flynn23 wrote: ] With much appreciation to crankymessiah for sending me this: ] ] From Defective Yeti: ] Last night some friends and I were sitting around drinking ] beer and, it goes without saying, discussing the Washington ] State system of taxation. Here in Seattle we have a sales tax, ] which is a total pain in the ass because (a) you have to pay ] it (lame), and (b) it means that your average item in The ] Dollar Store costs some ridiculous amount like $1.31 and you ] can't figure out the real price of things without resorting to ] irrational numbers and you have to carry around your spare ] pennies instead of throwing them at children like you would do ] in other states. True fact: When 50 Cent was here in concert ] last week, he was legally obligated to perform under that name ] "67 Cent." (Whoa, that joke was even worse than I had ] anticipated.) ] ] Anyhow, we were wondering how much of sales tax revenue goes ] to health care programs. More every year, we guessed, since, ] statistically, Americas are becoming ever more out-of-shape. ] But you got to figure that a lot of that revenue goes to ] administrative costs and middle-men, not to mention that ] health care tends to be reactive rather than preventive. We ] decided that there must be a better way. ] ] That's we came up with this great idea for a General Health ] Tax: for every dollar you spend you must do a sit-up. Want the ] new No Doubt CD? No problem: fourteen bucks and two dozen ] sit-ups, please. Got a two pack-a-day cigarette habit? Well ] now you have a six sit-up-a-day habit as well. Just bought a ] brand new Ford Excursion? Fantastic. That will be 50,000 ] sit-ups over the next 10 years, plus 60 sit-ups every time you ] fill up the tank -- BET YOU WISH IT DIDN'T GET ONE MILE TO THE ] GALLON NOW DON'T YOU SUCKA?! ] ] I think we should pilot this plan in Washington state, and ] then extend it to the entire United States. Conspicuous ] consumption would go way down, people would have a great ] incentive to save, and America would quickly come to dominate ] the United Nations Council On Killer Abs. Plus, what tax payer ] doesn't want the opportunity to check "no" to "Would you like ] to do three sit-ups for the Presidential Election Campaign ] Fund?" Situps are an ineffective method of achieving overall health. And they won't remove your belly, since spot fat reduction is a myth :( A squat, deadlift, bench press, or 10 yard dash would be a better solution ;) Either a compound movement like the first three, which raises metabolism significantly as your muscles recover and adapt to the load, or some form of cardio like the last option. Ok, I'm a fitness nerd. RE: A Great Tax Solution |