I heard it on NPR...

If I didn't hear it on NPR first, I would have thought it was a lie (or a joke).

Click here to read the article - it's short.

Just let you know, ladies... it's my sanctuary too.

Naked and ashamed.

You know those dreams where you know you've forgotten something only to find out that what you're missing are your pants? It's a shameful, embarrassing thing, right?

Today, I forgot my GPS.

I felt like I couldn't remember how to drive. Seriously.

On my way home, I started to give myself directions like, "In 500 feet, turn right, if possible."

So interweb, if anyone out there is listening anymore, I have effectively dumbed myself down to the point and as evidenced by my inability to drive well without a machine telling me what to do.

Is this what our first parents felt like in the garden? Disoriented by their own nudity? Thrown off by trying to find their path through life without the clear directions that emanate from just under their rear view mirror?

This is another reason why I love the city. At least here, things are on a grid (like a waffle).

We're moving to Canada!

Update.

I posted this a few months ago and have only just now gotten to changing things around so that my SS# doesn't show when you view my documents (thanks to Jonathan, I pulled the post quickly). At the end of the day, there was resolution on this but no apology from the IRS.

Not surprised.

I recently read through their letter again - I love how they use blame shifting to try to implicate the taxpayer with these form letters, "If you would have filed electronically..." Nice.

And if you never read the post, read it now and all of this will make sense.

"Gene, I've got some bad news," she said over the phone.
I was in Connecticut. It was already late and I was coming off a long day (having been up since 4:40am).
"Um. What is it?" I expected something about the neighborhood or something about one of our friends. Maybe something about crime in the city.
"We got a letter from the IRS."
"What?"
"Yeah, a letter from the IRS."
"What does it say?"
"Well, I just skimmed it."
"Can you read it to me over the phone?"
"It's kind of long."
"Okay, I'll read it when I get home."

For the last three years, I've prepared our taxes. The past two have been with Turbotax. I've always been worried that something like this would happen. Needless to say, my stomach's been kind of upset all day.

So what did the IRS write? They need proof of my withholding entry of $404,500.00. I looked at my 1040, the actual number on line 64 is $4,045.

So I called the number listed on the letter. After 49 minutes of waiting on hold, a person finally picked up. She basically told me that I needed to send over another copy of my 1040.

"Is the IRS going to pay me for the time and postage that is required for me to send this to you since it was a mistake the IRS made?"
"Um...most likely I'm thinking no. But you can contact your local branch to ask."
"Gah! I hate the U.S. Government!" and I hung up the phone.

Lately, on a lot of different levels, I just feel like I'm getting screwed. If you want to hear it from me, then ask because this hits on a lot of different levels. More on topic, however, is the face that our government hates to take responsibility for what it does. It's the reason we wait 230+ years to apologize for something as inane as slavery. It's the reason we destroy countries and leave them desolate and claim that it's all for the fight against terror. It's the whole reason that an ignorant, belligerent and imbecilic administration looks to destroy our natural lands in the short term for a fix that doesn't have a long tail.

My written response to the IRS:
"Dear Madam:

In regard to your letter number <> dated June 26, 2008, please check the original Form 1040 that I sent to the IRS earlier this year. The amount listed on line 64 is actually $4,045.00 and not $404,500.00 (as described in your letter). I called 1-800-829-0922 and was told that I would have to send in another copy of my 1040 but find this an unnecessary and unreasonable expense of time and money on my behalf in lieu of the fact that the mistake was that of the IRS and not of my own making.

Thank you for your time."

Hence, we're moving to Canada to escape Bush (See video below) and his authoritarian, unlawful patriot act bearing and shortsighted regime.

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency