What’s In A Name?
Mrs. Publicist: Fifteenth of the month – time for What’s In A Name, where Spence takes us behind the scenes in the Chet and Bernie series.
Spencer Quinn: But not too far!
Mrs. P: Meaning into the shadowy depths of your subconscious?
SQ: Now you’re scaring me. Today I thought we’d discuss Victor D. Ferretti, the high-up federal investigator in PAW AND ORDER.
Mrs. P: The one who uses the expression about the tail wagging the dog in Chet’s presence?
SQ: That’s him.
Mrs. P: Chet got sidetracked by that, as I recall, possibly missing the rest of the scene.
SQ: A whole chapter, I think. As for Ferretti the investigator, the inspiration was ferret, of course, a relentless digger. I thought the formality of Victor D. went nicely with that, kind of the way the animals in The Wind in the Willows are dressed so tweedily.
Mrs. P: Thanks, Spence! See you next month for more of What’s In A Name!
Tags: ferrets, Paw and Order, The Wind in the Willows, Victor D. Ferretti, What's In A Name
This entry was posted on Friday, April 15th, 2016 at 8:52 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
9:05 am on April 15th, 2016
Good morning, everyone! Ferretti, heh, heh,heh. And Spence says at book signings that he doesn’t do research…balderdash!
April 15 and not tax day, that has things out of sorts here. House update…drywall is up and mudded electric is almost ready for a temporary hook up. We wait but not patiently at this point.
Have a frisky Friday!
9:08 am on April 15th, 2016
Interesting. “Ferret” is derived from Latin “fur” meaning thief.
Good morning all.
9:58 am on April 15th, 2016
Happy Friday, all! Mom’s cold is finally getting better. She has had a tough 2 weeks of working while not feeling close to tip top.
Next week, she and a friend are going to a financial seminar about planning and getting the most out of retirement. Mom is going to be 64 later this year and hopes to kiss working full time good bye at 66. We will see????????????
9:58 am on April 15th, 2016
Good morning. And (ahem, a little throat clearing here)
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Rio’s Friend
Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuu!
10:00 am on April 15th, 2016
Well then, Happy Birthday to Friend! Hope you took the day off to start celebrating early????
10:06 am on April 15th, 2016
Someone we all know and love just happens to be Celebrating a Birthday Today!!
Pizza Bones for Everyone!!!
10:07 am on April 15th, 2016
Rio, please tell your friend
Woof , woof, yodel, howl! And many more.
10:12 am on April 15th, 2016
Happy birthday pal! I’ll be sending a bottle of vino over later. ^..^
10:16 am on April 15th, 2016
Or would you prefer a Vat of Beer with a Side of Hot Wings? Heh.
10:30 am on April 15th, 2016
Victor D Ferretti. The name is perfect.
Happy Birthday to Rio’s Friend!
I’m nervous Nellie today as I attempt to finish doing US taxes by deadline and by email with a server that is only working part-time. Gulp. I will never again wait until the last day.
I was up at 4 am to help the man-who-lives-in-this-house finish packing and get on the road out of town. More cawfee needed.
10:34 am on April 15th, 2016
Dawson, you have until the 18th, we don’t know why.
10:51 am on April 15th, 2016
Greetings!
A very happy birthday to Rio’s friend!
Dawson: This is for you…
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/tax_day_2016_why_is_april_18_-.html
11:12 am on April 15th, 2016
A Tax Day Reprieve for Dawson…Thank Dog!
11:20 am on April 15th, 2016
Wose, thanks for the scoop on Emancipation Day. Knew there was a break and now we know why.
11:25 am on April 15th, 2016
Yes, today is a legal holiday in D.C. so Teddy’s paw may be off work. I still sent my estimated payment in yesterday. And I already got my Fed refund, but not the state. I heard that Illinois is very slow in sending refunds, but of course they still want their payments on time.
I always like the What’s in a Name segment.
11:39 am on April 15th, 2016
Tax day trivia…did youse know Abraham Lincoln created the I.R.S.?
“The origin of the IRS dates to the Civil War era, when President Lincoln enacted a tax on income in 1862 in order to offset the cost of the war and created a position for the first commissioner of Internal Revenue. The tax on income was repealed a decade later but revived again in 1894. In 1895, the Supreme Court declared the income tax unconstitutional, and it remained defunct until the passage of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913. Notably, the top income tax bracket topped out at 77 percent in 1918 when the tax was used to help pay for World War I.”
