Taxconsin

Wisconsin's governor sure knows how to tax everything. We've seen taxes on liquor and gasoline. We've seen increased tax burdens on business within our state, especially in the financial sector in which I work...so much so, it's no surprise that we have difficulty in attracting any business in their right mind to set up home in our state. It's no wonder when you drive along I90 north from Beloit, how many businesses set up shop right along the border: in Illinois, along with a myriad of new houses.

I am miffed at how anyone as "brilliant" as our fine governor is can honestly make anyone believe that he can attract new jobs in the state, where we're already reeling from skyrocketing unemployment, foreclosures, and a depressed economy. And yet the majority of the citizens in Wisconsin continue to put like-minded officials into office. It truly astounds me.

Where does it end?

Unrealistic liberals from Madison and Milwaukee have certainly done a number on our state. I can only liken it to how ridiculous, unrealistic, intrusive, and expensive legislation and legislative ideas come out of our leadership in Washington, DC, under the leadership of delusional liberals from California. All one has to do is to look at the political cesspool that is California to really find out how screwed up of a state a bunch idealistic liberals can make.

I don't know if you're like me, but I bet if you lined up 50 different people, one from each state, you could almost always pick out the one from California. They're the one living in some fantasy world thinking they were at Disneyland. Yes, the US has 49 states and California. Perhaps we should sell it to Mexico, and use the money to pay for all of the programs that our current "fantasy island" president wishes to implement.

For that matter, why not throw in the cities of Madison and Milwaukee while we're at it, and do the people of Wisconsin a favor.

Aren't we tired yet of the unbridled recklessness we're starting to see? And isn't anyone concerned?

Ugh.....just another day in Taxconsin.

Full Contact Optometry

It's been a while since my last post, and I am working to get some entries put together to make up for lost time. However I feel compelled to share my visit to the optometrist today.

Having recently had some changes to my insurance coverage, I had to change optometrists. At first glance, I was rather impressed that I was able to get in right away today, after calling earlier this morning. It was a convenient time, and very convenient from where I work. Luckily, unlike my last experience with my former optometrist, my doctor didn't have to leave while I was sitting in the "chair" in order to respond to some contractors that had set off alarms at his home, only to leave me sitting in the chair for over an hour.

No. This didn't happen.

Nor did this doctor screw me over (yet) with some ridiculously priced merchandise.

It was interesting, however, that the assistant had one HELL of a time getting my information on the computer. Now, I have to admit that at times I talk to myself whenever I'm trying to figure out something. This woman was (I hope) asking a constant string of rhetorical questions. On a couple of occasions, I found myself answering them, though I shouldn't have.

Then, when trying to pull up my record on the computer, she asked me, "your name's not Arnold, is it?" Hmm....no...last time I checked, it wasn't.

After a battery of tests, I met the doctor. He isn't the friendliest, and I didn't see him crack a smile once during the interaction. In fact, on one occasion as he was leaning the special chair back, something gave way, and I felt as if I should either be a) on the Space Shuttle Endeavor, or b) a victim of Sweeney Todd. And I started to laugh. I was surprised that I didn't jettison backwards out of the chair.

Well, after getting my eyes dilated (and I thought my eyes looked really cool), they asked if I wanted to check on some new frames for glasses. Unfortunately, being blind as a bat, I would never know what they look like. My fear is that I would choose some SPED glasses that would have people question my mental capacity, especially in a professional setting. I respectfully declined.

Well, I did manage to get a new set of contacts, and have to go back to the doctor for a follow up appointment. I hope at least this time they know my name, and that they don't try dumping me in the gargantuan meat grinder that most certainly is in their basement.

Luckily, there's no restaurant attached to the doctor's office. So I have got THAT going for me at least...

Under Lock and Key

Today I had to venture down to the Armory, again. I say again because last night before going to play rehearsal, I realized that I needed to get a gift certificate for someone at work. So I went.
Not looking up the times that they are open, which was my first mistake, I figured, "they serve dinner, they have a restaurant....so certainly I should be able to get a gift certificate from someone there."

How wrong I was.

Getting there at about 20 minutes past 6 p.m., I caught the attention of the hostess, who was in having what seemed to be a personal conversation with a man behind the desk in the office. She glanced at me once, then again, then re-engaged herself back into the conversation. Realizing that I just wasn't going away (and I NEVER do when I am on a mission), she put on her best Pat Nixon smile and ask if I needed something. I told her I needed a gift certificate for $100.

She clenched her teeth, sucked in her breath and said, "gee...I'm sorry, the person from the box office just left." I asked her what that meant, and she said,"gift certificates can only be given out at the box office, and they just left 2 minutes ago." When I asked if she was serious, she said, "yeah, I'm afraid so." I then asked, "so there's absolutely no way that I can buy a gift certificate to the Armory." Quickly, she said, "nope, I'm sorry. You have to come back when the box office is open. They are the only ones that can ring up a gift certificate."

Now, in these trying economic times where restaurants, theatres, and any unnecessary frills are often eliminated due to economizing, I would have thought that they would have been eager to sell $100 to me. Apparently, the Armory is not hurting for business like the rest of Janesville is.

So, I trekked down there again this morning, just after they opened the box office. After all, I was following their rules. The young guy behind the glass partition got my gift certificate, and then proceeded to tell me that I needed to follow him up to the host's station so that he could ring up my purchase, as they weren't able to do it in the box office.

How interesting, they couldn't process the payment in the box office. They couldn't get the gift certificate at the host's station. Sounds like a very plausible system to me.

I should have just gotten the person at work a gift certificate somewhere else where you can do everything all in the same spot. Little did I know that those gift certificates were like gold in Fort Knox. Apparently it's called "The Armory" for other reasons.