My Archives: May 2005
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Update on Bill Bradford's condition. Today I received the standard monthly "Liberty edit memo" which read... [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:20 PM EST [Link]
Claire Wolfe links to a chilling account of a Holocaust survivor who is leaving America to return to Europe because he cannot stand to watch another government (Bush'a America) slide into the horror of his youth (Nazi Germany).
Posted by mac @ 11:24 AM EST [Link]
Movement news: Sean Gaab advises me of two new audio files that have been added to his libertarian UK site... [more]
Posted by mac @ 09:40 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons! Matt Davies' "No Quran Here"; Pat Oliphant's "Be All You Wanna Be"; Walt Handelsman's "Shot Down Again"; Russmo's "Neighborhood Cops"; and an hilarious one from Scott Stantis "Wall Street Confusion". Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 09:34 AM EST [Link]
Time Magazine has come out with its list of the Top 100 Movies. I gotta say "Wow, do I disagree with about 75% of their picks" but clicking through the links is fun.
Posted by mac @ 05:49 AM EST [Link]
Monday, May 30, 2005
Well, I've been tagged by the Knappster of Rational Review fame to be part of the book discussion chain letter...so here goes. [more]
Posted by mac @ 07:36 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Gordon P writes, Looks like I was =EXTREMELY= lucky that one of my audio CDs merely refused to mount on my Apple PowerBook: Apple's Official Policy is "play music CDs on your Mac at your own risk," It appears that some of the forms of "copy protection" used by the music industry are not merely harmful but FATAL to Macs: The CD not only refuses to mount, but refuses to _eject_; moreover, the invalid data contained in the "copy-protection" track actually causes the machine to _crash_ --- and the fact that the CD can't be ejected means that the machine can't be rebooted! I had not realized that the greedy b@$+@rds at Sony and RIAA had come so close to making CDs that can force one's computer to execute the HCF ("Halt and Catch Fire") instruction... :-(
Posted by mac @ 08:25 PM EST [Link]
Friday, May 27, 2005
Trivia for the day: Gordon P. asks, "How fair is a coin toss...really?" [more]
Posted by mac @ 01:39 PM EST [Link]
Cartoons! (Here ya go Kirsten) Signe Wilkinson "I'm Warning You"; Mark Fiore's latest animation "It's Newsweek's Fault"; Clay Bennett's "Patriot Act in Action"; Tom Toles' "Unpatriotic"; Ted Rall's excellent "Beat the Press"; and, Dana Summers' "Political Overtones.
Posted by mac @ 10:12 AM EST [Link]
Gordon P. writes, A cogent observation from Richard K. Betts' "The Lure of Military Society" [a review of _The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War_, by Andrew J. Bacevich], ... [more]
Posted by mac @ 09:38 AM EST [Link]
For those looking for outlets for their growing rage against State intrusion into their personal lives, here's a menu of items from which to choose your preferred protest. What the heck, pick 'em all. (A hat tip to the excellent Rational Review News Digest from which the list is gleaned and to which everyone should subscribe -- it's free!) [more]
Posted by mac @ 07:12 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
If you read antiwar or left-leaning blogs, then you are probably aware of the buzz surrounding U.K. MP George Galloway's recent outburst before before the U.S. Senate. A transcript is provided below; scroll down for the good part. [more]
Posted by mac @ 01:15 PM EST [Link]
Claire Wolfe latest blog entry is smokin'! I reprint it here in full and recommend that everyone visit her site, read the archives -- and put it on your "favorites" list while you're at it. Today Claire writes, VIRGINIA WATCHDOG. Now here's a real alpha maddog. B.J. Ostergren is mad that government agencies are putting our SSNs and other most-personal information online. And she's taking the most personal steps to stop them. She links to online public records that contain the SSNs of people like Tom DeLay and Jeb Bush. Here's an article about her from today's WashPost. (Courtesy of Richard M. Smith) Here's the Virginia Watchdog website. As a sample of the Ostregren maddog style, here's her letter to Jeb Bush after he got his own SSN "scrubbed from the public record but left other peoples' SSNs in plain sight. Just for the hell of it: the SSN of CIA director Porter J. Goss: 041-30-4161. The people who want to spy on us are the ones who most richly deserve to be "outed." What's sauce for the goose ...