11:51 am on April 15th, 2016
Barb,Magpie,Lucy: If youse got a Refund how cum Barb sent in a Estimated Payment? Am I missing something?
11:56 am on April 15th, 2016
Yippee!
Thank you Wose and HOH. I have been checking the email every 1/2 hour hoping for something from my tax guy. Now I will go for
a brisk walka nap.11:57 am on April 15th, 2016
Thanks to Abraham Lincoln too!
12:01 pm on April 15th, 2016
ME!…It’s my birthday and I’ll fart if I want to!..Fart if I want to!….WHOOO HOOOO!
12:02 pm on April 15th, 2016
Cake!…I want my cake and eat it too!…snort!…So far I have not seen or smelt any cake…grump!
12:03 pm on April 15th, 2016
One year our uncles gave us the best Christmas present ever. They saved all their pizza bones from the whole year and put them in the freezer and gave them to us us us. It’s like good or what?
12:05 pm on April 15th, 2016
Happy Birthday Rio.
Masquers: Interesting info about the IRS.
12:07 pm on April 15th, 2016
Happy birthday to Rio and fart away.
12:08 pm on April 15th, 2016
http://nature365.tv/april-15-2016/ The Blackbirds are back.
I know the Red-Winged Blackbirds are back. One day about a week ago I looked out into the yard and it was covered with them. I have never seen more than one or two blackbirds in my yard at once. I tried to get a picture but as soon as I found the camera they all flew away into our woods. grump
Hey Dawson, I’m for a nap too. Tenzing, are you ready?
12:09 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio, I hope you and your friend get the gifts you wish. And maybe a little peace and quiet. That is what my Dad always wanted for his birthday. LOL.
12:13 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio: Stop Whining…Here’s Your Cake.
12:29 pm on April 15th, 2016
CAKE!…I’m diving in!…YUM!
1:05 pm on April 15th, 2016
I love Red-winged Blackbirds. Haven’t seen any yet. Actually I usually hear them before I see them because they don’t come to the house.
1:11 pm on April 15th, 2016
FYI, just to let you know that Woof continues in the number one position on the NYT’s best seller list for Children’s Middle Grade E-Books for another week (this will be for the week of April 24, as it will appear in the NYT). See below:
Children’s Middle Grade E-Book
1.WOOF, by Spencer Quinn
2.THE FINISHER, by David Baldacci
3.THE SWORD OF SUMMER, by Rick Riordan
4.THE KEEPER, by David Baldacci
5.WONDER, by R. J. Palacio
1:21 pm on April 15th, 2016
To observe Friend’s birthday, let’s all please bow our heads in a moment of snort…
Rio: We will blur by later with a vat o’ birthday beer.
4:27 pm on April 15th, 2016
Happy Birthday, Rio’s Friend.
Our week long April vacation started at three today. We need it. Enough said.
4:33 pm on April 15th, 2016
Happy Birthday, Rio’s Friend! Hope that you have a wonderful day and coming year.
Good day all from sunny and 77 degrees Wisconsin! Finally!
4:37 pm on April 15th, 2016
Happy Birthday to Rio’s friend!
We have the same question about Barb’s tax refund and estimate as Bear does.
5:21 pm on April 15th, 2016
ll: So happy to hear your warm weather update!
Weatherkat. ^..^
5:22 pm on April 15th, 2016
LL
5:31 pm on April 15th, 2016
LL, wow, wasn’t it jus snowing and blowing in your neck of the woods? Enjoy your spring weather while it lasts.
6:35 pm on April 15th, 2016
Yes, HOH. It was snowing on Monday. That is Wisconsin weather.
We also send in estimated payments. You have to pay taxes every three months or you are penalized. We always overestimate a little so we are not hit (just in case) at the end. And we also received a refund. I have had a Strengthening Cocktail, so I may not be explaining this correctly.
BooBear: Please tell your mom that I have had (probably) the same rotten cold that she has had, and yesterday I finally felt a bit better after 12 days of misery.
6:50 pm on April 15th, 2016
Linda: Isn’t it Only Businesses that need to send in Quarterly Payments?
6:56 pm on April 15th, 2016
BSD, mom’s Papa sent estimated quarterly taxes after retiring from working in a refinery for 30 years. Our tax people have never suggested that and some years the peeps win and some years Uncle Sam wins.
7:00 pm on April 15th, 2016
BSD: Oh no, no, no my dear. Many of our friends were caught in this web the first year after retiring.
