This would be awesome! A new Missouri Income Tax Bill was just introduced. I always envied states like Washington or Florida where they have no state income tax.

Key points of  the bill for Missouri:

• No State Income Tax
• Broader Sales Tax
• Attract Businesses
• Bad Timing

Source: 10pm NBC Action News

It makes sense to me especially since moving to Kansas City (MO), I thought the cost of living was suppose to be a lot cheaper.  I was very disappointed with the sales tax in metro area. Depending on where you shopped, your sales tax ranged from 7-10%!

That’s because Missouri has a different system (odd compared to what I grew up on in Michigan).  When I lived in Michigan, sales tax was a flat 6% no matter where you went. That was nice! Michigan tax details here.

However in Missouri, there’s usually two parts of the sales tax.  The state base sales tax is 4.225%, but the local jurisdiction gets to add on taxes.  So the county or area usually tacks on top of the 4.225% which puts it in the 7-10% range. At that range, I might as well live in a city like Chicago, New York, or Orlando so it really doesn’t make sense since I pay like 6% state income tax. And another thing Missouri has is property tax on my car which I didn’t have in Michigan! Missouri tax details here.

Not sure why it’s bad timing though. I’m for it. I prefer to be tax on my purchases instead of my income since I generally try to be a frugal shopper.  Florida and Washington probably also has the luxury of more sale tax revenue from more tourists. Uncle Sam will get their taxes one way or another so I’ll have to see more details to make a final opinion.

This is disturbing on many levels. Maybe because I had pet turtles when I was little.

thisiswhyyourefat:

Bacon Cheese Turtleburgers

Ground beef pattie topped with sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in a bacon weave shell with hot dog head, legs and tail.

(submitted by Mark Davis)

Finally moved into the SLR world. I placed an order for the newly released Canon EOS T2i. I’ll have a follow up review once I practice with it.
It’s been a long time coming and the natural progression for one of my favorite hobbies. I love taking photos and always toyed with the idea of being a professional photographer. A SLR is a good amount of investment especially when you factor in the array of lenses and accessories.  I didn’t want to rush it. But an opportunity came up where I was asked to take some wedding photos for some money toward the SLR.  
Previously I narrowed down my list to the following models:

• Canon EOS 50D
• Canon Tli
• Canon EOS Rebel XSI
• Nikon D90

I was aiming for the intermediate models and price range of $500-800 for the camera body.  And since this was a major purchase, I wanted to get the best value with the best features possible.  It was really down to Canon T1i and Nikon D90.  With a long-term outlook in mind, I really wanted a camera with great image quality AND great video capability, especially HD 1080p video.
I was pretty set on Canon T1i when I was doing my research shopping a few months ago.  I like the reviews and price.  And it was one of the few in the price range that had 1080p HD video.  However, I was hesitant because it captured 1080p video at a lower frame rate (20fps).  720p video supported 30fps.  After all, most of these higher-end cameras are very close in features.  So video with the bigger differentiating factor for me.  But then I consulted some friends that were professional photographers again at the last minute.  Fortunately I did because I was introduced to the very newly release Canon T2i. So new that most retailers didn’t even carry it yet.  Even amazon.com said expect 1-2 month ship time. I read some articles about the announced camera and one referenced late march availability.  But I wanted it right away so I could practice with it before the wedding in 4 weeks.
The T2i is a blend of the Canon 7D and the T1i which I was planning to get anyhow. In addition to 18 megapixel (t1i has 15mp), the T2i has better battery life and much better HD video capabilities.

• 1080p @ 30, 25, or 24 fps
• 720p @ 50/60 fps
• VGA @ 50/60fps

I ended it up being able to order the camera from Adorama.com and they had it in stock.  It was nice that they had no tax and free shipping.  The camera was in high demand and their first shipment supply of the T2i sold out quickly.  I was told they had another shipment just come in this week and they were able to send out my order to me tomorrow.  Fingers crossed!  Looking forward to testing out the new toy.
More detail review and spec list from dpreview.com and a youtube video review.

Be careful if you’re driving through these areas of KC!  These statistics are only for the Missouri side of KC.

Top 5:

1. I-435 & I-70

2. I-435 & Front St.

3. I-29 & Barry Road

4. 75th St. & 71 Highway

5. 5th St. & Broadway

…rest of the list at Chief Corwin’s Blog

Gravy Train
Bacon, sausage, onions and cheese topped with sausage gravy. All aboard!

This was delicious, but definitely one of the unhealthiest dishes on the menu especially if you look at the nutrition facts.  But it’s a treat for once in a while!  The gravy is very flavorful and the muffins were buttered well.  Hash browns had a perfect amount of salt as well. With a little ketchup with the eggs and hash to change it up on a few bites, I was very satisfied.

First Watch

409 Armour Rd, Kansas City, MO, 64116

(816) 842-7300