I'm hoping that the only reason I'd ever seek out the help of a tax professional is that through some stroke of fortune, I'd become so wealthy that it'd take an army of accountants to keep my finances straight. Ever since I made enough money to have to file taxes, I've taken the easy way - using Tele-file while in college, and filing online the last 5 years or so, using TurboTax, initially via Yahoo! and now through the TurboTax site. Using TurboTax online is a snap, as each step guides you along, supposing you have your paperwork handy on the side, and it fills in your data and math as you go. A running total in the top left of the screen lets you know if you owe Uncle Sam a check, or if he owes you one.

Best of all, it imports all your previous year data if you've used the site before. That makes it simple - as you don't have to re-enter your contact and background information, and can mentally gauge how you did in contrast to the previous year, for income, deductions and taxes.

Yesterday, we wrapped up the 2005 filing, and all we have to do is store our records in the event of a future audit, or watch the bank account to be sure their direct deposit goes through. Very simple, and there's no reason I want Uncle Sam to hold onto my money for any longer than absolutely possible, so getting done in February is great.

I figured if this is my blog, then I should be able to feature those things I like - so I've set up a new category called "Endorsements", effectively sharing sites, movies, books, etc. that have strong qualities you just might like as well. First on this list is the service LinkedIn. LinkedIn functions as half job site, and half online address book. If you join LinkedIn, you can post an online resume, link to other colleagues or partners you know (assumedly they approve of you or your work), and can post or beg for endorsements, to flesh out your information.

Once on LinkedIn, you can track colleagues' or partners' comings and goings. As people take new jobs and update their profiles, their information changes in your "Connections" page. Also, if you're a sales or marketing type, and want to find somebody at another company, you can find out how many "degrees" you are away from them, and the right path through which you can gain contact. Taking things a step further, if you are looking for all the people on the LinkedIn network with the same job title or industry as someone you know, it's just a click away. Quickly, you can find all the System Administrators who work in Colorado, for instance, and then perform your own due diligence to contact them, should you choose.

There's some silliness to it, of course. Is it a race to see who can get the most connections, like it was in high school, when you got quasi-friends to sing your yearbook? Probably. But it doesn't take a brain scientist to determine it has some strong potential.

Related Links: LinkedIn | My Web Profile | Full Profile

It's one of those headlines you can't believe is really true, and to start on the road of mocking the accident seems crass, but wholly obvious. You take a powerful political figure who is universally unloved by the American people, in a political party that has championed the availability of guns ever since they could spell NRA, and it just so happens he fills his friend full of birdshot on a hunting expedition.

Idiot.

Dick Cheney turned around to shoot quail during a weekend hunting trip in Texas, and nailed the lawyer (can't make this up) with birdshot, claiming he didn't know the guy was there. (See: Cheney Accidentally Shoots Hunting Companion)

In mock amusement, James Brady and his wife, who have long fought for increased gun control, were quoted as saying, "Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him."

Just think... these guys have the finger on "the button". Not good.

You probably saw the story about how New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire, had a lowly desk jockey making $30k a year fired for playing solitaire on his computer during work hours... leaving the father of a three-year-old without a job. "The workplace is not an appropriate place to play game,” said the mayor, who claimed he wasn't over-reacting. But we've all seen people goofing off during work hours. Here are ten ways I've seen people goof off, or signal their full effort wasn't in the job any more.

1. Colleagues set up a multi-player online game, and the only calls are to say "it's your move!"
2. Every time you walk by their cube, you can see them minimize their browser window.
3. AOL Instant Messenger seems to be the majority of their typing.
4. They're on their cell phone more often than they're on their office phone.
5. The IT guy would rather finish his hearts game than change the printers' ink.
6. Your colleague in the next cubicle has told his old college buddies how he got engaged so many times, you could tell the story with the same emotion.
7. They're making calls for a charity she works on the side, but won't answer your e-mail.
8. You ask about an e-mail you sent, only to find it's in their In Box, in Bold. Meanwhile, eBay and Monster.com are minimized.
9. The commissioner of the company's fantasy baseball league has more adds and drops than everyone else combined.
10.Your boss gets grouchy when you interrupt his online game to ask about edits on collateral.

We've all seen stuff like this. If Bloomberg were roaming the halls of your office, how many would make it through the whole day?