Some spam I received a while back had this quote in it: “Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we’ve been bombing over the years been complaining?” –George Wallace

Pathetic antics by a DC misanthrope from Facebook: George Edwards Tom Palmer claims that Lew Rockwell is racist. Waiting for him to back up his claim. 4 hours ago · Comment · LikeUnlike Tom G. Palmer Here’s a good place to start: http://reason.com/archives/2008/01/16/who-wrote-ron-pauls-newsletter Lew wrote truly racist newsletters (not denunciations of abuse of executive power […]

From Mises blog: Mises and Rand (and Rothbard) February 4, 2005 8:35 PM by Stephan Kinsella (Archive) In a recent thread, a commentator (Feirman) wrote: “Rand herself didn’t agree with everything Mises wrote, such as his a priori methodology, subjectivism and utilitarianism, and I am sure that other Randians pick bones with other of his […]

Rockwell on IP and Emulation by Stephan Kinsella on February 21, 2010[edit] in Intellectual Property I confess that I hate self-promotion but I cannot resist reposting comments like the following from the single most important libertarian thinker and organizer of our generation: Daily Bell: One of the hardest issues to resolve from a free-market point […]

(Hat tip Jules Jeffrey) [Mises; AM]

In this talk Larry Lessig explains how copyright law chokes creativity … but that copyright abolitionists are wrong and extremists. Hunh?

Latest notable terms from this week’s Slate Culture Gabfest and Slate Political Gabfest (feel free to email me suggestions or leave them in the comments to the main page). Funny note: the Jan. 13 Culture Gabfest is a fantastic episode, discussing Eric Rohmer’s films, Conan v. Leno, the Simpsons, etc., though I dislike Conan O’Brien […]

John Pilger describes the growing boycott, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine. Based on the anti-apartheid campaign that helped bring down the racist regime in South Africa, BDS is becoming a catch-cry for freedom in countries whose governments continue to ignore the Palestinians' struggle against another form of apartheid and which Nelson Mandela has described as "the greatest moral issue of our time".

I just saw the commercial below by Kaplan University, which declaims “it’s time to use technology to rewrite the rules of education.” Looks like they are trying to catch the open education strategy wave the Mises Institute is already riding (and helping to create; see Mises.org on iTunes U; The Intellectual Revolution Is in Process; […]

[Originally published December 12, 2006 here on the Mises blog; archived comments here] In a recent email, Walter Block wrote, responding some pessimistic comments I had about our libertarian movement: “Dear Stephan: I never feel like dropping out. Never. No matter what. To me, libertarianism is a most beautiful thing, right up there with Mozart and […]

From Internet Archive: Speaking only for himself, J. Morton Spindle, Jr. suggests that it’s not always nice to be nice. The “Benevolent Rape” Scene? Being a Judicious Inquiry into the Proper Parameters of Benevolence as Manifested in the So-called “Rape” Scene of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead by J. Morton Spindle, Jr. (First published on TDO […]

Objectivism Schism Form Letter [old link; archived] Posted by Stephan Kinsella on June 18, 2006 04:25 PM I’ve noted before [archived link] Randians’ bizarre practice of “officially” “breaking” with one another (other comments on this). Now some Objectivists who actually have a sense of humor have made up an “Official Solo Schism Form Letter”. Funny stuff. […]

ABOVE: Not the easiest place to look for those who have hidden their identity behind nationalism, bigotry and mysticism

An introduction to a series of shows about government school's history curriculum. We'll explore the lies, myths, omissions and distortions used to indoctrinate blind patriotism (aka nationalism aka mysticism).

ABOVE: Not the easiest place to look for those who have hidden their identity behind nationalism, bigotry and mysticism An introduction to a series of shows about government school's history curriculum. We'll explore the lies, myths, omissions and distortions used to indoctrinate blind patriotism (aka nationalism aka mysticism).Topic: The purpose of the American History curriculum in government school SEEMS to be two-fold: 1. Build up a mythology about America and government when we're most impressionable (Grades 1-6)2.

ABOVE: Not the easiest place to look for those who have hidden their identity behind nationalism, bigotry and mysticism

An introduction to a series of shows about government school's history curriculum. We'll explore the lies, myths, omissions and distortions used to indoctrinate blind patriotism (aka nationalism aka mysticism).

This is a wonderful article announcing the opening of the Mises Institute’s iTunes U: The Mises Institute is pleased to announce that the multimedia content on Mises.org — many thousands of hours of audio and video — is now available through iTunes U, a dedicated area within the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com). iTunes U carries lectures […]

Hilarious — an oldie but a goodie. Youtube video.

