Thursday, April 15, 2010

The only guarentees in life are death and taxes -- but death happens only once

15 April is Tax Day. It is also the 98th anniversary of the Titanic sinking. Apparently long ago, someone on the Congressional appropriations committees had a dark sense of humor.

The IRS Universal headquarters building occupies a full block at 1111 Constitution Avenue in Washington DC. If you think that address is accidental, you have been watching the wrong opera.

Over the front door is this inscription:
"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society" -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Frankly I think it should update its inscription to something more modern:

"What did you make? Fork it over."


Or more succinctly:

"Bend over."