Clarinets used for medical use? And this one time, at band camp....

@B: That only applies to flutes.

I was sure the clarinet one was going to be about Music Therapy. Oh well.

Is the point of the article to mention all the things that should be taxed at a higher rate but aren't? Or is it telling me to go become an Alaskan whaler so I can get a $10k deduction on my whale-disemboweling machinery?

Cayenne Pepper.

Yup, if you purchase Cayenne Pepper, it can be taken from your flex spending account. So can a variety of other foods which have been deemed healthy enough to warrant pre-tax deduction.

Every year when doing my taxes, I come across that section of the 1040 instructions about kidnapped children and think how awful it must be for your child to disappear, not knowing if he or she is dead or alive, and have to think about how it affects your taxes.

@Oligarch_GitEmSteveDave: Trust me, that applies to most woodwinds. I just feel bad for the piccolo players.

@RBecho: I have such a good french horn joke right here ....

@outoftheblew: And another sad thing is that many of the parents are not in the position to benefit from tax preparation.

@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): See also: bassoon.

@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): A "French Horn"? Is that like a St. Louis ....N/M.

@Eyebrows McGee (on Twitter: LPetelle): "His kissing was only so-so...but the way he HELD me!"

@outoftheblew: I do think it's a little odd to single out kidnapping victims. I mean, it's tragic whenever something happens to a kid, but we don't give every grieving parent a tax break as some sort of feeble consolation prize.

@David Brodbeck: Also, what if your significant other is kidnapped? It's possible. I know I'd be heartbroken if my husband disappeared.

@samurailynn: That's a good question. Can you continue to file as married until they either turn up or are declared dead?

@Radi0logy: i thought the point was to highlight how ridiculous our tax code has become