Business and State Posted by Stephan Kinsella on January 6, 2005 11:39 AM Rand said big business is America’s most persecuted minority, or something like that. Bah. They are in bed with the state big-time. As reported in Tech Firms Aim to Change Copyright Act, Several of the world’s largest high-tech corporations plan to urge […]

While scanning files a while back in the process of going paperless, I came across a one-page Reading List, “Suggested by C. H. Murphy, Jr., to El Dorado High School students during National Library Week, April, 1964. I can’t remember where I got it, but reviewing it, we can see the times certainly have changed. […]

From 2005: IP Trends Posted by Stephan Kinsella on April 5, 2005 03:37 PM A Swedish libertarian buddy, Johan Ridenfeldt, pointed me to this article (in Swedish), which describes libertarian (liberal) arguments against intellectual property, and also includes a review of the debate in Nyliberalen (The Neoliberal). He wrote, “I find this very positive. I’m […]

On Rabid Soccer Parents Posted by Stephan Kinsella on July 2, 2006 10:23 PM Karen, your post called to mind Fun Fair Positive Soccer, a kids’ soccer league near Houston, that one of my friends is involved in. Personally I’ve always despised the way too many parents at little league games etc. go completely bonkers, […]

In a previous post, I noted the arbitrariness of copyright law in prohibiting editing a DVD to take out objectionable scenes, when presumably it would be legal to accomplish the same thing by other means–e.g., as I pointed out in a legal forum, by providing instructions to users to use to program a special DVD […]

Propaganda cartoon produced by Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas, 1948, warning of the dangers of socialism–which is refers to obliquely as “isms”. It’s a bizarre combination of pretty explicit anti-communist, anti-statist messages, plus a decent–if airbrushed–promotion of an idealized version of American capitalism, mixed in with endorsement of maionstream welfarism (unions, right to strike, etc.). (Google […]

The beginnings of my love-affair with Apple–I’m not a complete fan-boi! Squee! re: Apple’s Mean-spirited ad campaign Posted by Stephan Kinsella on September 19, 2006 11:24 PM Lew, given some email I’ve received from Mac cultists who for some reason took my post as Apple bashing, let me make sure I am clear that I’ve […]

Recently Walter Block was on a TV show run by black power advocates. He thought they were going to discuss the Katrina hurricane disaster in New Orleans, but the discussion ended up focusing on racism and a variety of other issues. Video; audio only. It is one of the most surreal and fascinating viewing experiences […]

One day I was standing by the window gazing vacantly and smoking at the lunch break at work, when a colleague came and stood by me without me noticing her. I was looking out blankly and she was, probably, looking …

Latest notable terms from this week’s Slate Culture Gabfest and Slate Political Gabfest (feel free to email me suggestions or leave them in the comments to the main page): objet d’art (DS, CG01-06-10) priapic (SM, CG01-06-10) sartorial (JT, CG01-06-10) satyriasis (SM, CG01-06-10) The guest host, Adam Gopnik, says “risk adverse” instead of “risk averse.” Tut-tut. […]

ABOVE: As you can see, private education is...not necessarily the answer.

An issue that I've been meaning to cover for a while: The real difference between private and public schools, or pedagogical lack thereof. After reflecting on more recent business-related trips to schools, I want to make sure I'm not oversimplifying.

Please visit schoolsucksproject.com for full show notes, references and links.

ABOVE: As you can see, private education is...not necessarily the answer.An issue that I've been meaning to cover for a while: The real difference between private and public schools, or pedagogical lack thereof. After reflecting on more recent business-related trips to schools, I want to make sure I'm not oversimplifying. Please visit schoolsucksproject.com for full show notes, references and links.

ABOVE: As you can see, private education is...not necessarily the answer.

An issue that I've been meaning to cover for a while: The real difference between private and public schools, or pedagogical lack thereof. After reflecting on more recent business-related trips to schools, I want to make sure I'm not oversimplifying.

Please visit schoolsucksproject.com for full show notes, references and links.

Since comments to this 2010 post are now inexplicably (but predictably; so many libertarians are totally half-assed about such matters) deleted, here is the whole post and comments thread, from the archive: Big Government, Big Business — Conjoined Twins Thomas L. Knapp | January 9th, 2010 David Corn, writing in Mother Jones, takes issue with the popular sentiment: For […]

At the recent CES, Intel gave a demo of its vision of a future smartphone. This reminded me of my 2004 LRC post, The future of technology, about an NTT DoCoMo video forecasting the future of mobile communications. I’ve updated the links in that post; it’s interesting to see the forecast for the 2010s made […]

Cato’s Robert Levy argues that it is, in The moral and constitutional case for a right to gay marriage. He argues: Thomas Jefferson set the stage in the Declaration of Independence: “[T]o secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” The primary purpose of government is to safeguard individual rights and prevent some persons from […]

On today’s Slate Political Gabfest, the liberal hosts Emily Bazelon and David Plotz are explicitly in favor of privacy-invading body-scanner technology. Consider this appalling interchange: Emily Bazelon: I’m all for these body scanners. I don’t care at all about the privacy violations associated with them. … Will Saletan <laugh> wrote a great piece that had […]

