A Stitch in Haste

Time to clean out the aggregator —
ITEM: China's Communist dictators have granted a reprieve to the two elderly women who were sentenced to hard labor after they applied for a permit to protest at the Beijing Olympics. The detention was condemned around the world, and provided a stark reminder that the Beijing Olympics were [...]

[Read more →]

(Loosely based on a post originally published December 20th, 2004; heavily edited, and some links updated with more recent data. Additional post-Palin thoughts appended.)
—
First, some background:
–Alaska has been the top recipient of federal taxpayer dollars per capita every year since 1999, and one of the three most lopsided states in terms of "receipts versus taxes" [...]

[Read more →]

In this interregnum between the major parties' conventions, how could I not pick a politically oriented CuteTuber™ video this week? (Note: Contains a few stray naughty words and is a bit longer than the typical Sunday fare.)

If kokohawk ever runs for office, I'll vote for him.
Sunday CuteTuber™ FAQ

addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kipesquire.net%2F2008%2F08%2Fsunday-cutetuber-20080831%2F';
[...]

[Read more →]

The phrase, "the games are over" can have multiple meanings in China:
Around four million Chinese youngsters are addicted to the Internet, mainly attracted by "unhealthy" online games, state media reported Friday, citing a top legislator.
…
The [standing committee of the National People's Congress] has called for stricter monitoring of Internet games that have illegal or inappropriate [...]

[Read more →]

For those who don't follow me on Twitter, I can sum up the pick in one sentence:
I am rapidly becoming convinced that the Palin pick will go down as the worst political blunder since Mondale's "I just did" speech.
The gist of comments I've been leaving elsewhere:
THE BAD: McCain has stripped himself of the only viable [...]

[Read more →]

–Should a "right to health care" include a "right to free fat camp for your children"? (Via Kevin, M.D.)
–Should Asperger's Syndrome be a defense to criminal liability, or perhaps warrant an exemption from a prison sentence? ("I have no doubt that his makeup, in this case a definable disorder, led him to commit this crime.")
–What [...]

[Read more →]

"Help Keep Politics Out of the Exam Room!"
–Planned Parenthood Website
Since I have relentlessly railed against theocratic church leaders abusing their tax-exempt status by endorsing, overtly or otherwise, specific political candidates, I feel compelled to engage in a little equal-opportunity indignation:

Clever — but is it legal?
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund had stationed volunteers outside, handing out [...]

[Read more →]

When you hear the term "price gouging," you normally think of things like milk, batteries, flashlights, shovels, gasoline…
…and pizza?
"Pizzaioli" or pizza chefs in Naples, birthplace of the Margherita, handed out free pizzas on Wednesday in protest at high prices charged by rivals who, they say, use the spike in commodity prices to rip off consumers.
…
The [...]

[Read more →]

The headline:
Ohio man sentenced for writing racial hate letters
Reality:
He pleaded guilty in May to six counts of mailing threatening communications and two counts of threatening interstate communications.
"Hate" and "threatening" are two very different words — especially in the context of criminal prosecutions. "Hate" is not a crime — "threatening" is.
This is exactly the kind of [...]

[Read more →]

Question: How should a high-tax state deal with the problem of residents moving to a low-tax state?
1. Lower taxes to remain competitive.
2. Impose a "leave-the-state tax."
Wealth Tax. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Imposes one-time tax of at least 55% on property exceeding $20 million of a California resident or held in California by nonresident. Imposes one-time tax [...]

[Read more →]