7:10 pm on April 15th, 2016
Bear: I believe people that are contract workers should be paying their taxes quarterly, as certain taxes are not automatically deducted.
8:21 pm on April 15th, 2016
LL and Wose: Thank youse for the Tax Info!
8:23 pm on April 15th, 2016
Wowser Bowser, taxman just called and our peeps are dancing around in joy. We guess having your house burn down kind of sort of helps with the taxes. It just goes to show ya, ya never know. ????
8:25 pm on April 15th, 2016
Someone here needs a strengthening cocktail.
8:27 pm on April 15th, 2016
We are with you on that one. If you have Facebook be sure to check the Snowhook post and watch AJ splitting wood.
8:33 pm on April 15th, 2016
Hounds: AJ spitting wood! A Sight to See!
8:39 pm on April 15th, 2016
Birthday!….We had Pizza for supper!…WHOOOO HOOOO!…Aren’t birthdays great!?…snort!
8:55 pm on April 15th, 2016
Card!…Someone’s sister sent her a card with these guys on the front…snort!
8:57 pm on April 15th, 2016
Retired!….I got a postcard from my pals who have recently retired…chuffle!…I always wondered how they made their fortunes. I think I have put 2 and 2 together…guffle!…Those guys!
9:00 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio: Come on, give us a kiss!
9:08 pm on April 15th, 2016
Thieves!…Gah!…Even I have standards…wiffle!
9:26 pm on April 15th, 2016
Let me see if I can explain estimated, or quarterly, taxes. Those of you with jobs where part of your paycheck is withheld are paying your quarterly taxes with that withholding. You just don’t call it that. AND you job pays part of it for you! (Unless you are a contract worker, don’t get me started)
Think about that a minute.
Now you retire and have some income that does not have any taxes withheld from it. Perhaps you sold something or you don’t have money withheld from your pension or whatever.
If you are going to owe over a certain amount (I think it is 1000 dollars federal) at tax time then you have to pay at least 90 % of that ahead of tax time. If you don’t pay ahead you pay a PENALTY! So you figure out what you will owe and you pay 25% of that every quarter. That is your quarterly estimated taxes.
Now Barb had to send in her FIRST estimated payment which is due April 15th (the 18th this year) Perhaps she overestimated her quarterly taxes last year. Well then she will get a refund for last year. But she still owes first estimated payment for this year.
Clear as mud, Right?
9:34 pm on April 15th, 2016
Staff!….gurgle!…You really know how to kill a Birthday-Buzz…grunt!
9:38 pm on April 15th, 2016
Bear and Howlers, I have been gone and am just now catching up on the blog. To answer your question, it is very much like Linda stated. On my part time job I have taxes withheld and I get a W2 at tax time. But then I get annuity payments, Social Security and IRA retirement MRD (minimum required distribution). For those you get a 1099. I don’t have taxes withheld from those funds so I have to file estimated reports. These are due 4/1, 6/15, 9/15 and 1/15 of the next year. If you underestimate, you get a fine. I always send in a little too much, thus the refund. The payment I mailed this week is for 2016 taxes.
I have had to do estimated reports all my insurance career, as I was an independent contractor, so no taxes withheld.
Employers also have to send in quarterlies, but those are for withheld employee taxes.
If I didn’t say so earlier, Happy Birthday to Friend of Rio and Beau.
9:43 pm on April 15th, 2016
While I was typing away, Staff posted and I think explained the situation much better than I did. Thanks, Staff!
9:46 pm on April 15th, 2016
Downers!…Youse both are killing my super-duper Birthday Celebration mood. Where is that Vat O’ Beer when I need it the most?…grunt!
9:48 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio: Can we substitute? Our Lady wants a kiss.
Friend: Luna says that vat O’ beer etiquette requires the birthday girl to do the first cannon ball. There’s no sense arguing with Luna about it. We have tried. She’s a stickler for such things. Quick!
9:54 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio, enjoy your vat o’ beer and think about tin futures. You’ll be fine.
10:03 pm on April 15th, 2016
Tin Futures! Yes! (and Hawaiian Pants).
10:05 pm on April 15th, 2016
Substitute!…snort!…I can gladly lick and slurp up Bella’s nose and into her ears…heheh!…Ohhhh those earlobes, let me at them!…Chop!…Oopps sorry that one snaggle tooth got away from me…heh!heh!…Now you can wear 2 earrings in that lobe…snuffle!
