Indoors or out, no one relaxes
In March, that month of wind and taxes,
The wind will presently disappear,
The taxes last us all the year.
-- Ogden Nash ["Thar She Blows," Versus (1949)]

Since my birthday is the day after the April 15th filing deadline, Tax Time is particularly poignant for me — a curious mixture of celebration and high spirits immediately following this national day of doom, dread, and despair.

I'm filing this article under "Politics" here at Blogcritics, but taxes aren't really a political issue anymore, no matter what politicians may say about "tax cuts," "tax breaks," and "read my lips: no new taxes." Let's face it — until we elect a Libertarian president and/or have another revolution in this country, we're stuck with 'em.

So I grudgingly filed my federal and state income taxes recently, which inspired several Tax Time topics to ponder...

First of all, there was this surprising statement at the end of the 1040EZ instructions:

"The average time and expenses required to complete and file Form 1040EZ will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated averages are: