Who Taxes The Taxmen?

On Instapundit, Mr. Reynolds wants someone to ask John Kerry why his tax returns show an 85 dollar deduction for non-money donations to Goodwill. I'll provide an answer in a moment, but I think this is the image Mr. Reynolds wants to create: a frenzied Kerry, huddled over his receipts at the kitchen table, greed in his eyes, as he looks for any and everything possible that can be claimed as a deduction before the seconds tick away to midnight.

A more reasonable explanation: John Kerry pays an accountant to do his taxes. And as a seasoned political veteran, Kerry keeps sharp financial records, because he never knows when they could be called into question. Ergo, all his donations are cataloged and, come tax time, the accountant deducts them because that's his job. Would the crew at Instapundit have Kerry go through his tax form line by line, striking out any deduction deemed a potential "zinger" for conservative bloggers? What is the worst that comes out of this? The public knows that Kerry gave to Goodwill? Scandalous....

Talk To Me Goose, Talk To Me

At Political Animal, Mr. Kevin Drum is discussing the now infamous "Mission accomplished" Banner. For my part, (and believe me, I'm no Kevin Drum) this is just another example of political overkill on the part of the republicans. Kind of like when Fox News complains about media bias.

Contrary to our old friend Ari Fleischer's original assertion, Bush could have reached the air craft carrier by helicopter and held a composed, professional press conference. Instead, Secretary of Genius Karl Rove constructed the political equivalent of a Super Bowl Victory parade. The entire thing, from the Top Gun flashback to the banner, seemed designed with the sole intent of goading the anti-war movement. Looking back, I admire Rove's restraint in not blaring "Highway to the Danger Zone" as the jet touched down. It would have been too much.

These people aren't happy until they're shoving it down your throat.

A Good Night In The AL East

As the Orioles pound the Blue Jays, the Red Sox are handing it to the Yankees over on Fox.

Can someone explain why tonight's N.Y./Boston game is nationally televised, but tomorrow's (with the more compelling Schilling vs. Mussina match-up )isn't?

Let's Play Hardball

Chris Matthews is a dolt. Conservatives are up in arms about his "Hardball Exclusives" with the 9-11 widows, but any semi-regular viewer of the show knows that Chris has spent the past three years pandering to the Bernie Goldberg crowd and trying to get a seat at the popular kids lunch table. (Right between that leggy vixen Ann Coulter and Tucker Carlson, the conservative movement's Screech.)

So it comes as no surprise that Chris hates liberals, only that he would display his hatred so openly. Take this exchange from the April 13 transcript of Hardball, where he and Pat Buchanan opine on their favorite Bush characteristics.

MATTHEWS: I like him when he [Bush]—you know when I like him best? When he gives the answer nobody likes, like, what did you do wrong? I‘m not prepared to say that right now.

BUCHANAN: Right.

MATTHEWS: And my greatest philosopher is Jesus Christ. I like when he says the stuff that the liberals don‘t like.

BUCHANAN: That was terrific, yes.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I can't remember the last time Chris said, "You know what I like? When Johh Kerry describes his nuanced position on homosexual rights and gay marriage. I like it when he says the stuff the dittoheads don't like."

The Novak Zone?

Bob Novak is making a great deal of Tony Blair's unfaltering support for the war in the face of mounting casualties. It should be noted that while April has been the most deadly month thus far for U.S. troops in Iraq, the sum total of British soldiers that have died in Iraq this month is zero.

Each British citizen, or any citizen for that matter, lost in Iraq is a tragedy. However, that doesn't change the fact that Novak is being disingenuous. It's tough going for Blair already, but had 89 British soldiers died by mid-month, he would be facing a maelstrom of negative press and an even more hostile Parliament.

What You Can Expect and What's New With The Site.

What You Can Expect

In the past, I've used the royal "we" mainly because I like my politics with a little bit of condescension. It annoys the dittoheads. I won't be doing this anymore because: a) I've decided to be very informal, and b) In the end it just looked like "we" were doing a very poor imitation of the incomparable Daily Howler.

Also, I was trying to do too much at once. My writing suffered because of it. My final post was super long and, between work on other projects, took two days to research and complete. This doesn't mean I'll stop doing long posts, I'll just break them up into multi-day chapters.

I'll also be commenting more on things other than politics, including: books, movies, music, other blogs I read and the DC Metro area.

What's New With The Site is the comments feature. Now, in the event that anyone actually reads this site, they're free expound on my nonsensical rantings. Call me a dope, a jerk, whatever. It's open season.

And in the more likely event that no one's reading, may I please toast myself? (which requires a drink in each hand, and is thus an occasion to celebrate)

Cheers.

A (not so) brief explanation... or Where, in God's name, have you been?

Having computer problems for one. Aside from enormous upgrade difficulties, this "spyware" crap is killing me. The issue has been addressed for now, and hopefully I'll take care of it this weekend. But regardless, the computer was just part of a much larger problem.

I'm a screenwriter. Or maybe "half a screenwriter" would be more appropriate.

At an Orioles game two weeks ago, I heard a Red Sox fan refer to Javy Lopez as "half a catcher." I disagree on the Javy issue, but the term is dead-on for me as a screenwriter. I'm confident in my ability, but I've haven't sold a single thing.

Anyway, I learned recently that my agent would be going on hiatus for six months to help produce a small film (WGA rules prevent him from representing clients while serving as a producer.) In light of that, and other issues, I've decided to finish college; either this summer or, if necessary, fall. I left needing between 1 - 3 classes for a degree in journalism. In retrospect, it was the wrong decision, but I wanted to take a year to focus on screenwriting. This was kind of a success, in that I got an agent; it was a basically a failure, because now we're on hiatus and the sum total of my life equates to 95% of a college education and stack of screenplays.

In short, I'm a creative dope with a tiny hint of newswriting ability.

To sum this up: I'm going to keep writing, but the focus shifts to school from here on out.

Oh yeah, I also have a pretty mean case of chronic anxiety disorder (which is probably why I'm writer.)

So I've got that going for me.

NEXT: Now that I've laid all the cards out on the table, it's "What's New With The Site and What You Can Expect."

And we're back! Mark it down on your calenders, as Friday April 16 is the date that things fall apart makes it's amazing return to mediocrity.