Last year, the California government had a really great idea. (No, that's not the start of a joke.) Many California taxpayers have income only from regular employment and don't have any unusual deductions. This means that their state income taxes can be calculated entirely from the payroll data already in the state's tax database. As part of a pilot program, California sent … [Read more...] about Why Your Taxes are Hard to Prepare
Mitsuwa Marketplace
My wife has developed a taste for snacking on Edamame (fresh ripe soybeans that have been parboiled and frozen) which we usually get with take-out sushi. She wanted some for tonight, so since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to check out the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights. We found what we came for, but not much else. It's not that they had a small … [Read more...] about Mitsuwa Marketplace
Cartelization of the Gasoline Market?
Radley Balko has an article on the FOXNews site about politicians trying to look like they're doing something about high gas prices. I agree with his basic premise, which is that high has prices are mostly the result of natural market forces and that any attempt to fiddle with them is likely to cause more harm than good. That's sound economics. An important exception arises … [Read more...] about Cartelization of the Gasoline Market?
Hail Blogging
We got hit with a hailstorm late this afternoon. I was too slow to get a picture while it was falling, but this is what the parking lot looked like minutes later.Hail in the Parking Lot No damage to the car, as far as I can tell, but the alarm went off. Update: And another:Hail Between the Buildings … [Read more...] about Hail Blogging
Intelligence Please
Wow. I have got to start reading the Weekly Standard more often. Heather Mac Donald has an editorial there titled "Information Please." It's a defense of the NSA collection of phone records, and it is both self-righteous and misinformed at the same time. I thought only us bloggers were supposed to post stuff like that. I stumbled across this editorial thanks to Lindsay … [Read more...] about Intelligence Please