SKYPE ME

Skype has started an affiliate program. The company is forecasting a profit this year. You could give me a call if you click on the "Skype Me!" button, under the Contact section in the right column.

WORLD YES TOBACCO DAY

Bad news: Sweden ready for the great stubbing-out.

Sweden will introduce a ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday, joining a growing band of European countries seeking to reduce the number of people who light up and limit the risks of second-hand smoke. (TheLocal.se, 05/31/05.)

I had to smoke a cigar before the smoking ban took place. The picture is taken at The Cigar in Gothenburg. I smoked a Private Stock cigar from Dominican Republic. The title of the post is a parody of the "World No Tobacco Day."


SMOKING
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

APOTEKET IS AN ILLEGAL STATE-OWNED PHARMACY CHAIN

Good news: Swedish pharmacy monopoly illegal.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Apoteket, Sweden's state-owned pharmacy monopoly, is illegal.

The court said: "The system of selecting medicinal preparations operated by the monopoly in question, Apoteket, is liable to place at a disadvantage medicinal preparations from other member states." (TheLocal.se, 05/31/05.)

From the Court of Justice of the European Communities:

Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-438/02 Hanner. Free movement of goods. The Swedish Monopoly on Retail Sales of Medical Preparations is Contrary to Community Law. (Curia.eu.int, Nº 47/2005, 05/31/05.)

NEW EGO STUFF

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have signed up with Pajamas Media. I am interested in new alternatives in advertising and I am fascinated to be a part of a new blog network. Here is an excerpt from Glenn Reynolds's article, We the (Media) People.

Like a lot of blogs, my site, and Mr. Quick's, generate a modest amount of revenue from ads. Most blogs don't attract the traffic that newspapers do (though some blogs have higher readerships than quite respectable newspaper sites), but Henry Copeland's blogads.com combines thousands of blogs to deliver large numbers of eyeballs to advertisers. The next step, though, will be collecting all that independent reporting into something easier for readers to find and navigate.

Some people are working on that, too: In fact, Pajamas Media, a blog-news venture I'm involved with, is recruiting a network of independent journalists around the world (and especially in less-democratic countries) and working on ways to support them financially, legally, and technologically. Others are working on news-aggregation technology that will automatically gather blog posts on particular topics, allowing people to customize their news. (Online.WSJ.com, 05/31/05.)

Go to Pajamas Media's site if you are interested in joining the network. Send an e-mail message to them for more information. If you contact them, please give my name as a reference. If you want to know the "dress code" for a blogger, follow the instructions as follows:

For the record and on public demand. [Editor's comment: No comment... ;)] Shirtmaker Charles Tyrwhitt's Herringbone Blue Pyjamas is editor's choice. And now back to regular programming... Robert Tracinski is commenting on John Fund's article, I'd Rather Be Blogging (CBS stonewalls as "guys in pajamas" uncover a fraud.), in the following way:

The Wall Street Journal also has an amusing piece about how Internet bloggers--dismissed by a CBS News executive as "a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing"--have brought the "old media" to account. For the record, we would like to note that TIA's staff is almost always fully and appropriately attired when we compile TIA Daily. (TIA Daily, Commentary: "Guys in Pajamas" Take Down "60 Minutes", 09/13/04.)

(EGO, I RATHER WATCH 20/20 THAN 60 MINUTES, 09/13/04.)

Pajamas at the Gate


More news... I will do some guest blogging over at Anita Campbell's blog, Small Business Trends, in June and July. I will do a post on business and a PowerBlog Review. EGO was reviewed in August, 2004.

MEMORIAL DAY

Take some time and read Andrew Bernstein's article, Honoring Virtue on Memorial Day. Here is an excerpt.

To fully appreciate the virtue of our soldiers we must remember what freedom means. It means we can choose our own fields of study, our own careers, our own spouses, the size of our families and our places of residence. It means we can speak out without fear regarding any issue--including governmental policy--and choose our values, without interference from the state.

Freedom is based on the inalienable right of each individual to pursue his own goals and his own personal happiness. During America's Revolutionary period, one New Hampshire state document summed up the thinking of our Founding Fathers regarding an individual's rights, "among which are the enjoying and defending life and liberty; acquiring, possessing and protecting property; and in a word, of seeking and obtaining happiness." This is the principle--and the spirit--that our soldiers defend. (CapMag.com, 05/31/04.)

