Ever shoot some paper or trash into the wastebasket from a distance? Of course you have. Ever made the shot and said, "she (he) shoots, she (he) scores!” Ever missed the shot and said, "she (he) shoots, she (he) misses!”

Well if you have ever said, "she (he) shoots, she (he) misses" you can follow up that sentence with the following, "maybe I should play for the Celtics." It wouldn't hurt the team. It might even help and after 9 straight losses the Celts need some help. You may not, however, want to be associated with the Celtics and after last nights loss to the Hawks I cannot blame you.

I was at the disastrous game and watched the Celtics get handed their own asses on a platter. Luckily I scored free tickets or I would have been mad that I had to pay.

The Hawks missed their first eight shots and started the game 1-for-17 from the floor as they trailed 28-10 at the end of the first. (At this rate they were on pace to score a total of 40 points for the whole game! 40 points! The lowest one-team total since the invention of the 24-second shot clock in 1954 was the Bulls (sans Jordan) who scored a total of 49 points against the Heat in April of 1999.)


At the halftime break the Celts led 44-29. (It was at this point that I got myself excited thinking I was actually going to see the Celtics win a game!) The Hawks started to cut down the lead in the third and went on a 10-0 run and took a 66-62 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. The final score: 82-76 Atlanta.

It's that season again...

That's right, tax season.

And despite the crazy man in NH who has barricaded himself in his house and refuses to pay over $100,000 in back taxes to the Federal government, you do still have to pay taxes. For all his followers, check Amendment XVI of the Constitution of the United States of America.


I was able to catch a glimpse at a tax return from 1938 this weekend. (Yeah, that's gonna be some penalty.) You may be familiar with the individual income tax return of today with multiple pages, having to attach various schedules, and forms, ect.

The individual income tax return of 1938 was so simple. It was all on one page, income, deductions, and computation of tax. There were roughly 15 lines. H&R Block would have had no business.

Also, interestingly enough, there was an earned income tax credit in 1938, which today reduces (or eliminates) the taxes that low-income working people pay. Back in 1938 the earned income tax credit was viewed variously as a pro-work alternative to welfare and as an offset to the Social Security payroll tax.

Also in 1938, the federal minimum wage was enacted but was not indexed for inflation and thus declined in real value until Congress increased it.

"Gin a body meet a body..." What?

This week has been slightly weird for me.

On Tuesday I kept having a feeling of deja vu: before I left my house, in my car, at work, and when I got back home. It was very peculiar. And the familiar feeling was not about anything big; just a bunch of little stuff.


Now this morning I find myself waking up quoting, (err maybe it qualifies as chanting?) the last two stanzas of Robert Burns' poem "Coming Through the Rye". What?

I don't know what I was dreaming about - but I guess something literary. The last time I read that poem was in high school. I wish I could remember what I was dreaming about because I sure am interested.

Things that help me through the work day...

I've been very lax about posting - I know. And now all I've got is a cheat post. If it helps any, it is my favorite kind, a list. Things that help me through the work day.

We've all got 'em, we all need 'em. Here is a short list of mine.
-all you crazy cats chatting it up on AIM
-www.drmomentum.com/aces
-random web surfing
-www.pamie.com
-www.lifeintheoffice.com - essential for fans of The Office
-WBGO - Awesome New Jersey Jazz station
-www.lifehacker.com - good ideas, pointers, tips, apps, and general geeky stuff that I love
-iTunes
-trips to the water fountain
-wikipedia.org
-capecodonline.com - way to keep up with what goes on at home


wait - how do I manage to get any work done?

Plans for the New Year

I welcome in 2007 but at the same time am sad to see 2006 go. 2006 was very good to me.

2006 was filled with travel, adventure, fun and laughter. I can only hope for more in the future.
In terms of resolutions I list the following:

1. Keep smiling
2. Go ice skating outdoors
3. Put my feet in some body of water that I never have before
4. Go on a trip
5. Hike more
6. Bike more
7. Kayak more
   

And to get 2007 off to a good start, I will be spending the first weekend of the New Year enjoying 2 of my favorite things: Mathematics and Music.