JustinBartz.com

Abolish State Income Taxes?

Justin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:59:00 GMT

Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth writes about the nine states that have no state income tax and why the other states should follow suit.

It turns out that the states without state income taxes have had "far better economic performance for most of the past several decades" than those states with state income taxes. Some of the states with the worst fiscal problems have the highest individual state income taxes, like New York and California, while some of the states with no state income tax have the least fiscal problems.

People are already moving from high-tax states to lower-tax-rate states. Next year, the combined federal, state and local income tax rate in New York City will be over 50 percent (wow!) compared to around 38 percent for Texas and Florida, which is why many people are moving to these states.

Will good economics result in good politics?

Washing dead bodies down the drain - a new "green" trend?

Justin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:52:00 GMT

Bob Barr writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a small, but growing trend called resomation, which apparently is a more "eco-friendly" alternative to cremation or regular burial. It looks like the main customers of this trend are those who want to live as "green" of a lifestyle as possible. Once you get to know the specifics of the actual process, it might make some think twice about wanting to go through with it.

But hey, you're already dead!

A handful of states, including Florida and my own Minnesota, have already approved of it. So if you want to put a bottle of grandpa up on the mantle next to grandma's urn, now you can!

Quote Of The Day

Justin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:16:00 GMT

"Anything can happen in the strange cities of the mind."

(C.D. Wright)

Quote Of The Day

Justin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:10:00 GMT

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."

(Frank Sinatra)

The Social Media Effect

Justin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:33:00 GMT

From Smashingapps is an interesting "infographic" concerning the social media effect, showing the path from content creation to viral marketing results, which can (and does) happen rapidly. However, you have to have excellent content in order to have this happen. Ch-check it out.

Merry Strasmus?

Justin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:44:00 GMT

Yes, that was a truly epic debut by Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals. Only 299 more wins to go!

I can't wait to find out how good he is when he gets to pitch against a Major League team.

Minneapolis ranked 6th best eco city in the world?

Justin — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:11:00 GMT

It's true! Oh yes, it's true. (In addition to that, Minnesota is the 9th "greenest state" in the country. Uh oh, the land of "purple and gold" is green!)

The rankings apparently identify cities with the best eco-ranking based on water availability/drinkability, quality of sewage systems and waste removal, air and traffic congestion/pollution, and so on. Calgary topped the list, followed by Honolulu, Ottawa and Helsinki in 3rd, Wellington, Minneapolis, Adelaide, Copenhagen, and then Kobe, Oslo and Stockholm.

Another reason why Minneapolis is so great.

Echo results: All Is Well

Justin — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:48:00 GMT

I just got off the phone with the doctor at Mercy Hospital. It looks like the results of my echocardiogram were negative for any heart-related issues and positive for extreme awesomeness and excessive genius-like abilities. That's a good thing at least. Like I mentioned previously, although my father had heart issues growing up, I was always healthy myself. In fact, before I was transported to Mercy by ambulance, it was the first time I'd been in an ambulance or been seriously hurt/injured since around the 8th grade, when I was paralyzed in a martial arts accident.

Hopefully, it's the last time I'll be in an ambulance. Thanks again for your support.

Heart attack at 28?

Justin — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:51:00 GMT

That's what I thought was happening this morning when I couldn't get out of bed or move at all. The previous night when I was finishing up an article I was writing, I began to feel slight chest pains. I thought it was odd, because I didn't do anything remotely strenuous the entire day, haven't worked out in awhile, and was home the whole time. I made a mental note of it and went to sleep. When I woke up this morning, the pain had intensified where I couldn't even breathe without the sharp pain. Luckily, my BlackBerry was charging at the head of my bed. If it was at my computer where it usually is, I could not have grabbed it or even rolled/fell out of bed to grab my regular phone. I called 911 and was transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. Nothing required me to be admitted overnight, and the initial diagnosis is "pleurisy without effusion."

Hopefully, that's all it is, even with the excruciating pain that I have right now. Being that I've never had a heart attack before, I didn't know what it would feel like or what the symptoms of one were (until now, when I looked it up ). Obviously, there's too much remaining on my Why Not/Bucket List, so I'm not ready to die.

Thank you to the paramedics, the doctors and nurses at Mercy Hospital, as well as family and friends for all the messages, phone calls and texts. I'll keep you posted.

