Death and Taxes
"...in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin, 1789.
While I'm still struggling with all the uncertainties in my life, there are two givens that I contemplated today: death and taxes. I haven't yet sat down to figure out my annual tithe to the monolith that styles itself the U.S. gummint, but then again I'm not sure I need to file this year. Unemployment carries with it a smigden of benefits, if anything. One of the few is it eliminates the need to fire up my calculator and hunch over W-2s and other like forms. Still, it's not as complicated as people like to make it sound. I figure once it does reach the level of complexity that an Advil is required, I can seek out a competent accountant, and work it out from there. Until then, I'm content with sacrificing a couple hours and doing the forms myself. For once this year, W-2s and similar forms arrived reasonably early, the third week of January. Usually I'm stuck waiting until the very end of January, sometimes even the first or second day of February, before the mailman delivers everything I need.
Speaking of money, the newest outrage in my life are the raises given to the heads of the UC medical schools. Considering that the budget is in shambles, state funding to UC has been cut back, and we students (I was one until fairly recently) have had our fees (California's polite term for tuition) raised every year for the last four consecutive years, you'd think the Board of Regents and UC administration would be more circumspect. Nope. For example, one top med school stooge recieved an $82,000 bonus, 20% of his salary: $410,000. Somehow I doubt he seriously needed the extra money. It's more than the President of the United States makes (not that Smirk needs the money either; I'm sure Daddy and Mommy provided well for Junior in their wills). What are these guys doing getting a 20% bonus anyway?? 20% is a hell of a lot!
I suppose to justify all this, we'll be seeing a fifth straight year of increased fees... I really wouldn't be surprised.
Today ends with a waiting game of sorts: both of my grandmothers are in the hospital. I'm still waiting for an update on their conditions. I consider myself lucky at my age to have had the pleasure of knowing my grandparents this long. Most people don't get that chance. I doubt I'll need to steel myself for any goodbyes this time, but death is inevitable at some point. I just hope that when that time comes, it's as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
While I'm still struggling with all the uncertainties in my life, there are two givens that I contemplated today: death and taxes. I haven't yet sat down to figure out my annual tithe to the monolith that styles itself the U.S. gummint, but then again I'm not sure I need to file this year. Unemployment carries with it a smigden of benefits, if anything. One of the few is it eliminates the need to fire up my calculator and hunch over W-2s and other like forms. Still, it's not as complicated as people like to make it sound. I figure once it does reach the level of complexity that an Advil is required, I can seek out a competent accountant, and work it out from there. Until then, I'm content with sacrificing a couple hours and doing the forms myself. For once this year, W-2s and similar forms arrived reasonably early, the third week of January. Usually I'm stuck waiting until the very end of January, sometimes even the first or second day of February, before the mailman delivers everything I need.
Speaking of money, the newest outrage in my life are the raises given to the heads of the UC medical schools. Considering that the budget is in shambles, state funding to UC has been cut back, and we students (I was one until fairly recently) have had our fees (California's polite term for tuition) raised every year for the last four consecutive years, you'd think the Board of Regents and UC administration would be more circumspect. Nope. For example, one top med school stooge recieved an $82,000 bonus, 20% of his salary: $410,000. Somehow I doubt he seriously needed the extra money. It's more than the President of the United States makes (not that Smirk needs the money either; I'm sure Daddy and Mommy provided well for Junior in their wills). What are these guys doing getting a 20% bonus anyway?? 20% is a hell of a lot!
I suppose to justify all this, we'll be seeing a fifth straight year of increased fees... I really wouldn't be surprised.
Today ends with a waiting game of sorts: both of my grandmothers are in the hospital. I'm still waiting for an update on their conditions. I consider myself lucky at my age to have had the pleasure of knowing my grandparents this long. Most people don't get that chance. I doubt I'll need to steel myself for any goodbyes this time, but death is inevitable at some point. I just hope that when that time comes, it's as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 8:43 PM
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