On April 15th you count your blessings . . . and then send them to Washington.

Well hello there, it seems like it was only yesterday, but ain't it funny how time slips away. Or something like that. It is Thursday, April 12, 2012, and the counting down to tax day looms before many of our fellow citizens. The line about how that the only thing certain in life are taxes and death was uttered by a number of famous people. The more modern usage was coined by Benjamin Franklin when he said this in 1789, "Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed." Now we have a new wrinkle to examine. A recently completed study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association makes it very clear that taxes are not only certain but they also can be very deadly. In this study it was revealed that traffic collisions across the country go up an average of 6% on tax day. This is a consistent trend over the past 30 years. Using fatality data makes it clear that taxes kill people, at least when the tax payer has a fatal collision. Many experts have attempted to come up with reasons for this very clear increase in potential harm. Some think it attributed to the stress of dealing with the tax deadline, perhaps the increase in the use of alcohol, or maybe related to a loss of sleep associated with the preparation process. This is a very real and present reality and it has been consistent in the data from 1980-2009. Some advice: Buckle up buckaroo, keep your eyes not only on the road but also on those other people who may be overtaxed in worrying about their taxes. I know this is a taxing subject and I prefer to always get off on a positive footing here at the blogger ranch but it's also good to forewarn everyone when we can.

That should make next Monday, the 16th, a real interesting day to be driving. The deer have their way of making their presence known and now I have to be on the lookout for a distracted tax payer prone to collide. It's always something. This morning I will be meeting with a fellow to look at our downstairs bathroom where we have spotted some termites at work. Hopefully we caught them before they did a lot of damage. Hopefully. We have been treated for termite prevention but that had been some time ago. Those are some very little bitty dudes but they are capable of great destruction. Thanks to our middle son Jimmy who cut into the ceiling and has already done some spraying ahead of the expert coming to check it all out. From what we can see, it doesn't appear that there is extensive damage but they have been busy doing what termites do. (That is, from what we can see.) Just between you and I, we really didn't need this right now. How many times have we all said that? Let's hope that 'it could have been much worse' metaphor will be applicable to this latest development. My wife has one of the little critters preserved in a plastic sandwich bag. We've burned a few cycles on the internet looking at images and reading about these pests. Guess what? We had not really given them a second thought BUT now they have become big news in and around our place. See how quickly things can change. That's why we all need to have our Unchangeable God to stand by us as we deal with the many surprises that life brings to us, yes, even when a swarm of eusocial insects come calling.

My wife freaked out a little. It seems that since she has retired to her new stay-at-home occupation it has been one thing after another. Some of these have seemed to be serious, but in context, there are much more serious matters at stake for us all. A friend sent me a note the other day that gave the ages of the current supreme court justices. Those that could be coming to an end of their tenure are aged, 76, 78, 78, and 81. Why is this important? The President nominates replacements to the court. We have seen the judicial orientation of President Obama's nominees. We would expect the same going forward and perhaps even more left leaning since he would be in his second and last term. Imagine a court with a greatly reduced conservative voice. Simply put, this issue in and of itself pretty much frames the next election. Who do you want to be in the position to nominate supreme court replacements? It will be a matter of judicial restraint versus judicial activism. The Constitution and how it is respected, interpreted, and applied, matters, to every individual, and those who wear these highest of the black robes can determine the direction of our nation. Of course, God permitting. I thanked my friend for reminding me of this simple but profound issue. Consider yourself to be reminded as well. Have a great day and may all the swarms you encounter be made up of blessings from our Lord. Amen.      .....More later.