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 I always like to file my taxes early in the year, typically February. This year, I am hearing the new administration will (and likely) increase the tax CREDITS per child and that it will be for 2021 only. Normally this would mean I would be expecting that to be on the next years taxes, as in when I file in early 2022 (for 2021) but the stories indicate that the intent is for immediate 2021 pandemic relief and for THIS year? Should I file early, or wait to see what the next Congress enacts? Also, we had another baby in 2020 so thus far the stimulus funds have all used my 2019 taxes with less kids. By filing, and recording updated dependents (new baby), would this make any future stimulus use my increased dependent number worth filing early? 

   I always like to file my taxes early in the year, typically February. This year, I am hearing Biden will attempt (and likely get through) increase the tax credits per child and that it will be for 2021 only. Normally this would mean I would be expecting that to be on the next years taxes, as in when I file in early 2022 (for 2021) but the stories indicate that the intent is for immediate 2021 pandemic relief and for THIS year? Should I file early, or wait to see what the next Congress enacts? Also, we had another baby in 2020 so thus far the stimulus funds have all used my 2019 taxes with less kids. By filing, and recording updated dependents (new baby), would this make any future stimulus use my increased dependent number worth filing early? 

Concerning the lost Franklin Expedition. Where is the note Lieut. Hobson found during the search years later today? A blank yellow note was found in a cairn that the pencil remarks were suspected to have been worn off. Is that note still around? I'm assuming modern labs have tried to detect even the microscopic elements of lead on it to provide clues if so.

I would love to see this great artist compose but have not saw a show posted since Chicago years ago.

create a 3 digit number without repeating from the set (1 2 4 5 6 7 9). How many different numbers can be formed? How many can be formed if both even AND odd numbers must be used?

The first questions seems to point to C(7,3) but no idea about the second or if this is right.

Some questions offering problems. The following says: I need a code consisting of 3 different letters from (A B H Q T Z). How many codes contain the letters H OR Q, OR both?

Is this just adding C(6,1) and C(6,2)?

A code begins with 2 not distinct (can repeat) digits from (1,5,6,7,9). If these digits form a number greater than 50, then they are followed by 2 distinct (No repeat) letters from (X,Y,Z). If < 50 then followed by 2 not distinct (can repeat) letters from (X,Y,Z). How many different codes are there?

More importantly, how do you approach this. The condition <> of 50 throws me.

A code consists of one letter chosen from the set (a,b,x,y,z) followed by either 4 or 5 not distinct digits. How many such codes are possible? Ex: X1331

For the past two years I have returned to college as a full time student. For these two years I also for the first time paid someone to do my taxes. This year I really was questioning the amount of my refund, because my income took such a dive and because of all the Education Credits out there. I'm pretty sure that the one who filed/did our taxes (Married jointly) did not use any of the credits available? Our income is within the limits. I have student loans that cover some of the tuition, but other parts were paid out of pocket. Can I seek some or any of these credits retroactively? What should I do? Some of the amounts listed on the IRS site make me think these opportunities were not taken the last few years.

My curiosity has me thinking. Why have species not spread into essentially an endless variety of forms and adaptations? For example, take an animal; let’s take the classic horseshoe crab. Why over the course of time, do we not see a ton of different types of these crabs with tiny varying differences? Adaptations that neither bring the animal down a road into a different species, nor change any habits or impact the life of the crabs. A mutation changes something minute, and then via breeding passes down that mutation and so on to the point where we have a horseshoe crab living and essentially identical to their brethren but now have a feature difference. It could be internal or external but let’s just say a small bump on their head. The bump is not a feature that helps, nor is it something that would vanish for giving any kind of advantage to the other horseshoe crabs, just is there and is passed down for thousands or millions of years. It might go away by mutation, or perhaps it (the bump/feature) change in some way. But in either case there would be generations of skeletons representing that variety of horseshoe crab. Geographic location might create varying sizes of the families, always changing the numbers of what version of HC was passed down, but there always existing some that carry that feature somewhere. Taking it further, there might and should be branches branching off from even this sub tree. And so on and so on. As in an endless variety of the species, distinct, but with a variety that doesn't change the species ability to interbreed, interact, and continue as just another type of horseshoe crab. I don't see a way for nature or time to ALWAYS eliminate these branches so we are left with our distinct species that we have. Even humans ourselves, why is there not some versions of us with say a tiny extra bone somewhere that does nothing, and was just passed down via a tree or tribe from a mutation at some point in our past. It was a trait that had no impact within natural selection as it wasn't useless or useful ... just there and passed down. Again I realize that through breeding some traits can always be eliminated, but some should always remain as well. Or so my thinking goes. Dogs have visible aspects from just the last couple centuries of man influenced breeding ... so why just with the amount of time and process of chance have we not saw minute varieties within species, not only the diverging larger branches such as chimps from gorillas or elk from deer situations. Where or what is the process for natural selection that creates such uniform species?

Are there any lava lakes unhardened that you can take helicopter tours to view or have they all hardened over?

My wife and I will be heading to Hawaii's Big Island next month (June 2013) and we both were very excited to visit the Volcano Park and all it's sights. We were hoping to try the walking lava tours, the helicopter rides, and even maybe the lava boat tour as we wanted to see as much of the lava as possible. I know the nature of the activity and lava flow varies as the volcano changes over time ... can anyone tell me if things are better or worse than normal for visitors to see lava flow this June? I know nothing is for certain, just trying to gauge things presently on the Big Island. Thanks,

I’m a big fan of the history surrounding (Graf) Helmuth Von Moltke (Elder) in German history. His nephew and nephew’s son gained fame later in history but I was wondering if there was or were any information concerning any surviving direct decent ants today? I know he and his wife had children, but there doesn’t seem to be any information about them. Do any history buffs out there have any links or information?