AAARRRGGGHHH

That was only one of the sounds coming out of me as i did Brother-In-Law, The Mouth's, taxes.

The man owns nothing but his clothes and his truck.

He rents.

He has no dependents.

He has only one income, no tips, no investments.

And yet i have to call and beg them to quit automatically steering us toward the upgrade to the paid tax file system. He qualifies to file free, but i have to argue it.

Also, i have to go through and tell the system, over and over, that he has no more deductions, he gets only the standard and personal deductions, let's get on with it please.

It was so much easier years ago when he would bring me the 1040-EZ and a state form, i'd fill them out, he'd sign, and he's mail them in.

Now i have to argue with the computer and get someone on the phone to help and tear my hair out.

But it's done for another year, and he gets a bit of a refund, which i will suggest he put in savings, and the suggestion will fall on deaf ears, and he will blow it in a heartbeat.

In fact, from what i understand by the way he's been bugging me about when i would get to it, he's already committed to spend a nice chunk of it on something.

Next up, to get ours done. Double AAARRRGGGHHH!


Today is:

Aldus Day (Aldus Manutius invented italics)

Aphrodisia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Aphrodite, goddess of love; date approximate)

Bob Marley Day -- Jamaica

Hurling the Silver Ball -- St. Ives, Cornwall, England

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation -- United Nations

Lame Duck Day -- on the anniversary of the passage of the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution; a day to recognize those whose tenure is running out

Otomatsuri -- Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan (fire festival)

Pay-A-Compliment Day

Reggae Day

Rubik-Cube Muddling Championships -- Fairy Calendar

Sami National Day -- Finland, Norway, Russian, and Sweden

Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri), Japan, through the 12th

St. Dorothy's Day (Patron of brides, gardeners, florists, newlyweds; against lightning, fire, and thieves.)

Waitangi Day -- Maori, New Zealand (treaty with Britain, 1840)


Anniversaries Today:

The College of William and Mary in Virginia is founded by royal charter, 1693
Massachusetts becomes the 6th US State, 1788


Birthdays Today:

Axl Rose, 1962
Natalie Cole, 1950
Bob Marley, 1945
Michael Tucker, 1944
Fabian, 1943
Tom Brokaw, 1940
Mike Farrell, 1939
Francois Truffant, 1932
Rip Torn, 1931
Mamie Van Doren, 1931
Zsa Zsa Gabor, 1919
Mary Leakey, 1913
Ronald Reagan, 1911
Babe Ruth, 1895
Aaron Burr, 1756
Nicolaus II Bernoulli, 1695
Chongzhen, Emperor of China, 1611
Christopher Marlowe, 1564


Today in History:

The United States signs its first treaty, in which France recognizes the US and promises aid, 1778
New Jersey issues the first US railroad charter to John Stevens, 1815
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore, 1819
The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society started a settlement in present-day Liberia, 1820
Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony, 1840
Harper's Weekly publishes the first picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers, 1869
The international arbitration court at The Hague is created when the Netherlands' Senate ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree, 1900
The Young Women's Hebrew Association organizes in NYC, 1902
The "Monopoly" board game goes on sale for the first time, 1935
Turkey holds its first election in which women can vote, 1935
K Elizabeth Ohi becomes the first Japanese-US female lawyer, 1937
Elizabeth II becomes the first Queen regnant of the United Kingdom and several other realms since Queen Victoria, upon the death of her father, George VI, 1952
Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit, 1959
Justice Mary Gaudron is appointed to the High Court of Australia, the first woman to be appointed, 1987
The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe, 1989
Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile, 2000