It would have been nice to observe Memorial Day in the "Live Free or Die" state, i.e., New Hampshire. Here is an excerpt from my post, MEMORIAL DAY:

As a former resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, I want to illustrate this post with Cox & Forkum's cartoon, Brothers in Arms.



Please visit John Stark State Park. (EGO, MEMORIAL DAY, 05/30/04.)

How will you commemorate Memorial Day? Will you watch the Heroes Marathon on the History Channel?

Read Robert Tracy's post, Honor, Courage, Pride.

Memorial Day



UPDATE:

In the news: Medal hope for Cornish 9/11 hero.

A Cornishman who died in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001, may be given a posthumous gallantry award.

Rick Rescorla, 62, who was born in Hayle, helped 2,700 people to safety after terrorists flew a plane into the South Tower in New York. (News.BBC.co.uk, 05/20/05.)

Read Greyhawk's post, 911 Remembered: Rick Rescorla was a soldier.

HOW COULD SWEDEN BE THE BEST BRAND IN THE WORLD?

Sweden is the leader of the Nation Brands Index according to a poll by Global Market Insite, Inc. Here is the list:

1. Sweden
2. United Kingdom
3. Italy
4. Germany / USA
5. Japan
6. China
7. India
8. South Korea
9. Russia
10. Turkey

STRANGE PRIORITIES IN INDONESIA

Don't you think that the Indonesian government should spend more time on the war on terrorism, instead of the war on drugs? Maybe it is time to start a boycott against Indonesia and "Ban Bali"? I hope that Schapelle Corby will be able to return to Australia.

CAPITALISTS, CATS AND RIPE BANANAS

Have a banana and take some time to check out the following carnivals:

• Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

Reason Roundup
Welcome to The Reason Roundup! Spicy hamburgers. Hot "Chocolat". Orange...feathers. Say what? Soapy cars. Cool "Sahara". Killing individualism. Celebrating Memorial Day. Aristotle and John Locke. (CharlotteCapitalist.com, 05/29/05.)

• Carnival of the Capitalists at the Slacker Manager.

Welcome to the May 30, 2005 volume of The Carnival of the Capitalists, Capitalism meets Satisficing and welcome to the Slacker Manager. ...

My name is Rosa Say, and I’m sitting in for Bren as your COTC editor. This turned out to be a very important time for the Slacker Manager and his family; if you missed his earlier post you can discover why by reading Slacker baby on the way. Congratulations Bren and Amy! (SlackerManager.com, 05/29/05.)

• Carnival of the Cats at Ripe Bananas.

WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL OF CATS!
Thanks to everyone who contributed this week.

The first part of this week's carnival is dedicated to the memory of my cat Fluffer who passed away 3 years ago and to contributors that have lost their furry companions. Fluffer (a.k.a. Fluffmuffin or Fluffy Beast) was about 14 years old and was suffering from kidney failure and arthritis. My parents decided that putting her to sleep was the best choice since she was in a lot of pain and could barely walk. I took this picture of her under my bed with my first camera when I was 13 years old. We named her Fluffer (or some variant) because she was super fluffy. She was abandoned as a kitten, but we believe she was part Maine Coon cat. She had a very sweet, gentle temperament. Where ever you are, Fluffer, I hope you find the comfiest chair in cat heaven. (RipeBananas.blogspot.com, 05/29/05.)

SUDOKU: THE NEW GLOBAL PUZZLE?

Is Sudoku the new Rubik's Cube? This crossword-like puzzle could easily become a very popular game in many countries around the world. You could play this game on the mobile phone and computer. Reuters reports that "papers go ape over" the game and it has been syndicated to plenty of newspapers.

For more on this fascinating topic, read the following articles:

• Do you sudoku? - Economist.
• A beginner's guide to Sudoku. - Daily Mail.
• Eat eggs and play Sudoku if you want to be brainier. - The Scotsman.

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MORRIS IS GOOD AT JOB ROTATION

Morris knows how to rotate and move around... Almost over the edge, but he is doing a good job at staying afloat!


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

SPICY HAMBURGER COMMERCIALS

Today I attended a lunch event arranged by a career network. The speaker was the president of Burger King, Scandinavia.

