The state of Texas is taking this storm very seriously, as they should. It is being reported that Evacuations Begin As Ike Heads For Texas, and they obviously took notes during Rita and are avoiding most of the problems. The most vulnerable and most difficult to move group are going out first and they are staging buses for the people who do not have their own transportation.

When I say that the report on MSNBC that Ike postpones Arkansas-Texas game is an indication of how serious this is being taking, many may scoff, but this is a major event in Texas and it would generate a lot of traffic in and around Austin. Many people from Arkansas would normally drive to this event, as well as people from all over Texas. This is a very responsible decision by those involved. Austin may not get as much from Ike as the coast, but there is no need to have tens of thousands of extra people on the roads and in motels while people are fleeing a hurricane.

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When in doubt about tax matters, consult the IRS, which tells us that “The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 set a uniform definition of a qualifying child, beginning for Tax Year 2005”.

Residence — has the same principal residence as the taxpayer for more than half the tax year. Exceptions apply, in certain cases, for children of divorced or separated parents, kidnapped children, temporary absences, and for children who were born or died during the year.

Registering to vote can affect tax status.

I told you that there were substantial reasons not to like Palin, and Paul Krugman scores a direct hit: she’s a cat phobic.

Also at Crooks and Liars: Obama Reverses Positions on 527s.

While it is nice the Democrats have accepted the real world, waiting this long means that the outside organizations have no time to raise the money to be really effective. They have spent months casting aside natural allies and cutting off the sources of funding, and now they have the funds and can’t help because of the finance laws.

SilentPatriot at Crooks and Liars is misinforming people in the post on Montgomery county, Virginia election officials warning students:

It reads, in part: “The Code of Virginia states that a student must declare a legal residence in order to register. A legal residence can be either a student’s permanent address from home or their current college residence. By making Montgomery County your permanent residence, you have declared your independence from your parents and can no longer be claimed as a dependent on their income tax filings — check with your tax professional. If you have a scholarship attached to your former residence, you could lose this funding. And, if you change your registration to Montgomery County, Virginia Code requires you to change your driver’s license and car registration to your present address within 30 days.”

The information on the taxes can vary, but is often true depending on the way taxes are filed. You need to consult your parents before you do it.

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Position: 24.9 N 86.7 W. [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC]
Movement: Northwest [315°] near 7 mph.
Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph [160 kph].
Wind Gusts: 120 mph.
Hurricane Wind Radius: 115 miles [185 km].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles.
Minimum central pressure: 944 mb ↓. [still dropping!]

It is 325 miles South-Southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi and 675 miles East of Brownsville, Texas.

At 4 PM CDT…2100 UTC…a Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River westward to Cameron Louisiana. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

At 4 PM CDT…a Hurricane Watch has been issued from Cameron westward to Port Mansfield Texas. Hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area by Friday.