Graph of World Military Expenditures, by Country

Some bits and pieces from here and there:


I thought I’d just about seen it all, but here’s a variety of tax resistance that’s new to me:

Angry bingo tax protestors are aiming to put a hex on Chancellor Alastair Darling.

The ladies, members of Mecca Bingo, Brookdale Place, have made voodoo dolls in protest against the Government’s decision to raise tax on their favourite game.

The levy on bingo has increased from 15% to 22%, which the outraged gamers claim could be enough to force bingo halls to close down.

Bingo fan Gemma Moran, 35, who was one of many who knitted a voodoo doll bearing a picture of the chancellor’s head, said: “Alistair Darling is stabbing in the back the very people who helped to put him and the Labour party in power. Now we want him to know how it feels.

“If he doesn’t keep bingo tax at 15% then we’re worried that clubs like ours could close.

“We come to bingo because we can meet our friends and have fun in a safe environment. If our club closed where else is there for us to go?”