Have you seen Hardee's spicy television commercial with Paris Hilton? [Via Body in Mind.] A pressure group called Parents Television Council is trying to stop the commercial.

Which is your favorite hamburger chain / restaurant?

Related: My post, MCDONALD'S HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 50 YEARS.

SUPPORT ORIANA FALLACI

In the news: Trial over Italian Islam 'insult'.

Ms Fallaci is being sued by the head of the Muslim Union of Italy, who says The Force of Reason is defamatory. (BBC, 05/24/05.)

Read David Holcberg's letter to the editor, Oriana Fallaci and Freedom of Speech.

Have you read Oriana Fallaci's book, The Force of Reason?

Related: My post, FATWA AGAINST SALMAN RUSHDIE (AGAIN).

STUDY OF MORRIS

Here is a study of Morris the cat.

Playing with a branch.


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

Time to "branch out"...


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

...and catch the arm of my cardigan.


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

Resting after the "fight."


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

For more animal pictures, go to Modulator's Friday Ark.

ANNUAL BLOG REPORT III ON MY BIRTHDAY

As I promised before, here is my third annual blog report. First of all, I want to thank Christer Sjöback and Gus Van Horn for buying birthday gifts from my wish list on Amazon. Right now, I am listening to Last Quarter Moon by Chiara Civello. I am really getting in a good mood! I look forward to read The Abolition Of Antitrust by Gary Hull.

Last year I was discussing the issue on how to keep on blogging without taking a break.

Recently I felt a bit down and was thinking of taking a break from blogging. I had published my interview with Dwayne Bell (founder and editor of Body in Mind) and later on I found some nasty comments by a bunch of anarchists who attacked my post in a very nihilistic way. But I am happy to say that I got moral support from some of my loyal readers and I got back on my feet again! (EGO, ANNUAL BLOG REPORT II, 05/07/04.)

My intention is to continue to blog, but I can't say how often I will publish posts in the near future. It is all depending on my career situation. I am finishing my studies in June, and I strive to get a new job a.s.a.p., but it is hard to find due to the state of the market. If you have any job leads, tips, suggestions, etc, please don't hesitate to send me an email or give me a call!

And now it is time for some trivia stats compared with the previous years:

Average visits per day / page views according to SiteMeter.

• May 7, 2005: 122 / 186.
• May 7, 2004: 123 / 165.
• May 7, 2003: 50 / 90.

Ranking on BlogStreet:

• 2005: 2,371 of 102,767.
• 2004: 7,344 of 144,065.
• 2003: 19,866 of 134,387.

It would be fun to achieve another milestone in the near future. After three years I am on my way to visit # 100,000... As a comparison, InstaPundit gets more hits per day...

Time to talk about new things regarding my blog. I have joined the blog alliance, The Egosphere, so I will crosspost future posts on a regular basis.

I have signed up with Pajamas Media. It will be interesting to follow the development of the blogosphere.

IDEOLOGIC CAPITALISTS AND CATS

Time for carnivals! Meet up with rational individuals, capitalists, and cats.

• Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

Welcome to the Reason Roundup! Does a Koran in the toilet justify murder? Feathers! A good prayer! What is really happening in the Catholic Church? The Donald and the twin towers. The latest on Star Wars. What is gODDESS? More... (CharlotteCapitalist.com, 05/22/05.)

• Carnival of the Capitalists at Ideologic.

Welcome to the Ideologic flavour of Carnival of the Capitalists. I am Harish Keshwani, your host for the time you stay at the Carnival. Help yourself with some cappuccino and snacks and enjoy “best of the best” entries for this week. For your reading pleasure, all posts are divided into categories and each link opens in a new window. (IdeologicLLC.com, 05/22/05.)

• Carnival of the Cats #61 at This Blog Is Full of Crap.

There was a minor issue with forwarding within Plesk this week, topped off with a host that had a family emergency and needed to back out at the last minute.

Even with forwarding, the posts all sit in the mailbox anyway, so a last-minute rescue is always possible.

And here we are.

Sixty one Carnivals of the Cats, no asterisk. (IsFullOfCrap.com, 05/22/05.)

THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC MODEL

It is refreshing to see that journalists in Europe are capable of pointing to America and give some good suggestions to the Bush administration. Read the article, Damaged goods, in the Economist. I think that the "American Brand Capitalism" can is a very illustrative image. Here is an excerpt:

The way to support enterprise—American enterprise, the best in the world—is to be as unEuropean as possible. Mr President, look at France. Notice their economic policies. See how they subsidise this and protect that. Do we have to spell it out? (Economist, 05/19/05.)

Recommend reading:

• Union Jacques by Peter Beaumont, The Observer.
• What's wrong with the French? by Gareth Harding, United Press International.

Related: My post, INDEX OF ECONOMIC FREEDOM.


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MORRIS IS A HUNGRY CAT

Time to eat!


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST, GREENJOLLY AND CHE GUEVARA

I will not comment so much on this year's Eurovision song contest, but I have a question to GreenJolly's singer and band leader, Roman Kalyn. Why did you wear a Che Guevara t-shirt? It would be better if you had a different kind of Che t-shirt, e.g., the No Che T-Shirt from ThoseShirts.com. Read Val Prieto's post, This just in, Che Guevara is dead!

I think that Helena Paparizou has a good chance to the win the contest. She is from Gothenburg, Sweden, but she is representing Greece in the contest.

Related my post, EURO(TRASH)VISION SONG CONTEST.

UPDATE 05/22/05:

Greece won with Helena Paparizou's song, My Number One.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIBRARY AT GITMO?

I have a question. Who is responsible for the library at Gitmo? Why do the prisoners get hold of the Koran in the first place? Maybe Amazon is one of the suppliers? Read Irshad Manji's article, Why don't we Muslims grow up? and Jeff Jacoby's article, Why Islam is disrespected.

Bibliocide


UPDATE 05/20/05:

Have a look at the services by the chaplain at the U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

I asked for permission from Steve Rogers to publish the below mentioned message. The post was a comment to another member (T.M.) on Harry Binswanger's mailing list:

More importantly, the truth of the charge is really irrelevant to the larger question of whether the media should be airing the details of psychological techniques used on prisoners of war.

The truth of the matter is that the administration has agreed to supply copies of the Koran to the prisoners, and agreed to the terms that *only* military chaplains are allowed to touch it, and then only when wearing gloves (according to Fox news). *This* is the scandal that should be on the front page. (Steve Rogers, HBList.com, 05/20/05.)

In the news:

• Red Cross told U.S. of Koran incidents - Chicago Tribune.

FLUSH OUT THE KORAN BY SPREADING BETTER IDEAS

I wouldn't protest if: "U.S. interrogators at Guantánamo prison had placed the Qur'an on toilet seats and even flushed one." (Quote from Evan Thomas's article, How a Fire Broke Out, May 23 issue of Newsweek.) But I am sure you could find more appropriate versions of military tactics and foreign policy. It is important to understand that a battle of ideas is taking place. It is all about reason versus faith.

Flushed


If you are interested in following this story, check out Memeorandum for automated updates on what's happening at the editor's desk at Newsweek. For more information, read Austin Bay's post, The Press' Abu Ghraib: Newsweek Apologizes, After 15 People Are Dead. [Via InstaPundit.]

By the way: I am wondering what will happen with "Newsweek's victim," Imran Khan... I am sure the employees at the University of Bradford are not happy campers at the moment.

UPDATE 05/17/05:

In the news: Press unmoved by Newsweek retraction.

Read Gus Van Horn's post, Whose Riots?

If flushing a Koran down the commode after using a few pages for toilet paper is what it takes to get some Islamofascist psychopath to start singing like a bird, so be it. For crying out loud, we were attacked without provocation in the name of that book! People died in the name of that book. These reprobates should shut their pieholes, realize that maybe we don't give a damn about their little book, and take solace in the "knowledge" that we'll rot in hell for all eternity after what we have done. (Or are they not so sure about that last part? Maybe that's why they feel the need to mete out punishment in the here and now....) The fact that I, an ordinary citizen, am coming up with this now, rather than having heard it days ago from a government official is an alarming indication of the intellectual bankruptcy of our nation's leaders. (GusVanHorn.blogspot.com, 05/16/05.)

Robert Tracinski is commenting on the New York Sun's editorial, The Other Side of Newsweek.

In yesterday's TIA Daily, I argued that the premise behind the Koran-in-the-toilet imbroglio is a concession to the Islamist idea that insults to their "holy book" are a crime equivalent to (or worse than) the mistreatment of a human being. Today's New York Sun expands on that theme and takes the Bush administration to task for "pandering to the sensibilities of our Islamist enemies." Quite right. (TIADaily.com, Whose Holy Book?, 05/17/05.)

CATS AND RATIONAL CAPITALISTS

Time for Reason Roundup, Carnival of the Capitalists, and Carnival of the Cats.

• Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

Welcome to the Reason Roundup! What is "The American Dream"? Terrorist Iraqis in Sweden. Americans as targets. The good old days of the comic pages. America the free? Man-made beauty. Is global warming...cooling? And more... (CharlotteCapitalist.com, 05/15/05.)

• Carnival of the Capitalists at AnyLetter.

This week's Carnival of the Capitalists is going to be a great one, judging by the submissions. Sadly, due to personal reasons and finals I haven't been updating my site all that often. This is going to be the kick start that I need. But enough about me, this is about the wonderful business minded individuals all throughout the blogosphere. They've worked hard and should be proud of their work, go ahead and visit them. You'll be glad you did. (AnyLetter.blogspot.com, 05/15/05.)

• Carnival of the Cats at Aptenobytes.

Welcome to the Aptenobytes version of the Carnival of the Cats. Feel free to wander around and browse the rest of the site. It's been relatively quiet for the last little while, but there are some things in the archives worth exploring, including a lot of pictures of the family cats.

As we all know, cats are natural born anarchists. They do not accept your authority, or anyone else's for that matter. (Aptenobytes.typepad.com, 05/15/05.)

[Editor's comment: I don't think our cat Morris is an anarchist. He hasn't been in any riots against the state and he doesn't act like a hippie... ;)]

THE IVORY TOWERS ARE CRUMBLING AT COLUMBIA AND HARVARD

Here is an excerpt from Benjamin Harvey's article, Ayn Rand at 100: An 'ism' struts its stuff.

Rand is "outside of the mainstream of philosophical works," said David Sidorsky, a professor of moral and political philosophy at Columbia University. Objectivism, he says, is more of an ideological movement than a well-grounded philosophy, which explains in part why it isn't more widely taught, he said.

"I can understand the fascination exercised by Ayn Rand's work on some people," said Harvard professor of philosophy Philippe Van Parijs, who gained some renown for his proposal that every person, regardless of productive output, be paid a "Universal Basic Income" by the government. "But academic recognition is a matter of intellectual strength, depth and rigour, not of more or less ephemeral and local fashion." (TimesArgus.com, 05/15/05.)

Read David Sidorsky's article, The Third Concept of Liberty and the Politics of Identity, and see if you could grasp his "well-grounded philosophy"...

I wonder if you could call Mr. Parijs's idea of an "universal basic income" a work of "intellectual strength, depth and rigour." It sounds more like a rehash of socialism, egalitarianism, and a big chunk of sloppy thinking. Who should pay for the guaranteed minimum income? How could you demand to have a certain amount of income, without creating a value?

[Editor's note: I am crossposting this post to the Egosphere.]

COULD KODAK MAKE A COMEBACK IN A SNAP?

What will happen in the photo business in the near future? Do you think that Kodak could make a comeback in a snap(fish), as Hewlett-Packard? The Economist is stating in a subtitle: "A photography giant changes boss to survive in the digital age." The new boss, Antonio Perez, is coming from HP. Lonnie Brown thinks that Kodak has made the transition into the field of digital photography in a good way. Kodak is doing a great job at zooming in on the female buyers. Another post at the Fotolia blog is discussing if the sales of digital cameras will decline in the near future. What is your guess?

I think you will see plenty of acquisitions and new business deals in the future. Target has moved away from Kodak and is now using Yahoo! Online Photos Service. Digital Photography Review reported in August 2004 that "Hasselblad and Imacon merge to take on the Professional digital market." The photo in the article is taken at the new Hasselblad building in Gothenburg, Sweden.

I am planning to take some pictures from my adventure in Sopron, Hungary, and print them out and create a sort of scrapbook memento.

More reading material:

• A guide to printing digital photographs - Vnunet.com.
• Zooming In on Digital Photography - Washington Post.
• Photo blogs capture slices of everyday life - Chicago Tribune.

