Thursday

So a little bit of a deep freeze in the Midwest. It is December.

I had my chest x-ray today. The whole business of radiology has changed with digital imagery. They take the picture the same way, but it gets immediately downloaded and can then be shipped anywhere. I asked the tech who took mine about how the procedure was so different today than perhaps when she was originally trained. She said that she was kind of in the transition generation as they had taught some of the digital stuff while she was in school.

In the seminar that I attended yesterday, one of the presenters was talking about how their firm had got swamped with extended tax returns and had to engage some temps, who happened to be in India. Just like x-rays can be read anywhere once they're online, there is an increasing outsourcing of tax business to India. Because it is there. And it is usually pretty reliable and cheap. As long as they don't have to talk to the client.

My bias against the sub-continent began at Iowa. I hated the TA's in statistics, computer science, and a couple of other MBA classes. I could never understand them. It's kind of like going to the drive-through at Fast Food USA and trying to communicate through a large, double echoing tunnel intercom system.

The problem with the flood on extended tax returns is a little interesting. Prior to 2006, an individual return could be atomatically extended four months to August 15th. A second extension for another two months was available, but you had to apply for that second extension with another form before August 15th. So there was always a portion of the April extended reurns that actually got done by the August 15th extented due date. The remainder of the double-extended returns had to be filed by October 15th.

In 2006, the rules were changed and all extended returns received an automatic six month extension to October 15th. Which meant that there was no artificial deadline at August 15th. So procratinators that we are, October 15th became a deluge of delayed work with no respite. Some might argue that information returns were unusually late this year. But the real reason for the problem is that professionals absolutely live by deadlines. If there isn't one, let's get a tee time!

The Bulls killed the Sixers last night. 10 days after they got run out of the gym in Philly. I don't get the NBA. One night, a team beats another by 20. The next night, they play at the other team's place, and the score is reversed. And maybe the star player for the first team even sits the following night. And his replacement, who went to Mississippi Northern State for two years, and whom I have never heard of, goes for 32. It's gotta be drugs.

Hope you all have a pleasant evening.

Be careful out there.