Internal Revenue Service (2008)

Oh man. The first review of a government entity! Not even worth putting verbs in the first two "sentences."
I have some unique tax implications for my 2007 return. For instance I have deductible interest for student loans. I also have some deductible interest for my 401(k). But what is really going to blow my refund out of the water (in a good explosive more cash in my pocket sort of way), is the $2000 bones I get to deduct for renting my Uhaul and moving to Chicago.
But have I really moved here?
Am I really eligible for all that cash back?
Sorta and probably!
It's tricky because the way the rules work depend on how much work you are going to get in the first year of living here. Luckily I've been hired for a project that will last 'til about September. Worst case scenario is that I don't meet that expecation and I have to return that cash.
But anyway here's the part you're all interested in...
Although I had two watch checks on my call to the IRS, in 15 minutes of waiting I finally got to chat with Mrs. Baker. I highly recommend her if you are in the central tax zone. She was super friendly and helped me answer my questions. Just make sure when you call you have a good idea of what you need to know and any pertinent receipts. Luckily I just rely on my asstute memory. Or is it astute: a-s-t-u-t-e. Yes. I think so. Yes.
Really my opinion of the tax code is that if you have a basic level of reading and arithmetic you can do your taxes and save some cash. Unless you have a home, kids, pending divorce, unearned income, or aren't in the bottom tax bracket, you should just do your own taxes. It only takes about an hour.
EDIT: I liken Mrs. Baker's customer service expertise to calling up the little old Bea Arthur lady in your condo of old people and asking for help with your W-2. I'm expecting her to send me rum-raisin oatmeal cookies in an IRS decorative tin (IRS Tin 3210(b)) any day now.

Weird Al Yankovic "Straight Outta Lynwood Tour" BZN, MT, 9/9/07

So I have to say, "Holy Shit."
HOLY SHIT.
There I said it. I don't think growing up it ever occurred to me that I might ever see Weird Al in concert. Ever. When I found out he was coming to town, I decided to go. Even better, my girlfriend bought the tickets. I was more stoked to see this show than any of the other 5 previous concerts I'd been to: BB King, Violent Femmes, Green Day, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Banyan. And the one pending concert: White Stripes.
I had no idea what to expect. What's more I heard from the local producer (a business acquaintance) that Weird Al usually plays for sit down shows and this was set up more like a regular rock show (see Green Day), I was intrigued.
The show was a multimedia blend of old favorites and new stuff I'd never heard in the last five years. Not multimedia like a U2 show, but in-between medleys, Al would leave the stage and play both clips from his "interviews" on YTV, and clips of the general entertainment detritus that people find to be entertainment (sic (I love that)). And then there were confetti explosions and then Weird Al would do full costume changes including wearing the suit for "Fat." No lip-sync. No overt (stress double underline OVERT) political mumbo jumbo about war or starving or debt relief or AIDS messages either for against.
All in all I was just plain entertained. The only short comings were I figured out why after 2.75 hours why they play sit-down shows: all the video interstitials make standing hurt a bit. The other was that the show was in a formerly-open-building-turned-hockey-rink-at-the-fairgrouds. So corrugated metal is not so good. But others said the show sounded fine if you had ear protection to filter out the metal reverb.
Lastly the part I hated about the show was that I had to put chairs away and sweep the floor... and I hadn't even volunteered.
Payoff:
Press the flesh.
And The Pizza Show Ltd Ed DVD showed up on a certain Al's bus.