International Research Recruiting: February 2010

The California Franchise Tax Board suspended the licenses of two businesses owned by Joe Stack because of unpaid taxes or failure to submit returns, KCRA in Sacramento reports.

Stack, who allegedly flew a small plane into a building with IRS offices in Austin yesterday -- reportedly killing at least one person inside -- railed against the tax system in the note he is thought to have written before allegedly carrying out the attack.

But the report from KCRA provides details of some specific problems Stack encountered with the IRS:

The California Franchise Tax Board told KCRA 3 that the license of Stack's Software Systems Service Corporation was suspended on June 1, 2004, for not paying taxes in 1996 and 2002.

Also, the license of Stack's other California company -- known as Prowess Engineering -- was suspended by the Franchise Tax Board on Nov. 1, 2000, for a failure to file a 1994 tax return.

Salon has more on the the 1986 Tax Reform Act, which Stack attacks in his note and which ushered in changes that may have affected his status as an independent contractor.

There's also a suggestion in Stack's note that in the early 1980s he tried to take to exploit tax exemptions extended to churches -- and paid a steep price:

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early '80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having 'tax code' readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful "exemptions" that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the "best", high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the "big boys" were doing (except that we weren't steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two "interpretations" for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us... Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie.

Helix Films and Meccano Toy Company Join Forces to Build ‘Erector Set’ Toy Movie Franchise

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 — Helix Films, an independent production company, announced today that they have formed an exclusive partnership with Meccano Toy Company to develop an original 3D feature film based upon the iconic Erector Set brand of children’s construction toys. The deal represents the first time Meccano has licensed film rights to their toys. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Helix is currently developing an original script with an eye towards creating a film franchise based on the Erector brand that could also expand to other entertainment platforms including television and video games. While details of the story are being kept under wraps, the film will be a family fantasy/adventure.

“The three partners of Helix Films all grew up playing with Erector Set toys but in different countries—Kevin Foo in Australia, Gaukhar Noortas in Kazakhstan and me and my brother Robert in the U.S.—so our partnership with Meccano is very personal, as well as exciting,” said Steven-Charles Jaffe (”Ghost,” “Star Trek IV,” “Strange Days”) of Santa Monica-based Helix Films. “We believe the iconic Erector brand offers generational appeal with global reach, providing a tremendous platform to create a thrilling film franchise that boys, girls and adults will all adore.”

“The very core of Meccano/Erector is about creating educational toys that enable children and adults to imagine and create completely new worlds,” said Michael Ingberg, CEO of Meccano Toy Company. “It’s perfect for a film franchise as it is certain to entertain but also stimulate creativity and imagination as the Erector toy system has done around the world for nearly a hundred years.”

Invented in England by Frank Hornby in 1901, Meccano was conceived as a model toy construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. The toy has sold under the “Erector Set” brand in the U.S. since 1913. Erector sets enable the building of working models and mechanical devices and have inspired countless engineers, designers, architects and creative minds of all ages. Modern versions include new technologies to accelerate construction for even the youngest children. Meccano/Erector set toy products are currently sold in more than 80 countries.

About Helix Films

Helix Films was founded in 2008 by a seasoned team of film producers and business executives Steven Charles Jaffe, Gaukhar Noortas and Kevin Foo to develop and produce feature motion pictures. With an emphasis on story and character-driven projects, Helix projects cover a broad range of genres including animation, psychological thrillers, science fiction and comedy. Helix has two projects currently in production, including a thriller “I’ll See You Again” and a 3D animated feature adaptation of Gahan Wilson’s “Eddy Deco.” For more information about Helix Films, please visit http://www.helixfilmsinc.com/.

The Associated Content forum gets the same question every week, at times several times a week. The main question "How do I make money on Associated Content?" The amount of money a person makes on Associated Content depends on their writing ability, dedication and work. There is a mentality that Content Producers should have to succeed.

A Content Producer has to treat their articles as a business.

Here are some steps that can make writing for Associated Content a full-time business. Content Producers are always going to be at the mercy of Associated Content staff when it comes to the payment of their article but there is more than money to be obtained. A Content Producer is able to write off business expenses, attend movies for free, attain products for free and find recognition.

Business Cards, Letter Head, Flyers

The first step is to obtain business cards, letterhead, and flyers. A business card is a key to professionalism. I personally was unable to write an article about a local musician because I was unable to produce a business card. Business cards do not have to be expensive or fancy.

My first set of business cards is from Vistaprint.com As a first time customer I was able to choose from over 50 designs. I simply paid a shipping free that was under ten dollars to obtain 250 glossy business cards.

When producing your business cards, you will want to have your name, email address, telephone number, cell phone number and your Associated Content URL. For example, my URL is www.associatedcontent.com/catherineneal

Letterhead should be something that reflects professionalism and your service. The logo is personal choice but I personally have found that people are attracted to things that relate to the product or service. For example, I also sell candles for a living. My second set of letterhead has a logo of a candle and my contact information at the top left hand corner.