Posted by mac @ 01:09 PM EST [Link]
Many thanks to David M. Brown of Laissez-Faire Books for making his essay on national IDs available for free. Click on more for information on how to receive it. [more]
Posted by mac @ 10:52 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons: This Modern World's "Credibility Gap"; Tony Auth's " Just Around the Corner"; Ted Rall's "Alternative Troop Sources"; David Horsey's "Backlash"; and, Chuck Asay's " Border Control". Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 10:41 AM EST [Link]
As the news has been filled with stories of winding fan-lines at various openings of the new Star Wars movie, I thought this email from a correspondent (David K.) might be an antidote.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 02:43 AM EST [Link]
"Libertarian Larry"'s obituary.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 02:00 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Movement news: I'm sorry to report that Jim Peron's pathbreaking libertarian bookstore in Auckland (New Zealand) has closed. Let's hope it is a temporary situation. Good luck Jim!
Posted by mac @ 03:33 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons: Dan Wasserman's "Not the Koran"; Tony Auth's "Muslim Sensibilities"; Stuart Carlson's "Ringing a Bell"; Russmo's "Read ID Act"; and Gary Varvel's "Cell Phone".
Posted by mac @ 03:27 AM EST [Link]
I urge every parent who sends a child to public high school to protect their child(ren) from the provision in the Leave No Child Behind Act which requires the school to turn over student information to military recruiters. You can opt your child(ren) out of submitting that information but, to do so, you must follow a set procedure. The Leave My Child Alone site provides a form letter but -- oddly enough for a site that purports to champion privacy -- they require your email address even though they don't send you the letter via email. So much for their interest in privacy. I offer an example of the form letter below. Or download your own form letter in .pdf. You can find your school superintendent's contact info by clicking here. [more]
Posted by mac @ 12:12 AM EST [Link]
Monday, May 23, 2005
This news item leaves me speechless...Libertarian Larry is dead. [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:21 PM EST [Link]
Friday, May 20, 2005
Reading Brad's entry on a delightful TV moment reminded me of a huge guffaw I experienced while watching Anderson Cooper's news show. He was reporting on the severed fingertip planted in a bowl of Wendy's chili by a woman who clearly wished to take the food franchise to the financial cleaners. In describing how police uncovered the fraud, Anderson was actually able to say with a straight face, "someone called the anonymous tip line." Ouch!
Posted by mac @ 04:52 PM EST [Link]
I first read the phrase "worldwide security envelope" on April 29th in a transcript of a speech delivered by Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He stated, "We want a homeland security strategy that is sustainable over the long run, that balances the need for security with a need to preserve our freedom, our privacy, and our prosperity. We want to look ultimately to creating a security envelope, a worldwide security envelope, within which we have a high degree of confidence that people and goods are vetted, are not threats to our society or to our people, and therefore can move efficiently an effectively without paying high transaction costs." [Emphasis mine] [more]
Posted by mac @ 04:07 PM EST [Link]
The next in a series of transcriptions of original source material from Liberty contributor John William Lloyd: an essay entitled "Anarchist Socialism". (See also Lloyd's "Auto-biographical Essay", "Anarchist Mutualism", the text of a speech to the members of the Ferrer Colony. and "Memories of Benjamin Tucker".) Again, this essay may be circulated freely as long as credit and a link are provided. [Only loosely proofed.] [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:04 PM EST [Link]
Paul Conrad "Patriot Act ID; Clay Bennett's "Polishing the Tarnish"; Ted Rall's "On the Issues"; M.e. Cohen's "What it really really is"; and, Jeff Danziger's "Chalabi Appointed Iraqi Oil Minister". Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 02:54 PM EST [Link]
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Gordon P. writes, A bit "leftist" and "green" --- but still rather clever and funny !!! StoreWars.
