

First time home buyers tax credit

There's so much information and mis-information going around about the first time buyer's house tax credit, that I thought I would list the facts, as they stand right now.

Currently, the tax credit is for first time home buyers.

The purchased home must be closed on between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.

(A new bill is being proposed that would extend the deadline until April of 2010).

Now, to take advantage of the FULL $8,000 house credit:

1. The home buyer must have an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
(These limits would be raised slightly if the new extension bill passes.) However, those who had more income than the specified amount allowed, could still qualify for a partial tax credit.
2. The home must have been purchased for less than $800,000.
3. The home must be your principal or primary residence.
4. The home cannot be purchased from an ancestor, descendant or spouse.
5. The tax credit is only for purchased homes, not homes you intend to purchase at a later date.
However, HUD will allow buyers using FHA-insured mortgages to apply their anticipated tax credit toward their home purchase immediately. There may be some other ways to bypass this restriction, speak with an accountant or realtor to get the details.
6. You claim the tax credit on your federal income tax return. Specifically, home buyers should complete IRS Form 5405 to determine their tax credit amount, and then claim this amount on line 67 of the 1040 income tax form for 2009 returns (line 69 of the 1040 income tax form for 2008 returns).

Read more frequently asked questions about the housing tax credit for first time buyers at Federal Housing Tax Credit .com.

Read about the latest developments on extending the housing tax credit for first-time buyers at CNN.com.

Rights in America

Every time they start to take away one of our rights here in America... they start with what seems to be a "small" thing. This "small" thing promises to make life better for everyone.

Example 1 : Car insurance - We are forced to buy car insurance to take care of our car and anyone else's car that we might damage (I have never been in wreck and I'm 55 yrs old). This forced automobile insurance has cost me a small fortune - and I have never used it - thank God.

The forced auto insurance was about protecting money and property.

Why weren't we outraged over that?

Example 2 : Tobacco Use - Everyone has been happy that most places are now tobacco free. This at least had to do with protecting our health. But now, at least in some areas, they are talking about making it illegal to smoke outside on your own property.

This is taking things too far.

What's next?

Forced health insurance. Pay it (if you can afford it, and "they" will decide who can afford it), or pay fines for not having health insurance.

Bit by bit, our rights are being taken away.

I'm all for controlling health care costs, because I believe as an American citizen we should ALL have access to health care. Why not create more not-for-profit health clinics for those who have no insurance?

Why not regulate the health care system and stop them from price gouging?

Why should those in the health care industry be able to charge whatever price they want for equipment and services?

Health care is a basic need and should be a basic right. It should not be a way to make millions off the backs of those who are sick.

I believe there should be a public government regulated health care option for health care, just as there is for education. If you can afford your own private health insurance and specialist, then by all means take advantage of it just as you do when you send your children to private schools.

Personally, I'm tired of anyone in America being forced to pay for things they can't afford, and may not need.

And that's my rant for this Monday!

Free Software to Download

Rick Broida over at Cnet.com recently alerted us to a few totally free sofware downloads that will be expiring soon.

IOBit Security 360 Pro - ranked 4 out of 5 stars by users, free until November 11th.

WinX DVD Author - free until October 31st. Turn your video files into DVDs.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard (for students only) "Microsoft's DreamSpark program is offering this new Windows Server release to eligible high school and college students."

Read more about it here - news.cnet.com