For a short time, I’m going to have to go back to 100% moderated comments on the site. The culprit? Health care reform.

So don’t panic if your comment doesn’t immediately appear – even if you’ve been a reader for years. Sorry for any inconvenience but apparently there are a handful of folks – on both sides – that are not capable of having a nice discussion without resorting to personal attacks on other readers or language that isn’t allowable on the site. You know where the line is (if you’re not sure, read my comment policy), don’t cross it. If you want to swear and call people names, go somewhere else.

My mother is coming to town this week. Don’t make me have to have her wash your mouth out with soap.Similar Posts:

• You Got Something to Say?
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I’ll be making a few changes to the site later today. I just wanted to give you a heads up in case you notice something that looks a little odd (or, you know, odder than usual).Similar Posts:

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I always appreciate your feedback – it’s good to know what you think I’m doing wrong (so that I can fix it) and what you think I’m doing right (so that I can do more of it).

A reader recently suggested that I tweak the subject lines of the emails in my feed to make it easier to identify. I think I’ve changed the email subject settings so that the subject of the post will show up in the subject of the email. If this works (and boy, I hope it does), it will help you identify and find posts in your inbox. If I’ve screwed it up, who knows what it will say. But rest assured, I’m on it.

Thanks to Konni for her suggestion. I hope that it makes taxgirl even better for all of my readers. If you ever have an idea for making the site better, drop me a line.

If you’re not subscribing via email, give it a whirl here. It’s free and easy (insert random inappropriate joke here).Similar Posts:

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• And So It Goes…

It’s the first day of school here in Philadelphia. My oldest daughter was rushing around this morning, gathering school supplies and fretting about her hair (apparently, it is not long enough). The morning was, well, you know, a blur:

As things are settling down in my house (well, that’s relative), things are heating up at taxgirl. It’s Back to School Week here as well! Stay tuned all week for answers to your school related questions (you can ask the taxgirl), check out tax-saving school strategies and look out for great giveaways. What a great way to start the new season!Similar Posts:

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Happy Labor Day to all of my readers! I hope that you enjoy your day off (if you have one). Tomorrow, stop back by for more taxgirl goodness!Similar Posts:

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I’m officially back from my *real* vacation. Yeah, it’s true. I actually take vacation once in awhile. And my husband and I have purposefully chosen a spot where there is plenty to do for the kiddos – and no internet connection (gulp).

So, thanks to all of my readers who filled in for me while I was gone. I loved reading your guest posts and it’s clear from the comments that all of you did, too.

This week, we’re back to normal (as it were) – and back to school. Look for my back to school tax series and giveaways in between my dancing a little jig: school is starting!Similar Posts:

• Hey Congress, Why Don’t You…?

A few weeks ago, I asked my readers to chime in… What, I wondered, would you tell Congress that needed to be fixed, changed or eliminated when it came to taxes?

Over the next few days, I’m posting your answers. Some short, some not, some predictable, some surprising…

I hope you enjoy reading each other’s suggestions as much as I did… Thanks to all who wrote in! And feel free to comment on your peers’ posts – I’m anxious to see what you have to say!Similar Posts:

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As you probably know, 2010 is a key election year. In the Senate alone, there at least 36 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate up for grabs – talk about your shift of power!

The rhetoric is ramping up already and, as you’d expect, many of the real issues are getting lost. So I’m offering you the chance to speak your mind: tell Congress the kind of change you’d like to see!

Here’s the scoop: starting today, I’ll take guest post submissions for publication the week of August 30. You can take any position that you want but the post must focus on what you’d like to see change with respect to taxes – that can include financing health care reform, estate tax repeal, etc., but anything that’s clearly meant to be an “issue piece” about something other than taxes (i.e. abortion, gun control) will be disregarded.

Here are a few more guidelines:

• Posts need to be submitted in plain text format. The best way to do that is just cut and paste your piece in the body of an email. To cut down on the chances you’ll get caught in my spam filter, I ask that you do not send attachments.
• Posts should be submitted to guest@taxgirl.com by Wednesday, August 26, at 11:59 pm EST.
• While I’m hopeful that most pieces are around the 200-400 word mark, you can write up to 1500 words. And then I draw the line. Pieces longer than 1500 words won’t be posted.
• No swearing, no personal attacks, no bad behavior.
• If you submit something, you’re agreeing that the work is your own.
• One post per person.

And here’s the catch: there’s no contest. As long as you follow the rules, you’ll get posted. So, no stress, no muss, no fuss. I want to hear what you have to say.

And lest you think that no one is listening, I have it on very good authority that more than one high profile politician stops by the blog on occasion. Some of them even send an email or two.

So what are you waiting for? Warm up those laptops, glance around at work and make sure no one is paying attention… and write!Similar Posts:

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When news broke that Facebook would allow specific user names for accounts and pages, I was thrilled – and a little worried. Despite the fact that my taxgirl moniker is trademarked, it hasn’t stopped folks from registering the name on a host of social media sites. What if, I thought, someone beat me to the punch?

Fortunately, Facebook took this into consideration and allowed holders of intellectual property rights to restrict certain user names in advance. I signed taxgirl up right away – and then I waited.

I am pleased to announced that as of today, the mishmosh of letters and numbers to get to my Facebook fan page is history! Now, all you have to do to visit is remember “facebook” and “taxgirl”: the new URL is http://www.facebook.com/taxgirl.

Why join? Um, because all the cool kids are doing? Or because it will lead to a life-changing experience? Eh, not so much. But you will have access to the taxgirl feed plus the skinny on upcoming contests, promos and more; I’m also planning to launch some “Facebook only” features. And of course, you can write on the wall and share with other users and I take “ask the taxgirl” questions via Facebook.

I hope to see you around!Similar Posts:

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I’ve received some negative feedback about the video ads currently running on the BlogHer sidebar. Apparently, they are significantly slowing load times. I’ve contacted BlogHer and they will be removed shortly. As always, I truly appreciate your feedback, thanks for letting me know! Similar Posts:

• BlogHer? I Hardly Knew Her!
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