Posted by mac @ 01:24 PM EST [Link]
I find this story strangely delightful: on a recent Tonight Show, a pair of radio hams using Morse code outsped a teenage cell-phone text-messaging champion at sending a text message. "CW [Morse code] and old guys rule!" —brad
Posted by brad @ 01:23 PM EST [Link]
From Sunni Marvillosa's excellent blog.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:32 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons: Mark Fiore's latest animation "Growing Pains"; Chuck Asay's "United's Thank You"; Chip Bok's "Visible on the Radar"; Walt Handelsman "False Alarm"; Gary Varvel's "Pitching In". And a good one from DeRosier -- "Newsweek, a Parable".
Posted by mac @ 10:39 AM EST [Link]
I reprint in full the following: JPFO ALERT: THE END OF AMERICA - MAY 10, 2005 ALERT FROM JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARMS OWNERSHIP America's Aggressive Civil Rights Organization... [McBlog note: I think the alert over-emphasizes the attack on gun rights; not because the is attack is inaccurately portrayed but because *every* right is being equally devastated. JPFO's primary focus is on gun ownership rights and my hat is off to them for their staunch championship of an essential freedom. If I have written the alert, however, I would have emphasized freedom of speech issues. Different focus, that's all.] [more]
Posted by mac @ 08:16 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye...I hereby announce that I hasve assumed the august position of cartoon editor of Kirsten Tynan's satire site Crackers Central. Now people will have to treat me with respect! No...really. That's what Kirsten promised instead of a salary.
Posted by mac @ 12:52 PM EST [Link]
It's Deutsche-spam über alles today, as we fend off the second wave of the Sober virus. It seems the first wave infected a lot of computers with spam bots. Now those bots have been activated to send a flood of "right-wing German nationalistic content" (as The Register puts it) to computers around the world. Not a security problem for us, and Thunderbird's junk filter catches it all, but I'm tired of downloading the stuff already. —brad
Posted by brad @ 11:56 AM EST [Link]
Another transcription of original source material from Liberty contributor John William Lloyd. This is the text of a speech that Lloyd delivered to the members of the Ferrer Colony. (See also Lloyd's "Auto-biographical Essay", "Anarchist Mutualism" and "Memories of Benjamin Tucker.) Again, this essay may be circulated freely as long as credit and a link are provided. [Only loosely proofed.] [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:01 AM EST [Link]
Ruminations from Gordon P. on America, the New Roman Empire... [more]
Posted by mac @ 10:37 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons! Dana Summers "Second Thoughts"; Dan Wasserman's "A Thank You Gift"; Drew Sheneman's "Curing Boredom"; and This Modern World's "War on Rationality.. Enjoy!
Posted by mac @ 10:16 AM EST [Link]
Monday, May 16, 2005
I draw people's attention to the newly-added book link at the top left-hand side of McBlog. The link is to National Identification Systems: Essays in Opposition edited by Carl Watner with Wendy McElroy. A synopsis of the book: Governments have always sought more efficient ways to count, tax, allocate, monitor and order the activities of their citizens. Here are 27 essays that present historical, religious, moral and practical arguments against government enumeration and naming practices, and discuss how the collection of seemingly innocent data could be used to commit abuses. Part I recounts the history of what we now call national ID. Part II covers such technologies as microchips, email tracking and camera-based surveillance systems, applying to each the test, "How would this catch terrorists or other criminals without destroying the rights of peaceable people?" Part III imagines a future of resistance against a government tracking of its citizens in the name of security, but offers some hope that American culture does not lend itself to the fanatical control that a high-tech national ID system could make possible. Click here for the Table of Contents.
PLEASE NOTE: The list price is $45 US and anyone who makes a $40 donation to McBlog at the PayPal button on the front page (or by writing to wendy (at) zetetics.com for other methods of donation) will receive a copy inscribed by me with thanks and postage included.