Flyers are a great way of obtaining business. The flyer can simply be an introduction of your services and of you personally. Do not forget to mention your Associated Content URL and the amount of readers that have read your articles. In my introduction flyers I mention that I have roughly fifty thousand current readers and the numbers have been increasing by 2% every day.

Business Expense Tax Write Offs

As a Content Producer for Associated Content there are several things to be written off as Business Expenses. The best thing to do is to contact your state franchise board and the Internal Revenue Service.

This link talks about business expenses as a whole.

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=109807,00.html

This link talks about dividing your business expense with home expenses

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p535/index.html

This link or IRS publication 587 informs the reader about using your home as an office

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p587/index.html

This link or IRS publication 463 informs the reader about using your vehicle for business

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/index.html

These are not the only deductions that can be used during the tax season. I believe that products and services used for article production can also be written off as a business expense. This is a double benefit for AC Content Producers. Not only do Content Producers obtain payment for their article but also they can usually sample a new product for free.

Free Swag

Let's not forget about the swag. Swag is the name for all the neat gifts that stars obtain during parties. Yes, AC Content Producers can receive swag for writing articles. This is especially true if you live in a city that thrives on stardom and networking. I personally have received swag from different companies. I received a free candle worth $10 from Scent-Sations. I have received free cosmetics from Cover-Girl. I even received a set of free speakers, which had the value of forty-five dollars.

Calendar

A key element of turning Associated Content writing into a business is having a Calendar. Learn from my experience and buy one that has an hourly schedule to it. The calendar keeps you on time and it will help you prepare for upcoming events.

We all know that Associated Content take a week or more to publish articles. By using a calendar, a writer is able to write about local events before they are over. The result is artistically bringing new clients to the event you are writing about. For example, if there is an aviation convention ending on May 1st, 2007. The writer will want to pencil in time to attend the first day, so that he or she can have enough time to write about the event before everyone else does.

Time Management

Unfortunately, writing for Associated Content full-time is not a 9-5 job. Be prepared to work ten to twelve hour days. This is why Time Management is so important. As a writer you will succeed if you actually made boundaries between your life and your writing time. Do not let writing over run your life. Take time to get enough rest, spend time with family and spend time relaxing.

Advertise

Every company advertises their product or service. A writer should not be any different. The first place to start is free advertising. When I'm on Second Life, I let people know that I am a Content Producer for Associated Content. When I first started doing this, I had four interviews lined up. Some were articles about Second Life and some were articles about organizations mirroring their current events in Second Life.

There are ten or more news/link aggregators that Associated Content gives links to. Sign up for each one and use them. Digg other writer's articles and they could be digging yours.

Try to create an advertising budget for yourself. This could be as simple as sending flyers out to local city residents. Make sure your name is in the white pages and possibly the yellow pages.

Be confident, dig for the story, and get out of the house.

If your forte is interviewing people, then get out there and contact people that interest you. If you have an ear for the local music scene, then contact recording companies. Associated Content is the people's media and people want to know about what is new and what is up and coming.

Just because AC pays fifteen dollars or less for your articles doesn't mean that you are not a valuable asset. Deliver well-written, popular, and fresh articles just like any writer would.

The other aspect of getting out of the house is networking! By getting out of the house and networking at social events, a writer is able to get their name out into the world. By networking, new business contacts are made. You never know when a local organization, business, event coordinator or newspaper will be contacting you to cover an event.

By using all of these key elements, writers can produce an income for themselves. I personally don't think you can get rich by writing for Associated Content. A writer can produce a thousand dollar monthly income if they turn writing into a business. I personally have made five hundred dollars in two weeks.

It simply takes having a business mentality and taking the steps to promote your writing.

The California Franchise Tax Board suspended the licenses of two businesses owned by Joe Stack because of unpaid taxes or failure to submit returns, KCRA in Sacramento reports.

But the report from KCRA provides details of some specific problems Stack encountered with the IRS:

The California Franchise Tax Board told KCRA 3 that the license of Stack's Software Systems Service Corporation was suspended on June 1, 2004, for not paying taxes in 1996 and 2002.

Also, the license of Stack's other California company -- known as Prowess Engineering -- was suspended by the Franchise Tax Board on Nov. 1, 2000, for a failure to file a 1994 tax return.

Salon has more on the the 1986 Tax Reform Act, which Stack attacks in his note and which ushered in changes that may have affected his status as an independent contractor.

There's also a suggestion in Stack's note that in the early 1980s he tried to take to exploit tax exemptions extended to churches -- and paid a steep price:

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early '80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having 'tax code' readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful "exemptions" that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the "best", high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the "big boys" were doing (except that we weren't steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two "interpretations" for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us... Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie.