In a discussion on the Sharks list about a prospective NHL expansion/relocated team in Seattle, someone noted "This brings to mind Seattle's situation, which has pretty bad traffic, actually, but that's offset by having no income tax. I don't think they'll have any difficulties signing free agents ( Read more... )

Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning: "In many child drownings, adults are nearby but have no idea the victim is dying. Here’s what to look for."

[...] it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface ( Read more... )

Did you know: there's a national competition for the best-tasting tap water? "in 2008, twelve years after being trademarked, Pure Tap lived up to its name by winning the "Best of the Best" tap water national title in a blind taste test at the American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference & Exhibition." via boingboing

Why do trains stay ( Read more... )

Wealth disparity in America: an inch of bar-graph for the 90%, 4.9 miles' worth for the top 0.01%: "plotted on a chart where the income growth of the bottom 10 percent is represented by an inch-high bar; the growth of the top 10 percent needs a 163 foot-tall bar; while the top 0.01% need a 4.9 mile-high bar to represent their real wealth growth in ( Read more... )

Badass of the year: man stabbed in brawl, unknowingly carries broken-off knife blade in his back for 3 years after.

Congressman boasts on Twitter about the money he got to support CISPA, then thinks better of it: "CISPA is a bill before Congress that will radically increase the ease with which the government and police can spy on people without ( Read more... )

From a few weeks ago:

The Myth of the Rich Who Flee From Taxes

Short version: yes, there are some people who aren't geographically tied down for whom it makes a lot of sense to relocate for tax purposes, but for the most part, it's a crock.

It turns out that a large majority of people move for far more compelling reasons, like jobs, the cost of ( Read more... )

California's Surreal Retroactive Tax On Tech Startup Investors

Under a tax break available since the 1990s, startup founders and other investors in California were allowed to exclude or defer their gains when they sold stock in California-based small businesses. Last year, a California appeals court ruled that the tax break was unconstitutional, ( Read more... )

Recently while on the road in NV, I bought something and paid 7.725% sales tax. It turned out to be the wrong size for what I wanted it for (make your own joke here), so I returned it today to a location in CA. To my surprise the return receipt itemization reflects sales tax of 7.75%. Due to rounding and the small overall amount, I don't think ( Read more... )

This is goddamned hilarious, however it contains spoilers for Breaking Bad, so DO NOT watch unless you've watched S5E5, "Dead Freight" all the way to the end.

( Youtube link behind the cut )

This month's Sci-Am has a pretty neat article about chains formed by hermit crabs trading up from smaller shells to larger shells (both literally and figuratively -- sometimes they line up by size!) Research/thinking about these vacancy chains has wildly diverse applications -- when you move into a new house, that leaves behind a vacant dwelling ( Read more... )