...said one grad student to another.

(see blog title)

Once again, PhD comics hits the nail on the head:

The Tax-Me-More Act

Critical of tax cuts for high-income earners? Think the wealthy should be giving more money to the government? John Campbell has the answer!!!

California Republican John Campbell yesterday introduced in the House his "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Act," which would amend the tax code to allow individuals to make voluntary donations to the federal government above their normal tax liability. The bill would place a new line on IRS tax forms to make this easy.

Mr. Campbell says he has heard the "cries" of those wealthy Americans – Mrs. Clinton, Warren Buffett, Barbra Streisand – who reject the lower tax rates passed in 2001 and 2003 and complain that they and their fellow rich don't pay enough. "It's a great injustice that citizens wishing to fulfill their dream of paying more taxes cannot simply check a box on their 1040 form to make a donation," he says. His bill would give liberals a chance to salve their consciences without having to raise taxes on millions of Americans who already feel overtaxed as it is.

Considering that the IRS already accepts donations, yet folks haven't exactly jumped at the opportunity, I'd guess this won't go over so well. Could it be that wealthy individuals feel that there are more effective, more efficient methods of aiding the poor, curing diseases, and improving society than via Uncle Sam's vast bureaucracy? Hmmm....

Expelled

Tonight I went to see Expelled, a documentary by Ben Stein, the economist and Nixon speechwriter... who you probably know much better as the deadpan teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. ("Anyone...? Anyone....?")

(Make sure to play the trailer all the way to the end... one of the best lines is in the last two seconds of the clip.)

It raises a lot of thought-provoking issues, and is actually really funny. Even if you don't agree with everything it says, it'll definitely be a conversation starter... which is one of the main points of the film: that this sort of stuff should be talked about, not ignored or suppressed.

Check it out.

Speaking of medical mysteries....

I saw this clip on YouTube a few months ago about the "Tree Man of Java" (superpowers sold separately):

For those with slow connections (or for those who need motivation to wait for the video to load), here's a shot of his "hands":


I ran into a recent article about his condition (a random combination of the HPV virus plus an incredibly rare genetic immune disorder) and the treatment he's been getting... which led me to an article on the man without a face....



....which, in turn, led to an article about a girl with two faces....


...which, logically, pointed me to an article about an 11-pound, 23-inch-tall 15-year-old. Here, she's pictured with a 13-month old, and her classmates:


It's interesting to note the role of religion in some of these stories. The guy with the facial tumor has firmly refused medical treatment until recently, since (until recently) the medical procedures involved would have required a blood transfusion, something he won't consider as a staunch Jehovah's Witness. Meanwhile, the girl is being hailed as a reincarnation of the Hindu god Ganesha. Her parents certainly don't mind... everyone who comes to pay their respects to the baby include a nice monetary gift.

More medical freakiness.... have you heard these news reports about the pregnant "man" from Oregon? That'll have to be a post for another day....

I'm just one big medical mystery

I think if you were to compare the number of cans of Dr. Pepper I drank this weekend to the number of hours I've slept, Dr. Pepper would win. In fact, I'm pretty sure I ate more oreos than the hours I slept this weekend, too.

How have I never had a cavity?

For that matter, why am I not 30 lbs overweight?


(Happy thought: Just 19.5 days left until the end of Semester Two of grad school. I finish my last exam at 5PM on Saturday. Yup, a final on Saturday... lame, eh? Let's see, that's just 468 hours from now.... and counting...)

Moose, Yaks, White Rhinos... whatever.

As my dad pointed out, he didn't give me Moose Tracks for Christmas. Moose Tracks is an ice cream flavor:



He did, in fact, give me a pair of YAK Trax.... not nearly as creamy and delicious, but slightly more helpful in slippery conditions:


Either way, thanks, Dad. You can send me Yak Trax or Moose Tracks any time you want.

News Flash:

"Money doesn't buy happiness."

Thank you, Reuters. Your insight is astonishing.

Spring Break!

My honey came and visited me over spring break.... Between tux fittings, gift registering, house-hunting, and budget-making, we still had a chance to get out and enjoy some fresh Colorado air, starting with some miniature golf:

The course had a "Colorado Journey" theme... ranging from the Garden of the Gods (above), to the Eisenhower Tunnel:



At the time, we thought it was a cave. Ergo, we're cavemen.




And, for some reason, bodybuilders.







Later in the week, we went hiking in the Flatirons outside of Boulder, to one of the "summits" in this series of mini-peaks.






That's as far as I could make it after setting the camera timer...










Dad gave me "Moose Tracks" for Christmas (basically, tire chains for your shoes), and I finally got to put them to use (the trail was pretty icy in spots)... we had just one pair, though, so we each only got one.




Hey! Look what I found in the forest!!!






We also took some "official" engagement photos for invitations and such... I'd set the camera timer, run over, and try to look natural...



...often unsuccessfully.




Kitchen glamor shots turned out better.


Hoping for a better background, we stopped at a nearby park, and I continued the set-timer-and-run routine, resulting in a series of very awkward shots.



The Prom Pose.




The Hunchback Boyfriend.




The awkward elbow-squeeze.



The Fiendish Smile shot.



And, finally, something a little more acceptable. :)