Free Republic

On March 22, in the broad daylight of a typically gorgeous day in Beverly Hills, thieves in hoodies and sunglasses took a sledgehammer to the plate glass window of Peter Sedghi’s boutique and furiously rummaged through the shards. In less than 90 seconds, the robbers stole more than $3 million worth of jewels. Two days later, in response to a wave of high-end robberies, the Los Angeles Police Department announced there would be no arrests. Instead, it cautioned Hollywood residents not to wear high quality jewelry in public. “Beverly Hills is one of the most affluent, safest neighborhoods in the...

The most important reason that changing the roster of states would probably not affect politics that much is that our states and congressional districts are mostly “rotten boroughs,” to use the old British parliamentary phrase. In theory senators represent the citizens of their states and members of the House represent the people of their congressional districts. In practice they represent individual and corporate donors and political allies and future employers, who may live anywhere in the United States—or in some cases abroad. Joe Biden was the senator from the credit card industry, based in Delaware. The donors to American politicians...

Why do merchants sometimes ask us for our ZIP code when we buy something? I recently visited the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, an interesting addition to Sin City’s attractions. I paid my admission with a credit card, prompting the museum ticket seller to ask me: “What’s your ZIP code?” When I paused for a moment, she added: “It’s for marketing purposes.” As much as I had heard good things about the museum, I was unlikely to return soon as I live far from Las Vegas, so I was not anxious to receive subsequent marketing. She said it was okay...

07620 Is Number One, but 11962 Is Rising Fast Ritzy vacation towns and Lower Manhattan neighborhoods join this year's ZIP codes list. Continue..

Customers who use their credit cards at stores can no longer be asked for their ZIP code, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

An Open Letter to my Senators Webb and Warner Dear Senators: Please help me to get a Zip Code. Money from the $787,000,000,000 Stimulus Bill is being given away. Some of that money is going to seven Zip Codes here in Virginia. They don’t exist. Whoever is catching all the money the Obama administration is pouring into those fake Zip Codes is getting very, very rich. I would like to get a Zip Code so I can get in on all this graft and corruption. Unfortunately, I cannot find on any Federal sites how to apply for my own fake...