Now, class, what have I been saying about letting those red-light cameras into Indiana?
Like a lot of California drivers, Dave Soss just got a $490 lesson on how the state budget really works.
It all began when Soss, who lives in the East Bay, was ticketed Feb. 1 for rolling through a red light while making a right turn in Emeryville - and was hit with what he called a "mind-blowing" penalty.
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I know times are so tough that all the hard-luck stories that have been piling up may have nearly exhausted your store of sympathy. But pause for just a moment to consider this heart-rending account of the plight of some the West Coast's downtrodden. As told by the Los Angeles Times, because of an inability of some people to get government-provided converter box coupons, "Digital TV may bypass skid row":
Omigod, I can't believe it, the day has finally arrived. Sit down, folks, and take a deep breath -- don't say I didn't warn you -- because this -- squeal! -- is Square Root Day!
Redwood City teacher Ron Gordon is searching for the most unique idea which includes the most participants celebrating Square Root Day — 03/03/09, better known as today. Feb. 2, 2004, or 02/02/04, was the last such day. It will not occur again for seven years, one month and one day on 04/04/16.
I've written here that my weekly reading of Newsweek is how I keep up with current liberal thought (though the magazine would deny that such is what it offers). But it is getting to be a greater and greater chore. First, they had the "We are all Socialists now" cover. Now they tell us that Radical Islam is a fact of life and we have to just get used to it, with a cover in Arabic:
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal is getting a lot of heat from those with concealed-carry permits angry over a searchable database of Tennesseans with the permits:
Gun owners say the database is an invasion of privacy and makes permit holders easy targets for burglaries. They have flooded the newspaper with complaints — some 600 e-mails daily, threatened staff and posted personal information about newspaper employees, including Google maps to some homes.
People are still going to the movies despite the economy, and perhaps in large part because of the economy:
"I have four children and it's the cheapest thing around," said Laurie Furrer.
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If we were going to go to something like the zoo, I would probably spend $50-60 and I've only spent $25 here with myself and four children," Furrer said.
I know drug dealers give our their goods for free to build up a customer base, secure in the knowledge that, once hooked, their clients will pay whatever is asked. That might even work for something like ice cream. I do not think it will work for newspapers:
Newsday appears poised to break from the newspaper pack with a plan by parent Cablevision Systems Corp. to end free content on the paper's Web site.
But don't call it a bailout, OK?
The NBA has reportedly borrowed $200 million to distribute to interested teams due to the struggling economy.
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The reports said at least 12 teams have requested funds, with as many as 15 wanting money that could potentially help cover losses.
First, Chief Justice John Roberts quoted Bob Dylan in a decision. Now, justice Samuel Alito quotes John Lennon:
Alito, 58, makes the point that public monuments can convey multiple messages, or messages that change over time. The Statue of Liberty, for example, came to New York as a symbol of friendship between France and the United States, Alito said, and only later became viewed as a beacon welcoming immigrants.
If you're a little ticked over the idea that responsible home owners are being treated like suckers while the irresponsibile ones get bailed out, you'll love this:
Mayor Bill White yanked a controversial plan Tuesday that called for the city to use taxpayer funds to pay off some personal debts for first-time homebuyers, following a flood of outrage and criticism from across the city and beyond.