Posted by mac @ 03:46 PM EST [Link]
A major tip 'o the hat to Sunni Maravillosa for creating the Real ID Rebellion blogspot. Well done, Sunni! And chuckles to Kirsten -- a valued friend, the type you want standing beside you in fight -- who has posted "National Security Advisor Fields Questions on Real ID" on her satire site Crackers Central.
Posted by mac @ 12:18 PM EST [Link]
Brian T. writes, "Reading Gordon's movie comments, reminded me that you and Brad appreciate British humor, so I thought I would put in my two sense for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you liked the books you will like the movie. While it is not a direct following of the books, Douglas Adams did write the screenplay so the movie is true to the nature of the books. The movie serves to remind us that we lost a wonderfully creative and slightly out of sync author. I am not one to go to the movies very often, last time being more than 18 months ago, but HHGTG was well worth the time and money. There is very little to offer in way of complaint. The casting is great, though somewhat unexpected. The acting is delightful and the story typically absurd and unexpected, as is Adam's nature. BTW I am not giving anything away when I say that they captured Zaphod especially well in that he is some sort of combination of a Texan and a Californian.. Which reminds me, there is supposed to be some sort of dig on Bush from Zaphod, but I was laughing too much, too lost in the movie to have caught it myself."
Posted by mac @ 12:02 PM EST [Link]
Wow. Thanks to Lew Rockwell for pointing out that my "other" site -- ifeminists -- is listed under "Favorites" (left-hand side) of Arts & Letters Daily, which Lew reminds me "is an extremely well read and influential academic blog."
Posted by mac @ 11:42 AM EST [Link]
Continuing the publication of original source material on Liberty contributor John William Lloyd, I attached herewith an autobiographical essay entitled "A Brief Sketch of the Life of J. William Lloyd" -- of course, by Lloyd himself. (To view the previously posted Lloyd essay "Anarchist-Mutualism", click here.) Again, this essay may be circulated freely as long as credit and a link are provided. [Only loosely proofed.] [more]
Posted by mac @ 10:59 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, May 15, 2005
I had to walk the dog at 2 am, and was rewarded with a rare treat: the most spectacular aurora borealis I've seen in over a decade. [more]
Posted by brad @ 07:28 AM EST [Link]
Quote of the day:
What does ethics have anything to do with professional reporting and journalism?
-- Fuat Kircaali, CEO of Sys-Con Media, publisher of several computer magazinesIn case you've missed the furor, the entire senior editorial staff of LinuxWorld magazine, a Sys-Con publication, has resigned. This is in protest against their publisher's standing by an unethical piece written by a SCO shill, Maureen O'Gara, in which she attempted to "out" PJ of Groklaw. Among other offenses, this smear published the home address and phone number of a woman purported to be PJ. [more]
Posted by brad @ 07:06 AM EST [Link]
I recently transcribed several essays of J. Wm Lloyd, a frequent contributor to Benjamin Tucker's individualist anarchist periodical Liberty (1881-1908) through most of its lifespan. Lloyd was the author of several works, mostly of poetry, that were heavily promoted by Liberty; they included The Anarchists' March, The Dwellers in Vale Sunrise, and The Red Heart in a White World. To the extent there is a poet laureate of individualist anarchism, it is surely John William Lloyd. As far as I know, the following essay, Anarchist-Mutualism, does not exist online except for this entry. I post the essay on McBlog for those who are interested in the history of the libertarian movement and/or 19th century individualist anarchism. Feel free to reprint and circulate as long as credit and a link are provided. Lloyd's words ensue...Fair warning: it may contain typos (my time is not only stretched thin); it certainly contains antiquated punctuation, etc. I did not edit Lloyd as I dislike imposing my corrections/preferences on those who cannot complain or comment in response.. [more]
Posted by mac @ 04:07 AM EST [Link]
At the risk of converting my blog into a portal for Claire Wolfe's, I offer another round of applause for her latest entry on the underlying psychology of politicians pushing the Real ID Act. I think she has captured an important aspect of it...She opens, "FRIGHTENING THOUGH IT IS, it's encouraging to realize that the Real ID Act and a lot of other fedgov horrors are the acts of desperate people who see their control slipping away from them."
