posted
I'm not religious, but I've always enjoyed the hymn, "Eternal Father, strong to save". (Just thought I'd throw that in there, not trying to derail the thread from it's purpose.)
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I love a lot of religious music, without loving the religion. "How Great Thou Art", "It Is Well With My Soul", "Just a Closer Walk", Mozart's "Requiem", Handel's "Messiah", "Silent Night". Posts: 3354 | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by King of Men: They didn't get my kosher meal, though - the flight attendant was most distressed. I didn't tell her I only get them for the taste.
Seriously? But the kosher meals are reheated frozen food, and the regular stuff is fresh.
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That is not my impression - I think it's the other way around. Or maybe the grass is just greener on the other side? Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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If I ordered a kosher meal and it wasn't available, I think that I'd order a ham sandwich instead, just to see if it provoked any kind of a reaction.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Heh. Maybe it's just that airline food is awful anyway, and we are both fooling ourselves about the little tricks we use to try to make the best of it. We just happen to be fooling ourselves in different directions. Ah well. I hope I won't have to fly anywhere for a while.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:But the kosher meals are reheated frozen food, and the regular stuff is fresh.
Are you flying first class or something. I can't really speak to the kosher meals, but the regular meals in coach class are certainly not fresh on any airline I've ever been on.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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KoM, I'm so sorry for your loss. I am glad, though, that you were able to make it to the funeral. It sounds as if it was a good and proper send-off and gave your family some peace.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Thank you, Mrs M. It was a fairly nice funeral, as these things go. I'm glad he had so many friends.
Changing the subject completely, does anyone know anything about estate taxes? It looks as though I am to receive quite a large chunk of money, painfully socked away from my grandfather's pension. If I bring it over here, will I have to pay taxes on it?
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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KoM, I hope that the funeral contained at least as much celebration of his life as it did grieving for his death.
Without meaning to trivialize the emotions of those who will miss him, the death of a quick 90 year old is not a tragic event. Its the sort of death that comes as part and parcel with birth. Dying quickly and painlessly after 90 years of life, is pretty much the best end to life we can hope for. That sort of death should be celebrated, particularly if the person lead a life worth living.
That doesn't mean tears won't or shouldn't be shed, but those tears should be mixed with laughter and good memories. I hope that as time passes you and all the members of your family will find more happiness in remembering your grandfathers life than you find grief in missing him.
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quote:Changing the subject completely, does anyone know anything about estate taxes? It looks as though I am to receive quite a large chunk of money, painfully socked away from my grandfather's pension. If I bring it over here, will I have to pay taxes on it?
quote:Originally posted by King of Men: Changing the subject completely, does anyone know anything about estate taxes? It looks as though I am to receive quite a large chunk of money, painfully socked away from my grandfather's pension. If I bring it over here, will I have to pay taxes on it?
Back in the early 90s when I was still a graduate student, one of our grad student friends who was from Finland inherited a sizable sum from her father. At that time she didn't have to pay any taxes on her inheritance. But tax laws change all the time so who knows.
It is my understanding that the US "estate tax" is a tax on the estate of the deceased and not on the inheritor of the estate. For most that's likely a legal distinction with no practical application but since your Grandfather was neither a US citizen nor a US resident, I can't see how the US could make a tax claim against his estate. Additionally, in the US as of 2008 the first $2 million of the estate is exempt from estate taxes.
If you stand to inherit more than $2 million, we all think you should at least throw a big party for all your hatrack friends. Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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Rabbit's explanation of estate tax matches mine with three minor caveats:
1) "U.S. resident" should read "U.S. resident for tax purposes," which has a slightly different definition than the usual definition of resident.
2) The presence of property owned by the decedent within the U.S. (including all U.S. real property) would create an estate for U.S. estate tax purposes.
3) If there is a U.S. estate here, the exemptions are likely significantly less than those available to U.S. citizens (the general $2 million and the marital exemptions).
Edit: you will need to find an authoritative answer to your question before making tax decisions.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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However, as I understand it Dag's three minor caveats would apply whether or not you or any other beneficiary of the estate were US citizens or residents for tax purposes.
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Seriously? But the kosher meals are reheated frozen food, and the regular stuff is fresh.
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