This post, which originally appeared at http://undertheradarmedia.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/if-you-know-this-wom…, has for some reason been disappeared (apparently replaced with: Airports set to become primary peddlers of child porn). The original post is pasted below. [Note: the images are not genuine TSA scanner images, but based on stock photos of a model [NSFW], simulating what we can expect result […]

Franklin G Mixon Jr. and Kamal P Upadhyaya’s article “Blogometrics,” in the Eastern Economic Journal, “gathers information on a wide array of economics bloggers and blogs in order to develop a ranking of economics bloggers that is based on citations to their academic research.” Table 1 list “Top economics bloggers by scholarly impact.” It’s an […]

From my comment on Jeff Tucker’s post, A Theory of Open: Jeff: “Mainly, I think, this comes from an exaggerated reliance on IP and a belief that it is the key to success.” MIchael: “Do IP advocates understand that the system may very well make it a better bet to produce patents than products? Why […]

LSU Law Professor Saúl Litvinoff passed away yesterday. As noted in the LSU Law Center press release about this, Litvinoff was a true giant in the field of civil law scholarship. Professor Emeritus and Boyd Professor of Law Saúl Litvinoff, whose impact on the legal traditions of Louisiana spanned more than 43 years, died earlier […]

A friend of mine is going to be a panelist at this event, World’s Fair Use Day, which is a free, all-day celebration of the doctrine of fair use: the legal right that allows innovators and creators to make particular uses of copyrighted materials. WFUD will take place at the Newseum in Washington D.C. on […]

From Mises blog and Against Monopoly. Archived comments below. There are various ways to explain what is wrong with IP. You can explain that IP requires a state, and legislation, which are both necessarily illegitimate. You can point out that there is no proof that IP increases innovation, much less adds “net value” to society. […]

Bilateral Investment Treaties: Investors and Property versus the State Posted by Stephan Kinsella on November 8, 2003 02:14 PM Interesting recent article on Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), Arbitrating over BIT claims, by attorneys Mark Friedman and Gaetan Verhoosel. I found this comment interesting: “BITs typically contain a “most favored nation” clause that allows an investor […]

from LRC 2003: Punishing Politicians Posted by Stephan Kinsella on October 23, 2003 04:29 PM From Rothbard’s great article, H. L. Mencken: The Joyous Libertarian: In discussing how to punish guilty public officials (“jobholders”), Mencken said, “What is needed is a system (a) that does not depend for its execution upon the good-will of fellow […]

from LRC 2003 Breakin’ the Law Posted by Stephan Kinsella on September 23, 2003 05:45 PM So here I am, yesterday, on my daily drive home from work in Sugar Land, back to home in Houston, wending my way through a one-mile stretch that passes through an island of suburbia known as (we’ll call it, […]

from LRC 2003 Poodles Bite Posted by Stephan Kinsella on September 24, 2003 11:14 PM [An edited version of an email I prepared and sent to friends shortly after Christmas, 1998. Before 9/11/2001, when the world was still innocent. Sigh.] So our Cocker Spaniel, Muffy (yeah, that’s her name, what of it?), kicks the bucket […]

From LRC 2003 Anna Belle (da poodle) ‘n Me Posted by Stephan Kinsella on September 27, 2003 01:30 AM Anna Belle (da poodle) ‘n Me [From about February 1999] So the other day, Cin’s sister Amy and her family were visiting. On a fine Saturday morning, I decide to take my 6-year-old nephew, Thomas, and […]

From LRC, 2003 Things not to say to a first-time mom Posted by Stephan Kinsella on September 17, 2003 01:30 AM Ahh, I’m learning a lot these days. If you ask, “Where exactly do I put dirty baby clothes? Where is this alleged special baby clothes hamper you always refer to?” and the wife answers, […]

I was interviewed today for the Who Owns You? documentary, by Taylor Roesch. We spent almost an hour on the interview part in my study (luckily I had put my standard poodles Sir Boudreaux and Anna Banana Belle to the groomers to avoid barkage), then a couple hours, with his two assistants Ben and Jorge, […]

ABOVE: If you want to get 30 extra guys in the NES game Metroid, start the game and quickly press up + down + up + down + left + right + left + right + A + B + Select + Start. Enjoy!
Who said I wasn't tech-savvy?

Topic:
Paul, a fifteen-year-old high school student and listener to the show, asked me to provide some assistance with a psychology project he's working on. The topic is public education. He was actually told about the show by his English teacher.This is the discussion we had on Skype.

ABOVE: If you want to get 30 extra guys in the NES game Metroid, start the game and quickly press up + down + up + down + left + right + left + right + A + B + Select + Start. Enjoy!
Who said I wasn't tech-savvy?

Topic:
Paul, a fifteen-year-old high school student and listener to the show, asked me to provide some assistance with a psychology project he's working on. The topic is public education. He was actually told about the show by his English teacher.This is the discussion we had on Skype.