Posted by mac @ 03:52 AM EST [Link]
Gordon P. offers two brief movie reviews... [more]
Posted by mac @ 03:25 AM EST [Link]
Friday, May 13, 2005
I am blogging one-handed -- and with the 'wrong' hand, at that! -- because I fractured at least one finger last night. What a strange stint of time this has been. But I want to keep blogging on the REAL ID Act because public awareness and outrage need to be stirred. I reproduce below in full a FAQ by Declan McCullagh on "How Real ID will affect you"... [more]
Posted by mac @ 08:37 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Gordon P. sends along this item and his commentary on it, When gas prices at four gas-stations in one area of Maryland dropped "too low" (to 199.9/gal), and an irate convenience-store owner who did not want to likewise drop his prices "blew the whistle" on them, State Regulators ordered the four "low-balling" gas-stations to raise the price they charge for gasoline by 5 cents/gal or face fines. Apparently, under pressure from independent gas-station owners, the State of MD passed a law to "protect" consumers from the alleged "destructive consequences" of gasoline "price wars" between big retailers, _by forbidding gas-station owners to cut gas prices below wholesale cost_. 13 States have passed such "anti-gas price war" legislation --- albeit, precisely how consumers "suffer" from low prices seems to have been deliberately left unclear... Likewise, why it is necessary to forbid gas-station-owners to lower their prices below their costs, which tends to be a self-correcting and quite short-term "problem" (it seems rather akin to passing a regulation to "enforce" compliance with Newton's Law of Gravity... :-P).
Posted by mac @ 12:59 PM EST [Link]
Cartoons! Chappate's "Internet and Censorship"; Mark Fiore's latest animation "Broadcasting"; Tom Toles' "Chick Magnet; Walt Handelsman's "Have You Seen It?"; and, This Modern World's "Sparky T. Penguin, private eye"
Posted by mac @ 12:16 PM EST [Link]
Claire Wolfe's blog has been particularly interesting for the last few days. Her entry today is on the Real ID Act that just passed in the States. She opens, "STAY ANGRY. If I could tell people one thing about the Real ID Act, that would be it: Stay angry. Stay very, very angry." The gist of Claire's argument is.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 11:59 AM EST [Link]
Movement news: Bill Bradford -- friend, longtime libertarian and editor of Liberty -- is in the hospital. A friend was kind enough to share a pertinent paragraph from an email written by Kathleen, Bill's wife. She explains, ....unfortunately we are learning all about intensive care. Bill has had his left kidney removed. He spent 5 days before surgery and one after surgery in ICU. He came home for 3 days and apparently started bleeding internally again. So he has been back in the ICU for we are now on 5 days. They think he will be moved to a regular room today. My fingers are crossed that he is well enough to start removing some of the tubes. Get well soonest, Bill!
Posted by mac @ 08:10 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
I have been blogging for quite some while -- beginning back in early 2003 -- on the upcoming and massive pension defaults that I believe are inevitable...and now imminent. This morning I was amazed to hear a financial adviser on CNN give a rundown on how to survive the loss of your pension. I imagine her commentary was inspired by the breaking news of United Airlines' court-approved termination of four employee pension plans, which constitutes the largest default since the U.S. government began to "guarantee" pensions through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (1974). The South Florida Sun-Sentinel explains... [more]
Posted by mac @ 12:13 PM EST [Link]
For those who have not yet heard of the Smoking Memo...here's a transcript of a British government document verifying that Bush constructed facts to pursue the policy he wanted in Iraq: namely, the removal of Saddam . Alternet provides a fair summary as does antiwar.com.