Net Worth Obsession

Justin — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:35:00 GMT

Check out an excellent article about America's "net worth obsession." Did you know there's even a social-networking website where people track/compare their net worths to other people? It's true.

Simple tips for improving your website's links

Justin — Sun, 09 May 2010 05:10:00 GMT

Do you have a good link-building strategy for your website? Do you have relevant, natural anchor text links from quality/relevant websites? A quick fix isn't the answer if your site has a low ranking. Click here to read simple tips by Ramsay Crooks (director of SEO for Geary SEO) on improving your website's links.

Quote Of The Day

Justin — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:16:00 GMT

"When a man dies the Greeks ask, 'did he live with passion?' In life pain is inevitable but misery, optional."

(Unknown)

Is the Tea Party movement good for America?

Justin — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:05:00 GMT

It's a popular debate that is going on right now, online and offline. Helium, the citizen journalism outlet, is one of those places online. While I'm in the minority, according to their current poll, I believe the Tea Party is a good thing for America, and it's not because I support the party. While I wouldn't consider myself a "member", and I disagree on certain "Tea Party" topics, I believe having a viable alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties is necessary as well as being long overdue. Click here to read my thoughts.

Are you "addicted" to social media?

Justin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:35:00 GMT

Well, are you? According to a new study reported by LiveScience.com in cooperation with PsychCentral, college students are "addicted" to social media and even experience withdrawal symptoms as substance abusers.

The students in the study gave up all media for one day, which included laptops, BlackBerrys, iPods and television. While I can't say I am "addicted" to social media myself, going without my BlackBerry and iPod for one day is a very unpleasant experience. In the case of my BlackBerry, my life has gotten so much easier (instead of more cluttered and complex) since I got it a couple of years ago. I've certainly gone without it for a day or so before, especially if I'm traveling and I haven't had a chance to charge it, but it's really become part of my routine.

The study also mentioned iPods and television. I would venture a guess that if you extended this study to people other than college students that quite a few adults are "addicted" to television as well, so that's not a big secret.

Social media marketing in 10 minutes a day

Justin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:15:00 GMT

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to spend hours a day on social media for your brand to generate true ROI. In fact, just 10 minutes per day is all a small business owner needs to spend on building partnerships through social networking sites. Click here to read the entire article on iMediaConnection.

Quote Of The Day

Justin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:51:00 GMT

"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way."

(Charles Bukowski)

The Evolutionary Reason for Depression

Justin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:52:00 GMT

Another excellent read that I missed the first time around regarding the evolutionary reason for depression and how sadness focuses the brain's attention on conflicts, making us better-equipped to make good decisions.

How to Turn Your Creative Brainstorm into a Completed Project

Justin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:18:00 GMT

From LifeHacker:

Target Field 2010 Home Opener!

Justin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:07:00 GMT

Well, I'm heading downtown to the Minnesota Twins home opener at the all-new and supremely-awesome Target Field (even if Carl Pavano has to be the one starting the first game). I'll be sitting in the "skyline view" seats - the best in the house to me. The view will be a little something like this (photo courtesy of MLB.com):

While it's great being there for the first game in history (and my first experience of "outdoor baseball" in Minnesota), I cannot wait for the first night game at Target Field seeing that same view. Awesomeness.

2010 MLB Predictions

Justin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:16:00 GMT

Alright... it's time for me to make my 2010 MLB predictions that I spent less than half an hour coming up with. Here you go!

AL EAST
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox (AL Wild Card)
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays

AL CENTRAL
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals

AL WEST
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics

NL EAST
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves (NL Wild Card)
New York Mets
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres

ALDS:
New York Yankees defeat Minnesota Twins, 3 games to 1
Boston Red Sox defeat Texas Rangers, 3 games to 2

NLDS:
Philadelphia Phillies defeat St. Louis Cardinals, 3 games to 2
Atlanta Braves defeat Colorado Rockies, 3 games to 2

ALCS: New York Yankees defeat Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 2
NLCS: Philadelphia Phillies defeat Atlanta Braves, 4games to 2

World Series: New York Yankees defeat Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 3

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL MVP: Joe Mauer
NL Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox
AL Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire
NL Rookie of the Year: Stephen Strasburg
AL Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz