TOP DRAWER INK NEWSLETTER

 

Here's the latest issue of Top Drawer Ink, the newsletter written by author HL Carpenter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.

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June 16, 2007
Volume 5, Number 12
ISSN 1554-6330

In this issue:

1. Top Drawer News

2. Carpenter Country Essay

3. Top Drawer Article

4. Top Drawer Tips

5. Top Drawer Satire

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***TOP DRAWER NEWS***

We’re pleased to announce we won Honorable Mention with our entry in the 2007 Flash Fiction Contest sponsored by The Verb. To read our story, click here: Let the Battle Begin.

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CARPENTER COUNTRY

What's Happening in Our Neck of the Human Experience

It seems Father’s Day had a hard time becoming official.

Research turned up an unofficial date in 1839 to commemorate fathers who went to war and died defending an outpost. The next mention of Father’s Day was 1908, when a church in West Virginia held the first religious service to celebrate dads.

Then in 1910, Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd decided to recognize her father in the same way mothers were acclaimed on Mother’s Day. Mrs. Dodd’s efforts rallied others to action. In 1924, President Coolidge raised the idea of fathers having a national day of recognition.

As we all know, the wheels of government turn slowly, but in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson set the date: the third Sunday in June. And finally in 1972, President Nixon signed the bill that made Father’s Day an official holiday.

Here in Carpenter Country, the guy that does the heavy lifting is indispensable. Since one of his admirable traits is unpretentious humility, he’s declined a flag waving ceremony. Instead he’ll be feted with what he likes most – meat loaf and mashed potatoes.

Later, in a special tribute to honor his two most recent good deeds – shooing a snake out of the clothes closet and a lizard out of the car - he’ll be rewarded with lots and lots of dark, rich chocolate.

Happy Father’s Day to him, and to all the millions of men who are dad, daddy, pop, pa or papa to someone.

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TOP DRAWER ARTICLE

Proposed Legislation: The Automatic IRA

by
HL Carpenter

A bipartisan bill introduced in the House and Senate in April is designed to provide you with another way to save for retirement. Called the Automatic IRA Act of 2007, the bill would link automatic payroll deductions to Individual Retirement Arrangements.

Read the entire article here

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TOP DRAWER TIPS
Topics and Tidbits

Tip: You don’t have to wait for Congress to pass another law to take advantage of the tax-deferred benefits of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Anyone under age 70-1/2 who has earned income can open a traditional IRA. Roth IRAs have no age limit.

Investment Glossary Term: Individual Retirement Account (IRA). A self-funded retirement plan for individuals. Depending on the type of account, contributions may be currently deductible on your tax return. Earnings within the account are not taxed until distributed, and in some cases distributions may not be taxed at all.

Financial Horoscope: Searching for that perfect relationship? The IRS may have the answer for you: Direct deposit of your income tax refund into your IRA. Just check a box and save to your heart’s content – or up to your contribution limit, whichever comes first. The concept of combining saving and simplicity puts a whole new spin on the term “marriage of convenience”, but this is one match you won’t regret.

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TOP DRAWER SATIRE

The Great American Money Fairy

by
HL Carpenter

Santa Claus may be a myth, and the Easter Bunny probably doesn’t exist. But the Money Fairy is alive and well, and living in Washington DC.

Read the rest here