Tax-time is fast approaching, so expect to see a lot more humor circulating the internet along these lines:

At the end of the tax year, the IRS office sent an inspector to audit the books of a local hospital. While the IRS agent was checking the books he turned to the CFO of the hospital and said, "I notice you buy a lot of bandages. What do you do with the end of the roll when there's too little left to be of any use?"

"Good question," noted the CFO. "We save them up and send them back to the bandage company and every now and then they send us a free box of bandages."

"Oh," replied the auditor, somewhat disappointed that his unusual question had a practical answer. But on he went, in his obnoxious way.

"What about all these plaster purchases? What do you do with what's left over after setting a cast on a patient?"

"Ah, yes," replied the CFO, realizing that the inspector was trying to trap him with an unanswerable question. "We save it and send it back to the manufacturer, and every now and then they send us a free package of plaster."

"I see," replied the auditor, thinking hard about how he could fluster the know-it-all CFO.

"Well," he went on, "What do you do with all the leftover foreskins from the circumcisions you perform?"

"Here, too, we do not waste," answered the CFO. "What we do is save all the little foreskins and send them to the IRS Office, and about once a year they send us a complete dick."

Hat-tip lizart8 of DelphiForums.

I've seen a fair share of IRS-related horror stories, but I've also had the opportunity to work at the IRS, to work with and get to know people who worked at the IRS and who worked with people on taxes, and to work with people at the IRS who work with tax payers who have problems with relation to their returns (late / delinquent / missing returns, etc.), and what I've noted overall is that -- for the most part, in my direct experience, the people at the IRS aren't out to screw the average American taxpayer and will work to help ensure that the average taxpayer with their tax-related issues and responsibilities.

So, enjoy the jokes -- there are some definite dicks running about at the IRS and in nearly every business, government or otherwise -- but don't forget that it's humor. There are many, many hard-working individuals at all levels of the IRS who, like you, are also taxpayers and who take pride in their work. They strive to provide excellent customer service, and often have real reason to be proud in the often thankless tasks they perform. Give 'em a break.

And now, below the fold, please share any stories of success or strife that you may have stumbled across through the years.

This is an Open Thread.

For more information: www.irs.gov

ePluribus Media had a chance to get to a Blogger's meet up with Rep. Jim Himes in Norwalk, Connecticut, on Tuesday night and we hit on a bunch of topics. We have a couple of videos up on the topic of Healthcare Reform over here already and you can peek at these YouTube uploads for more (Six from this event edited so far).

But for those of you that might wonder "if Rep. Anthony Weiner is really pushing as hard as he can for Single Payer?" You might enjoy this short and humorous video from the interview below the fold:

Hat-tip to Lordrag of DelphiForums for the catch.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

...it's Tuesday afternoon evening. Are you in an area under the threat of (or recently hit by) heavy storms? If so, tell us about it in the comments. Also, please keep the South Dakota reservations in mind and help out in any way you can.

This is ...uh... ~checks palm~ ...Ah! Yes, this is an Open Thread.

Hat-tip ametrine of DelphiForums.

With healthcare and insurance reform still topping the charts as hot topics, Jimmy Wellington of The Fake News blog posted a good bit of snarky humor: Woman Denied Health Coverage After Chance Encounter With Jack Bauer

Below are the top 12 pre-existing conditions for which someone could get denied health coverage in Jimmy's piece -- but do go read the whole thing.

1. Do you ever beam down to an alien planet while wearing a red shirt?
   
2. Does your boyfriend or relative have supernatural powers that he uses to save innocent people on a regular basis?
   
3. Do you do menial work for the Dharma Initiative?
   
4. Is your best friend a werewolf?
   
5. Are you a black person who finds themselves and their group of white friends in a scary or supernatural situation?
   
6. Do you ever find yourself between Al Sharpton and a camera?
   
7. When the entire world blacks out and sees 6 months into the future, did you see nothing?
   
8. Does your school librarian keep many books about witchcraft, werewolves, and, most importantly, vampires?
   
9. Have you recently seen a car with two good-looking FBI agents and a lot of sexual tension between them?
   
10. Are you frequently in a car driven by a member of the Kennedy family?
    
11. Have you seen a 1950’s British Police Box in your neighborhood – especially if you don’t live in the 1950s or Britain?
    
12. Did you have a dream of you and all your friends dying in a horrible accident, but told everyone about your premonition and saved most of you?

I must say, perhaps I'm a tad prudish but I wasn't overly fond of the Kennedy reference -- p'raps because of the relatively recent passing of Senator Kennedy, and need for MA residents to elect someone to finish his term. But otherwise, my favorite references were the red-shirt and Doctor Who ones...yeah, I'm a sci-fi nut.

Anywho, those ought to give folks a few moments of illusory enjoyment before the crushing realities of the day encroach on our minds once again...

I'm very pleased to announce a new blog from Artlyn Entertainment which will be as much fun to do as it will be for readers to enjoy.

I've been thinking about doing another blog in the format of Bitchy Old Queen (BOQ) but hadn't quite figured out in what context or direction to develope a new blog.

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart takes a look at the healthcare successes of the Democrats:

(h/t GottaLaff :)

Here's a little something for you on a toasty warm Monday morning!

Let me know how you did or didn't do!  I will accept all successful tips!

Evidentally kids in second grade in China work on this test.

You can take the test here....  Have fun!

This is good silliness, a la JibJab:

Apparently, it was shown to President Obama while he attended the America's Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner, and he appeared to enjoy it.

Image courtesy of xkcd.com. Used with permission.

Sometimes it seems as though sites like icanhascheezburger, lolcats and ihasahotdog have taken on lives of their own, quickly becoming phenomena unto themselves and permeating pop culture across the spectrum of daily experience.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more dog and puppy pictures

And sometimes, people just need to get out more.

This is an Open Thread.

Remember when the Bush/Cheney Administration was still in office?

Ah...good times. Good times...

Cough - Sputter ...

Ahem

NOM's anti-gay marriage campaign: 2M4M.

--David Kurtz

Who knew?

As the rain spits, sputters and spouts at random intervals in my area, I happened across this little ad:

It should be...interesting, no?

It's a  stormy day here on the Gulf Coast... A friend of mine in Ohio sent me this little ditty......

Here's one to hold onto -- a fantastic image from plognark:

Young Earth Creationists, Religious Extremists, Conspiracy Theorists, New-age loons, Political extremists, Creepy perverts, EMO teenagers, Racists, Sexists, Furries, Anti-vaccine freaks, and everyone who's got fingers and can at least hunt and peck letters on a keyboard has suddenly gained a forum, an outlet for their absurd notions, where they can share their shitty irrational ideas and infect other irrational monkies with absurdities.

Is this a bad thing? Hell. No. This is fucking great. :thumbs:

This gives me the chance to make fun of every stupid retarded idea that our species comes up with. I mean, sure, sure, maybe we'll all become more enlightened and tolerant and better able to appreciate different cultures and solve the world problems and all that, but in the mean time, there is so much stupidity to be made fun of that it makes me giddy just thinking about it.

According to the author's own comment about it over on badastronomy, the image is one of "an otherwise intelligent person who has suffered a lethal exposure to someone else’s awe inspiring level of stupidity" -- so yeah, it's got a pretty wide potential for use. I keep thinking Primal Screams of Anguish material.

And the best part? You can now get the T-Shirt.

I know what I want on my next birthday. (aside from a Fujitsu 5010 Lifebook tablet)

Hat-tip Dupa T. Parrot.