Some taxing thoughts...

and a lot on my mind.



As a result of repeated behaviour or programming from years and years of working Monday to Friday, I generally regard Sunday as my goofing off, do-nothing-productive kind of day without feeling any kind of guilt. But for some reason my brain has been in high gear today and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down as evening draws near.

This has me asking WTF?

While browsing for song lyrics in an attempt to free my muddled thoughts, I stumbled on a document with a mighty eye-catching title Thirst for Justice followed by Canada’s Federal Income Tax is Unconstitutional.

Say what???

Written by a Mr. Murray Gauvreau out of Alberta this six-page paper was delivered by Gauvreau in 1991 at a seminar of the Canadian League of Rights and apparently was published in the 1992 summer issue of “The Canadian Intelligence Service.”

Who knew??? So what’s the big deal anyway you ask???

Well, I just filed my 2009 income tax return on Friday only to find out that I now owe Revenue Canada another fair chunk of change which I don’t happen to have at my disposal. Hmmmm, I wonder if they’ll let me tack it on to the balance that I’m still paying for a 2008 tax return error my accountant made which I just found out about last month! DOH!

What the hell, it’s only money and my total amount is a pittance compared to some other folks I'm sure. Besides I’m fairly certain I’ll be able to work out some kind of a payment schedule with the powers that be as soon as I call them Monday morning, but this enquiring mind needs to know...could it be true?

If there’s even one ounce of truth to Mr. Gauvreau’s claim, how many of us taxed to the max Canadians know about this? So to find out if it’s fact or faction, I’m on a mission and I will get back to this blog with my findings.

In the meantime go ahead and Google Thirst for Justice and see it for yourself. Let me know what you think or if you have any other information on this subject which may be of interest to us all.

Hmmm, perhaps we passive, trusting Canucks will finally take a hard line stance in demanding to know the truth about our rights as taxpayers. The only trouble I can see is who the hell is going to tell us taxpayers the truth? Certainly no one in the Harper government would even though “lower taxes for working Canadians” was one of their five key priorities second to the number one priority “cleaning up government by enacting and enforcing the Federal Accountability Act.”

WTF? Say what?

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign ... and symbols

Not sure why exactly, but the last little while I've been so much more aware of my surroundings, especially during my morning power walks.

Having Valleyview Road almost in my backyard it behooves me to traverse its' 4 km from my place up Crescent Hill to Green Avenue which I affectionately christened butt grind hill or BGH for short. From whence I came the most exciting hills are cloverleaf overpasses, so it's no wonder I continue to be in awe of the spectacular terrain as I take each breathless, sweaty step.

There's no words to describe the peacefulness of walking this route and I feel honoured the grazing mule deer and curious quail aren't bothered by me (and others) passing through. In fact the ambience of being-in-the-country-while-still-in-the-city is even more intense lately as the orchards along the winding lane are slowly but surely awakening after their long wintry nap.

Blossoms, buds and birds in perfect harmony are sure signs of spring!

Speaking of signs, I also observed the above everyday symbols and signs during this 60-minute escape of mine. Wow. Seeing them here in this column is quite an eye-opener.

Well it is for me anyway, because the signs and symbols posted above are just a teensy-tiny smattering of the conditioning in our human brain - the control tower of our being if you will. This is what I see during my insignificant 60-minute walk, so just imagine the knowledge, recognition and interpretation of the signs and symbols stored in our brains during a 24-hour period...then multiply that by years or even a lifetime. It blows my mind.

How do you quantify the amount of storage available in our brains? Hmmm, does the brain store info like computers using megabytes and gigabytes? Or perhaps it's more imagery or memory related connected to neurons and transmitters...billions of them.

The answer my friend is irrelevant, because we humans (scientists included) still, to this very day, don't fully understand the marvels and the workings of that approximately three pounds of tissue that's all in our heads.

Signs and symbols ... just stop and look around you ... they are everywhere. Could it be a pollution of the graphic kind? Is it any wonder then that I often go into what I affectionately call auto pilot and subconsciously block that which I don't wish to see?

Or perhaps that could be a sign of being one year older and ahem, another year wiser.