Historian Howard Zinn has died at age 87. Zinn was best known for A People’s History of the United States, which turned the glossy, textbook version of American history on its head by pointing out that far from being an unbroken chain of political and economic progress, our history was one of conflict along class, racial, and gender lines.
Oregonians Vote to Raise Taxes on Rich, Corporations
Too bad it can’t happen here.
Oregon voters bucked decades of anti-tax and anti-Salem sentiment Tuesday, raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy to prevent further erosion of public schools and other state services.
The tax measures passed easily, with late returns showing a 54 percent to 46 percent ratio. Measure 66 raises taxes on households with taxable income above $250,000, and Measure 67 sets higher minimum taxes on corporations and increases the tax rate on upper-level profits.
Watch as this story gets zero attention in the mass media. This is the first I’d even heard of the ballot measures, and I’m a pretty well-informed guy.
via Oregon voters pass tax increasing measures by big margin | Politics & Elections – – Oregonlive.com.
Interactive LA County Homicide Map
The Los Angeles Times has done a great job at providing this informative mashup using Google maps. The map details homicides that have been recorded in Los Angeles County going back to 2007. Check out the Homicide Report at the LA Times website.
Observations: Running barefoot is better, researchers find
Mother Nature has outpaced science once again: the bare human foot is better for running than one cushioned by sneakers. What about those $125 high-tech running shoes with 648 custom combinations? Toss ’em, according to a new study published online January 27 in the journal Nature (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group).
via Observations: Running barefoot is better, researchers find.
Elizabeth Warren on The Daily Show
Elizabeth Warren was on The Daily Show again last night. The discussion was short but pertinent. Her day job is Leo Gottlieb (IDK what that means) Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, but right now she is the chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel created to investigate the U.S. banking bailout (aka TARP).
http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:262695
