What are the prospects for political reform in California? [City Journal, New Geography]

Gamer keeps same session of Civilization II game going for 10 years [Slashdot]

Jews in America love open immigration; Israeli Jews, not at all. [Foreign Policy]

What can you do when kooks want to join the "Adopt A Highway" program? [Slate]

With Euro Instability, Can Bitcoin Now Compete with Hard Currency? [Vice]

"Don't give panhandlers money", says the [Ann Arbor] Mayor's Task Force [AnnArbor.com]

"So one money sucking leech has attached itself to another money sucking leech?"

Pretty much. And a pox on 'em both too in IMO. I'm sticking with a "stupid" phone myself (i.e., telephone and text messages only; no camera, no Internet, etc.). As for the smart phone taking over from the notebook computer as the principle Internet access device? I don't think so. Not for me anyhow. [The iPhone Is a Nightmare For Carriers]

weblog

41 % of NYC pregnancies end in abortion - WABC-TV on-line
Some believe this is a bad thing.
“[T]here is nothing most business people like less than free markets." - Reason.com
The truth about "crony capitalism"
Police drug-sniffing dogs "wrong" at least 4 times out of 10 - Chicago Tribune on-line
Nostalgia for old record shops - Untimely Meditations blog
Record stores, bars you can smoke in, independent bookstores, non-franchise coffee shops, and lots of other cool places are slipping away. And we're poorer for it too.
Obama's New Wall Street White House - The Nation
Otaku Nation: Sega Installs ‘Toylet’ Games in Japan’s Urinals - Wired.com
The games are needless to say short, since you use your urine stream to play them.