What Matt said. I looked at the interest I earned for a tax refund I'd put into a savings account for a year. $17. I don't mind paying the government less than 5 basis points to hold onto my savings for me.

It happens.

Owing a lot of tax just makes me feel really irresponsible - like I was living it up and not burying my acorns for the winter months. But obviously that's not true. And I know it's not but it is enlightening (and sad) to see how responsible people can get so screwed by the tax laws.

The year I was a consultant for six months and didn't pay any estimated taxes (or put aside the money, even), I definitely felt like a jerk. But I would be much more conservative if I were doing it permanently -- at least, I would hope I would be.

But until this year, I have definitely been pretty financially irresponsible with pretty much every decision I've ever made, so.

Timelies all!

~ma to all who need it.

Oy, this is upsetting. Michelle Shocked was playing at Yoshi's in SF last night, and she went on a homophobic rant in the second set. Much of the crowd walked out.

Same with me, Sophia. People tell me that it's just giving the government an interest-free loan, but the interest I'd earn on it these days is so small that if I forgot to put it aside a single pay period (and knowing myself I'd forget a lot more than one) I'd have less saved up at the end of the year. With it set up as witholding I can't forget to put the money aside and spend it on a new frying pan or DVD purchase..

Yeah, I'm actually okay with that deal. And very happy I don't have to deal with 1099s or estimated payments.

meara gone, sad now. Except I spent most of the day on the beach with a beer in one hand, kindle in the other, and a dog sleeping on my foot. So that helped.

I don't know who Michelle Shocked is, but good on the crowd for walking out. Yoshi's also shut down her mic and offered refunds.

K-Bug turns 23 next week (!!!!!) and wants a big family dinner. So I'm back in the position of trying to pick a restaurant KCD will go to that isn't Applebee's or MacDonalds. Grrrrrrrrr.

I don't know who Michelle Shocked is

She had a minor hit about twenty years ago with a song called "Anchorage" (about getting back in touch with an old friend who'd moved to Alaska), and has a number of rather excellent albums of the folk/rock/punk variety. I've always really liked her, she's a great song-writer, and it's a real shame she's gone off the deep end with the homophobia.

I had her Arkansas Traveler cd and really liked it. It looks like she's now part of a Pentecostal Church, and they are traditionally anti gay and very conservative.

People you can be born again and not a bigot! Find a better church!!

I don't think I've thought about Michelle Shocked since Montreal. And that's not how I thought I'd think of her...

So, so far I've written one instruction document and one presentation, but also researched a second presentation which I need to write today, so I can present them both tomorrow. And edited a third. And that's drag-myself-in-tomorrow-on-bloody-stumps sort of a must.

So I'm barred from the ERs that would honour my doctor's orders, and the coordinating nurse thinks early home admin is unlikely (neuro is out of town). I need to call her back in 20, and I haven't even had lunch yet.