Same problem Putin had with his surprise invasion of Ukraine, the only way you can keep the secret is if it's secret from your own side as well as the opposition. But your side wasn't expec… (View Post)

Tokyo has a similar trick where you're allowed a bigger floor-area-to-land-area ratio (which is the measurement that constrains how high you can build) if you put some public green space in fron… (View Post)

It's impossible to say how the system could have been designed without knowing what the requirements are. How does the data get into the database in the first place, what kind of maintenance doe… (View Post)

It's a shame there aren't better ways to communicate in traffic. Sometimes if I'm in the right-hand lane and I slow down for something I wish I had a little sign that could flip out fr… (View Post)

In Japan we have Fixed Asset Tax which is 1.4% of the value of land and property (assessed according to a slightly mysterious formula). It's not much from the point of someone living in a house … (View Post)