David A. Windham
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2026-03-27-posts.md

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title: Death and Taxes slug: death-taxes description: Today I learned how to configure a local MCP server. <!--- authors:

Today I learned where my tax dollars go down to the dime. I should say last night because I was up late getting them wrapped up so I could get back to work today. I should also say death really has nothing to do with it other than the idiom by Benjamin Franklin[^1]

I think everyone should actually do their own so they know exactly how they work. I also think talking about money shouldn't be so taboo because it's actually the heart of culture, politics, and policy. I think some of the cultural norms about it direct correlate to inequality and a way for those who have to hide it. Just head on back to the workplace and start a poll amongst your colleagues and watch how your employer reacts as evidence of an effort to keep labor costs at bay. Or if you want some snarky stares amongst your social group, just asking how much things cost.

Over the years I developed a kinda thesis on a philosophy of money that works for me. The first hurdle was associating wealth with worth and even though I had seemingly cleared that one before I left primary school, it actually took years of experience to settle in. I was lucky to work amongst some very wealthy folk because I was able to see directly that there was zero correlation between it and well being. The second rule I developed is key in that actually being rich is a state of mind - you just don't have to worry about money. That one is much easier said than done in that it works from both sides and not worrying also means not wanting which is the tougher part in our stuff obsessed cultures. I like to say that having money won't necessarily make you happy, but having none will definitely make you unhappy. I'm lucky to have lived on both sides of the coin.

I mostly started making notes for this essay mainly because I wanted to brag on my methodologies. At one point in college I was a mathematics major because I had planned to become an actuary after discovering the starting salaries. Can't say how that would have turned out, but I'm still decent with numbers even though I have fine arts degrees. I go for simplicity. I don't have accounts everywhere. I have one brokerage for investments and one bank houses both my business and personal accounts. I don't play any points or games with credit aside from stashing little cashback rewards and I rarely ever gamble because that involves thinking about it. I have a little spreadsheet that syncs to know exactly where I stand all the time but I never look at it.

Some years ago my father, who has owned an assortment of businesses over the years, pointed out that anytime you get enjoyment out of your work, it's not really work. I worked for a number of years where I just poured and tasted wine all day, but even that got tiring. I've had various ideas for businesses that involved reviewing golf courses, traveling to food expos, and so on. You really want your business to offset your largest personal expenses like housing, transportation, and healthcare. I've now got a retirement idea that involves a very small scale farm. Every year while reviewing the statements and seeing personal expenses, I think to myself isn't my well being a business expense - how could I possibly work if I'm not happy?

Uncle Sam is getting about $7000 from me this year. We file jointly in the 22% bracket and I use a sole proprietor for my business because it's the easiest. I try to keep as much as I can within the company accounts and put the bulk of my personal income into tax deferred retirement accounts. I do alright barely falling into the top quartile, but I also just don't spend that much. Food, transportation, housing, and utilities are my largest expenses. I don't cheat Uncle Sam either. I'm lucky that I can write off a bunch of stuff that I also happen to use for personal usage like my home studio, technology, and telecommunications expenses. I don't expense entertainment, millage, or other bullshite I order for myself. Let's break down Uncle Sam's cut with some basic estimates: Social Security - $1400, Defense - $1000, Medicare - $1000, Medicaid - $1000, National debt interest - $1000, Unemployment/child credit/food stamps $600, Law Enforcement - $400 , Veterans/Environment/Education/Science-NASA/transportation/etc - $700 ( these are just estimates from prior year budgets ).

I'm down with a couple grand for some poor folk, education, science, and transportation infrastructure. The only ones I think I'm getting swindled on are healthcare, debt, and defense. Healthcare only because I know how much the providers, insurers, drug makers, and for-profit healthcare systems make. Also because it's more the fault of Little Debbie and the uneducated that folks are unhealthy. Defense because I'm not hip on bombing children and the manufacturers are charging umpteen million per killing machine while we're not living in the age of empires anymore even though dumpy likes to think so.

I think the reason why the 'satisfaction with life' and 'happiness indexes' reports from around the globe are led by other countries like Finland & Denmark[^2],[^3] have more to do with actual quality of life rather than the democratic socialist policies. I don't think regular folk really take into account other less obvious thinks like urban mobility driven by the extremely high automobile taxes. I can't imagine living somewhere like Charlotte or Atlanta and spending a couple of hours a day in the car navigating aggressive traffic. It doesn't correlate directly to GDP or low taxes no matter how many folks are trying to convince you otherwise. And just like my approach to money, it's absolutely a state of mind that's more closely related to other measures of well-being.

I'm not bitter towards taxes or death. I also don't associate self worth with income. My primary wish would be that lots of folks out there weren't suffering or angry. There are countries leading the way on this and unfortunately, I just don't think we're the one right now. We've got some debts to pay both monetarily and metaphysically. I'm still learning from others and now that we're getting older, I'm particularly looking for those that are doing it in old age. But it's a workday and I'm still on the clock, so let me get back at it so I can pay my bills now that I've solved the world's ills.



[^1]: Death and taxes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_taxes_(idiom) [^2]: Satisfaction with Life Index - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_with_Life_Index [^3]: World Happiness Report - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report