For most families, Thanksgiving means gathering around a perfectly roasted turkey, sharing gratitude, and trying to avoid discussing politics or crypto. But in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, things are a little more “improvised.” Instead of turkey and stuffing, the Peanuts gang ends up with toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks, and a side of existential confusion. And honestly? That makes it a pretty realistic holiday picture. Because whether you’re cooking a turkey or prepping a tax plan, life serves up whatever’s in the pantry. Charlie Brown’s holiday feast is basically a metaphor for the final weeks of tax-planning season. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and half the participants assume someone else is doing the hard work. If that isn’t December tax planning, I don’t know what is.
tax
Bone to Pick: Travelers Howl Over Italy’s Dog Tax
If you ever thought vacationing with your dog was a walk in the park, Italy just tossed a new stick into the game. The Province of Bolzano in northern Italy is planning to charge visitors about €1.50 per day, or roughly two bucks, for the privilege of bringing along their pup. That’s right: tourists are choking on a brand-new “dog tax.” Sit. Stay. Pay.
California Dreamin’
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been playing “David versus Goliath” with President Donald Trump, especially as Trump has ordered troops into Los Angeles to quell protests against his immigration raids. Now Newsom has floated a wild idea: what if California stopped sending money to the IRS?
Yes, you read that right. The head of the fifth-largest economy in the world — home of tech bros, movie stars, and $12 oat milk lattes — is making noises about withholding federal tax revenue.
May the Force Be with You
Hard to believe it is, but taxes lie at the heart of the Star Wars universe. In Episode One: The Phantom Menace, in the very first paragraph of the opening crawl, we learned that taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems was in dispute. The Galactic Senate had imposed taxes to fight interplanetary pirates, and in response, the Trade Foundation had blockaded shipping to Naboo to pressure the Senate into repealing those taxes. The Supreme Chancellor dispatched two Jedi Knights to resolve the dispute… and the adventure began!
Not “Just” an Accountant
Last month, Ben Affleck’s new popcorn thriller, The Accountant 2, hit theaters, nine years after the original delighted audiences. Early reviews were positive, and the Hollywood trade rags reported a $24.5 million opening weekend gross. Millions of Affleck’s fans flocked to their local multiplex to see their favorite number cruncher wrestle with spreadsheets, fight bogus deductions, and clean up the books with style and panache.
𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤
When 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑠 hit theaters in May 1977, it felt like nothing short of a transmission from the future.
I saw the original 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑠 at one of the now long-gone drive-in theaters near the Sports Arena (now the Pechanga Arena.) Back then, the galaxy felt far, far away.
Today? It’s just another line item in our tech stack.