| Open Letter to Michael Kinsley On Behalf of Ron Paul - By Walter Block
Something strange is going on. Usually, when mainstream media journalists write about libertarianism, they can barely spell the word correctly. Often, in terms of their understanding, they seem to think of it as "libertoonianism" or, perhaps, "librarianism"; sometimes they actually confuse it with libertinism or conservatism (Block, Walter. 2007. "Plumb Line Libertarianism: A Critique of Hoppe." Reason Papers, Vol. 29, Fall, pp. 151–163). Typically, at least in surveys, leading pollsters do not even include the philosophy of liberty as an option, along with the alternatives they do offer: socialism, liberalism, on the left, a category for moderates, and then on the right conservatism and fascism. It is, then, with great appreciation that we must welcome a series of two articles written by Michael Kinsley on this subject (here and here).
Archive for: February, 2008
Between the Lines Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives Sun completes MySQL purchase; Eyes more open source acquisitions Posted in: General Open Source Sun Sun said Tuesday that it has completed the purchase of MySQL for $1 billion and CEO Jonathan Schwartz indicated the company plans to keep shopping for open source acquisitions. "Open source is really in the DNA of Sun," said Schwartz on a conference call to trumpet MySQL as a transforming acquisition. Schwartz also added that Sun was "looking forward to more tuck in acquisitions on the open source front." Schwartz wasn't going to name what companies were on his acquisition list, but he did outline some key attributes. Open source companies with "high integrity" communities, broad distribution and some commercial success would be fine tuck in acquisitions.
What's up in The Albemarle 02/27
Info session on Mid-Currituck Bridge. Representatives from Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc., a private transportation consulting firm based in New York, will conduct a citizens informational workshop on the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge at Griggs Elementary School in Poplar Branch today from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Business Expo. The Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce will host its 17th annual Business Expo at the K.E. White Center today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $1. Lunch will be available from Captain Bob's from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Housing Authority to meet. The Board of Commissioners of the Elizabeth City Housing Authority will meet in the authority offices today at 5 p.m. Alzheimer's support group to meet. Elizabeth City Area Alzheimer's Support Group will meet at the Pasquotank County Senior Center Thursday at 2 p.m.
Keep a good thing going
Letters may be delivered to the offices of The Reporter at 916 Cotting Lane, or mailed to P.O. Box 1509, Vacaville, 95696, sent via fax, 447-8411, or e-mailed to letters@TheReporter.com. If you have any questions about policies, contact the opinion page editor, Karen Nolan, at 448-2200, or in Dixon, 678-2222. .
The Winner's Cycle
What do you get when you combine one wicker rocking chair, a thrift-store bicycle and 13 very motivated mechanical engineering students? A vehicle that can navigate an obstacle course at 25 mph without spilling a single can of pop. Behold the Rudy Hawkenheimer, Seattle University's first-ever entry in the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, a 21-year-old event sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Developed over the course of the 2003-2004 school year, the "Hawk" so named because students thought the moniker sounded sophisticated and technical and would scare their opponentswon third place in the utility-class competition. "The whole idea was to design a vehicle and enter a competition that wasn't too technically demanding, so even the freshmen on the team could make meaningful contributions," says Assistant Professor Frank Shih, who led the undergraduates on their quest for an SU superbike.
Bringing baseball back to North Harford Park
On a recent afternoon, two kids played basketball at the eastern end of North Harford Park, off Hamlet Avenue. At the other end, on Laurelton Avenue, two school buses slowed to a stop and a dozen kids poured out. They milled around a nearby apartment complex for a while, teasing and chasing each other.
Sitting in between the two scenes is a pair of vacant baseball fields -- or what used to be baseball fields. Or, if Stephen Johnson and Shane Scott are successful in their mission, what will soon be baseball fields once again.
"If you look around, the kids need something here," says Johnson, waving a hand over the dilapidated diamond. "That's why we're doing this. It's a labor of love."
.
|