Posted by mac @ 08:23 AM EST [Link]
Cartoons: Tom Toles' "Weighty Argument"; Shannon Wheeler's "Too Much Coffee Man"; Gary Varvel's "Underground Economy"; Dana Summer's "Stretched Thin"; Chuck Asay's "Great Country or What?"; and Mark Fiore's rather heavy-handed animation "Wild".
Posted by mac @ 07:20 AM EST [Link]
I am pleased to note that the inimitable Claire Wolfe and the hardcore gun right's advocate Aaron Zelman have teamed up to produce a novel "RebelFire: Out of the Gray Zone". Sample book chapters may be downloaded.
Posted by mac @ 07:05 AM EST [Link]
For those interested in movement gossip...Sunni Maravillosa's blog offers an overview of the current controversy surrounding Laissez-Faire Books' refusal to carry Vin Suprynowicz's new novel The Black Arrow. Additional commentary can be found at Fran Tully's blog, David Codrea's blog, and SOLOhq's General Forum.
Posted by mac @ 06:34 AM EST [Link]
Listen to an Army recruiter harass a potential recruit, threatening him with arrest if he doesn't show up at Greenspoint Mall in Houston. (Audio link at right) Here is video of the same story. As Lee K. comments, "How much longer before a draft?"
Oh...and Real ID passed in the Senate. For the significance of this Act, see Ron Paul's commentary "Real ID Act Will Make America a Police State."
Posted by mac @ 06:09 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Bruce Schneier on Security -- reposted here from his "weblog covering security and security technology" -- provides an excellent overview of the REAL ID Act.... [more]
Posted by mac @ 06:25 PM EST [Link]
You may have noticed that there have been no blog entries in the last few days and no fresh news items on the ifeminists.net front page. We've had a death in the family and things are returning to normal slowly. I managed to complete my FOX News column yesterday -- the 219th in a row without interruption -- and that's all I'm asking of myself this week. See you soon.
Wendy
Posted by mac @ 11:00 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, May 5, 2005
Thanks to Lee K. for this article. Lee comments, Vigilantes on the border with Mexico, National ID for citizens, passports required to return from Canada, but for the country that the 911 terrorists actually came from? You got it... [more]
Posted by mac @ 10:04 PM EST [Link]
Back to the subject of oil...our friend and science whiz Gordon P. reminds me that he sent us an article about the "deep hot biosphere" last year. OK, I grant that methane can exist down there. It's conceivable (though still speculative) that more complex hydrocarbons could be synthesized from the methane. But even with regard to methane,
"We have not, however, shown that such reserves actually exist," Fried cautioned. "Furthermore, I am not aware of a present-day technology for exploiting the reserves."[more]Posted by brad @ 09:35 PM EST [Link]
For the last few days we've been getting flooded with hundreds of Sober.p (a.k.a. Sober.o) viruses a day. They don't infect our Linux desktops, but at 72 kilobytes each (encoded) they eat up a lot of our dial-up bandwidth and local disk storage. The nuisance is getting to be annoying.
Oh well, nothing to do but let the storm pass. There are just too many PC owners -- not to mention one notorious operating system vendor -- who don't know, or don't care, about computer security. —brad
Posted by brad @ 12:04 PM EST [Link]
Monday, May 2, 2005
Cartoons: Chan Lowe's "Starter Home"; Mark Fiore's latest animation "Pyramids"; Chip Bok's companion cartoon to Fiore's "Food Pyramid"; Tom Tomorrow's "Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy"; and an hilarious essay by Will Durst "Leading the pack away from the leader.
Posted by mac @ 05:46 PM EST [Link]
I just spent the last half-hour poking around responses to the following survey which was announced by Spike...
[more]Posted by mac @ 05:28 PM EST [Link]
I received the following "heads-up" from Frugal Life News aimed at everyone who owes money on their credit cards... [more]
Posted by mac @ 05:09 PM EST [Link]