10:06 pm on April 15th, 2016
MollysMaw!…Youse are up late! This is great!…snort!…And it rhymes too…heh!
10:07 pm on April 15th, 2016
Hmmm… My tax person just calculates and provides me a voucher to mail in a prepayment in mid-January. I have no problem paying taxes as I love living in this country. I don’t always agree how tax monies are spent but that will always be the case to some extent. What I do mind is that I feel that I am accountable for every nickel and dime by the IRS while corporations do not pay their fair share–sometimes nothing at all while making millions.
10:08 pm on April 15th, 2016
CHobbit!…Another downer on my birthday!…gah!
10:09 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio: I hope your day is ending well. It is nice when a birthday falls on a Friday.
Whose birthday is next?
10:10 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio, they are just finishing up your vat of beer prep. Enjoy!
10:17 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio: Worth it.
10:19 pm on April 15th, 2016
Martha: Do you recognize us? Pancho is disguised as a guy in a baseball cap, and Lefty is disguised as a really big spoon.
10:21 pm on April 15th, 2016
Martha!…Snort!Snort!…Wot a great Birthday this is starting to become….WOOOO!
Lefty!…What?…gah!…Wait…
10:25 pm on April 15th, 2016
Sorry Rio, I was just answering a couple of questions. It would be rude not to.
I am still happy that you are having a birthday, or your friend is. Didn’t mean to be a downer.
10:27 pm on April 15th, 2016
Lefty, how is the beer? More importantly, how do you breathe?
10:29 pm on April 15th, 2016
Barb!…My dear friend, you must know when I am kidding and when I am not…snort!…I am just kidding with you and Staff. This tax (bullshit) info is very informative to many people. But why on my birthday does this always come up?….grunt!…I have no idea. But it is a recurring and annoying thing…sniff!
10:30 pm on April 15th, 2016
Martha!…snort!snort!…and snort!..heh!heh!
10:41 pm on April 15th, 2016
Martha!…Is there anyway you can replace Lefty and Pancho with certified beer misters?….sniff!…I have worries regarding the sanitary regulations Poncho an Lefty may or may not have followed in the making of my birthday beer….gaaaasp!
10:50 pm on April 15th, 2016
Try putting these some distance away from the vat…
10:52 pm on April 15th, 2016
Staff: I don’t pay my taxes quarterly, yet I don’t pay a penalty. Is that because my pension is from Canada? Or because I am a resident of Canada?
Oh my!
I just remembered I’m supposed to register for old-age pension 6 months before I get old and that date was 15 days ago.
Sorry Rio, heh! I’ll drink a beer on your behalf. Cheers!
10:54 pm on April 15th, 2016
Slim Jims!…Galore! WOOOOOOOO!…..Contaminated Beer and Slim Jims! Who could ask for more on their Birthhday?…wheeze!
11:03 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio, it is all for you, you, you! Good luck, though. They aren’t called Thieves for no reason. Enjoy.
I am off to sleep.
11:05 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio, I think it is because your friend’s birthday is on April 15th, that terrible tax day. I know you are just kidding.
11:22 pm on April 15th, 2016
Rio: I’m sending over some scorching hot Buffalo wings. Guaranteed to cure what ails ya including sketchy beer syndrome.
11:22 pm on April 15th, 2016
Test! This is a test. If this had been an actual comment, it would have posted on this here blog.
11:26 pm on April 15th, 2016
Gah! The test comment—a cry for help, really—is the one that actually posts. We had a few that didn’t make the Mike Baker cut. They were full of wit of the birthday variety even. Gah!
We are going to drown our sorrows in the deep end of the vat O’ beer.
11:30 pm on April 15th, 2016
Thieves, hope you get thru. Night all and again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SOMEONE REALLY SPECIAL!
11:38 pm on April 15th, 2016
Martha: We can any share of the birthday Slim Jims a finders fee for bringing the vat o’ beer to Rio’s backyard and then filling it with beer. A vat o’ beer without vat is just a really big and really empty dog dish.
12:14 am on April 16th, 2016
Thieves!..sniff!sniff!…sniff!….sniff!…Well this smells like real beer!…slurp!slurp!…It tastes like real Beer….I’m going in!…SPLAAASH!
12:17 am on April 16th, 2016
Finders Fee!…gurgle! splash!…What finders fee?…slap!splash!kick!…FEE! What Fee?….grump!
1:19 am on April 16th, 2016
Happy getting older day, Puggy!