April 14, 2006

I usually avoid talking about Religion (as well as Politics, the Weather and Barry Bonds), but there is a mini-landmark in Pismo Beach near my home: a sign for a Palm Reader that sticks up over the trees alongside Highway 101. Well, last Sunday was Palm Sunday, and I was looking for a totally inappropriate way to celebrate, so I went over there and… can you believe it? The Palmist was closed on Palm Sunday.

There’s a more serious seasonal window painting in downtown San Luis Obispo that’s supposed to show the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb, accompanied by the words “He Is Risen”. Unfortunately, the artistic quality wasn’t that great, and the first two times I passed by I thought the stone looked like a loaf of bread, making the tomb an old earthen oven. Well, the “Risen” part fits…

Enough blasphemy. I’m going to spend the next few days working on the nuts and bolts of this site, so if it goes all weird or broken or just disappears entirely before Sunday, no Your Webmaster has not been crucified (as much as I may deserve to be), and I can’t promise I’ll be back in three days, but miracles do happen…

I have another date-sensitive “5Top” list at MSNBC.com, and it’s not about Easter. While others went the easy way with “Famous Tax Evasion Cases”, I went for the more all-encompassing “HISTORICAL TAX TROUBLEMAKERS”. Yeah, I’ve got Al Capone, but I also have the Boston Tea Party (which was less about taxes than most people believe), the Laffer Curve, H&R Block(heads) and the Beatles’ “Taxman” song.

Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
’cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all

Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
’cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
And you’re working for no one but me

There’s a news story that came in right after my deadline about tax evasion charges against a couple who won a $40 million lottery jackpot in Florida. Not only is this story totally , but it features a classic mug shot of the man, Alex Toth. (NOT the same Alex Toth who worked for Hanna Barbera in the 60s and 70s and designed the characters in “Space Ghost”, but certain resemblances are… let’s say eerie.)