Craig's Corner

No sooner than the “I do’s” are said between Prince William and Kate Middleton then the world’s media will erupt into a chorus of “When will there be an heir?” After all, what will happen to the Monarchy if Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William all suddenly die? Will we be stuck with Harry or some random cousin? Yes, let’s hope an heir comes quickly. Whoever the heir winds up being he/she will be known to the world. The media will see to that. There will be no question about their birthright. Heredity is our legacy - leaving our mark on the world. I have had the good fortune of being present for the births of my nephew and niece respectively. Within the hour of each birth I had the incredible honor of holding them to welcome them to the world. It is truly one of those vertebrae tingling experiences that I am most grateful to have had. In the event that either my niece or nephew opt to run for President let this serve as my authentication that they arrived into ...

This week there are several significant religious observances and celebrations. Jewish people celebrate Passover which commemorates the freeing of ancient Israelites from slavery. Christians are on the Holy Week journey which includes Jesus’ Last Supper, Death and Resurrection (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.) 78.50% of Americans identify as Christian, 1.7% as Jewish and 16.1% are non-believers.  Combined 86.9% of Americans believe in a God. Conflicts over one person’s interpretation of one’s Holy Book (be it The Bible, The Torah, The Qur’an or any other) have sourced innumerable wars throughout history. Disagreement over what each Holy Book says account for both interfaith and intrafaith warring. In many parts of the world one sectarian faction fights another. In the U.S. the battles are less militaristic, but perhaps more damaging. Holy Book interpretations are used in discussions of rights for gays, women even workers. It seems that religion is considered by many t...

It’s that time again. Tax time. Late nights culling through receipts. Panicked phone calls to CPA’s or navigating through tax software. Everybody is anxious to minimize any taxes owed without triggering an audit. The fear of the audit is a mighty stick that the IRS carries to insure compliance. Just 2% of taxpayers are selected. I’ve had the privilege.   The IRS looks for inconsistencies. Years ago when I went from a self-employed status to employee status, it raised a flag along with a half dozen other areas on the return. I brought in 2 file boxes full of supporting documentation and spent nearly three hours with the agent. I was relieved to discover that she didn’t actually have horns growing out of her head and I saw that she was just doing her job of making sure that everything was accurate, balanced and reported according to the regulations. It’s not easy – Title 26 (the tax code) runs over 15,000 pages . Happily for me everything on my return was in order.   L...

On our daily jaunts we bob and weave to avoid interacting with others. In the event that the timing is off or traffic is too high Mylo goes crazy – hurling himself against the leash, barking and carrying on. Honey protects the home front in the event anybody has the temerity to saunter past the property they’ll hear her howling and yapping. One interpretation of this behavior is that they are protective pups. Another proves the axiom true: pets emulate their owners. (To be in compliance with the February 19, 2001 West Hollywood law: “companions emulate their guardians.”) Right above my doorbell is a small (yet tasteful) homemade sign: “No Solicitation. Yes, that means you.” Living a few houses off of a major urban street and a few blocks from a large high school in a neighborhood of family homes the volume of door-to-door merchants is amazingly high. As somebody who cherishes real-world privacy it’s ironic how much I give away online. For convenience, for discounts and for efficiency...