George Washington not only gave the city his name, but he also disliked taxation without representation
Apparently, the U.S. Mint refuses to mint the DC quarter because it included the city’s motto: “Taxation without representation.” And, of course, the mint doesn’t really have to care what the city thinks about that decision, because the city has [...]
The Alabama State Capitol
The Alabama Education Association has filed a lawsuit protesting Alabama Board of Education policies banning two-year college employees from serving in the state Legislature.
The policies were a reaction to a slate of scandals involving two-year colleges across the state in which two-year colleges were paying legislators huge consulting fees for little if [...]
An Artist’s Impression of the British Bullet Train
The first train of what will eventually be a new fleet of high-speed trains in the United Kingdom arrived from Japan this morning. The high speed trains, which can travel up to 140 MPH, will eventually link the heart of London to the famous Channel Tunnel in southern [...]
The Tuscaloosa News is reporting that, at long last, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has reimbursed the state for his use of an ADEM plane to go to a fund-raiser more than four months ago. Neverthelss, it is doubtful that the controversy will end here, as many are now questioning the wisdom of a strapped-for-cash Environmental [...]
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been heavily criticized by Japan’s right-wing extremists for refusing to pray at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, received a severed pinkie finger in the mail at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters this week.
Yoshihiro Tanjo, 54, was arrested in suspicion of mailing the severed digit, which [...]
$250,000 Gundam Figure
A jewelry store in Fukuoka, Japan created a platinum Gundam figure with a .15 karat diamond in its head. The statue, reportedly worth around $250,000, was created by the famous Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka and toy maker Bandai. It will be on display in the Ginza Tanaka store in Fukuoka until Sunday.
To this point, and despite having some of the most ruthless foreclosure laws in America, Alabama has managed to dodge the mortgage foreclosure nightmares that have plagued the rest of the country.
Some might say it’s the result of sheer irrelevancy. Unlike many other states, Alabama has not seen its housing prices skyrocket since the late [...]
State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures announced today that she will challenge Sen. Jeff Sessions for his seat in the US Senate.
Is this even newsworthy anymore? I mean, isn’t it pretty well common knowledge that the CIA dropped the ball on Al-Qaida before 9/11? In fact, now that I think of it, it didn’t really get much better after 9/11, given its intelligence work in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Granted, much of that blame [...]
On at least three separate occasions last year, toilets made by Toto, Japan’s largest toilet manufacturer, have suddenly burst into flames.
No one was injured in the incidents, although having your toilet spontaneously combust must be somewhat disconcerting.
Company spokesperson Emi Tanaka helpfully explained that the fire would have been “just under your buttocks.” Nice to know.
At [...]
