Miscellaneous and Useless Information
James Lin’s infrequently updated blog
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services introduced a new citizenship test, which takes effect in a year. To pass, you are asked ten questions randomly picked from a list of 100, and you must answer 6 correctly. USCIS has posted the questions (PDF). Some organization should do a survey to see what percentage of Americans would pass the test. …
Continue reading “Could you pass the U.S. citizenship test?”
Today is Election Day in the U.S., and I’m reminded of a funny thing I saw on CNBC last Friday. Morning Call hosted two economists, one from the AFL-CIO labor union, and the other from the libertarian Cato Institute. Surprisingly, they both agreed that a Democratic majority in Congress would improve the economy. The AFL-CIO …
Continue reading “2 out of 2 economists agree: voting Democratic will improve the economy”
Bipartisanship is like virginity. Once lost, it’s never recovered. —Professor Bruce Cain of UC Berkeley, reacting to the challenge Governor Schwarzenegger faces, now that all eight propositions lost, including the four championed by him
Your vote probably will not change the outcome of an election. Only one congressional election and seven state legislative elections in the past 100 years have been decided by one vote — and if it’s that close, the courts are likely to get involved. So why do people vote? (Of course, if everyone thought this …
I don’t think many readers of this blog live in Cupertino, but Measures A, B, and C would have region-wide impact. These measures would set limits on building density, height, and setback from the street; only part of Vallco would be exempt. Any other exemptions would need a citywide vote, paid by the developer. Proponents …
Continue reading “Vote No on Cupertino Measures A, B, and C”
I think the special election called by California’s governor is a complete waste of money, but since we’re having it, we might as well vote on the propositions before us. Proposition 77, which takes the power to redraw voting districts out of the hands of the legislature and into a panel of retired judges, is …
Continue reading “Vote Yes on Prop. 77, No on everything else”
What’s Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton doing hanging out with Newt Gingrich, co-sponsoring bills with Rick Santorum and Bill Frist? Pundits say that she’s drifting to the center in preparation for a presidential candidacy. But Matt Bai argues in the New York Times that she is being true to her ideology, shaped by a Methodist upbringing …
This is one of the more creative, if not bizarre, political financing schemes I’ve seen. Alberto Fujimori, the disgraced former president of Peru, says that Fuji-Cola will “quench the thirst of popular discontent.”
Here is the top story for The Onion on January 17, 2001: Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace and Prosperity Is Finally Over’ (screenshot) They had no idea how true that would become.