Technorati tags:

• Photography
• Digital camera

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MR CLEAN CAT

Time for spring cleaning!



Time for a nap!

AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Here are some posts for you to read and listen to (!) during the weekend:

• More on Immigration and the Border by Dr. Steven Taylor of PoliBlog. [Via Accidental Verbosity.]

• The Tribal Premise and The End Of The American Dream by Andy Clarkson of the Charlotte Capitalist.

For my thoughts on emigration, immigration, and the Land of Opportunity - America, read my post, AMERICANS ARE LEAVING "BUSH COUNTRY".

• What is the Purpose of Business? by BusinessPundit.

I recommend you to read the Blackwell handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior. The book is edited by Edwin Locke.

I am thinking of starting with podcasting. Read Neville Hobson's post, Podcasting: Adding the human and informal touch, and John R. Quain's article, Now, Audio Blogs for Those Who Aspire to Be D.J.'s.

• Is Pat Buchanan a Nazi Apologist? by Gus Van Horn.

I agree with Ed Koch's statement. Read Steven Zak's article, The Old Right/New Left/Neo-Nazi Alliance, and Mikheil Saakashvili's article, Time for a Return to Yalta.

• More from Kansas by Stephen of the Politburo Diktat.

• Public Education Means Politicized Indoctrination by Jim Woods of the Washington Re-Post.

For more on "intelligent design," read my post, CREATIONISM, and Peter Dizikes's article, A real monkey trial.

REGISTER FOR ICON 2005 AND A NEW DROPCASH CAMPAIGN

You could now register for iCon 2005. Will you attend the Objectivist conference in London on September 9 - 11? I have added a new dropcash campaign, as a service for you who are interested in donating money. I used Oanda's currency site to convert the conference fee from 155 British pounds to 287 U.S. dollars.

BLOGKITS AND OVERSTOCK

I have joined BlogKits' affiliate program with Overstock.com. You could find an ad banner in the right column, under the LinkShare and ValueClick ads. You could find another image under the Support category. Talking about the Support category, have you checked out the eTray auctions lately?

Patrick Byrne, President of Overstock.com, has his own blog. Do you remember the ad with Sabine Ehrenfeld?

TWO TERRORISTS FROM IRAQ CONVICTED IN SWEDEN

In the news: Iraqi pair jailed for terror plots.

A Stockholm court has convicted two Iraqis of plotting and financing a massive suicide bombing campaign in their home country and sentenced them to long prison sentences and deportation.

Ali Berzengi, 29, and Ferman Abdulla, 25, were found guilty of "receiving and transferring large sums to the terrorist organization Ansar al-Islam with the aim that the money be used for terror crimes," the court ruled. (TheLocal.se, 05/12//05.)

For a background, read my post, TERRORIST CELL IN SWEDEN? Check out MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base.

MORRIS THE TAILOR

I wonder if Morris has something to do with CatPrin... Do a search on "tailor."


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

For more animal pictures, check out Friday Ark at the Modulator.

SWEDISH FUN WEEK BY JOHN CLEESE AKA STIG OHMQUIST

I think I have to add John Cleese's site to the Humor category. Check out his new character, Stig Ohmquist, and the celebration of "Swedish Fun Week."

CODE BY CISCO STOLEN BY SWEDISH HACKER

In the news: Swedish teenager suspected of hacking into NASA.

A 16 year old boy from Uppsala is at the centre of an FBI investigation into a major spate of hacking attacks on the US military, NASA and IT companies.

The boy was prosecuted in March for breaking into the computer network at Uppsala University, but Tuesday's New York Times reported that this could merely have been a "base" for launching more serious attacks. (TheLocal.se, 05/10/05.)

Here is a press release by the university.

If you search for the hacker's nickname ("Stakkato") on the Russian security site mentioned in the story, you will find two hits.

I bet that Per Hellqvist of Symantec will write a post on this topic on his personal blog.

CAPITALISTS ARE PAYING A PENNY FOR CATS

Check out fresh carnivals at Charlotte Capitalist, A Penny For..., and the Conservative Cat:

• Reason Roundup at Charlotte Capitalist.

Welcome to the Reason Roundup! Are the theocrats coming? Do you sense a pattern in the U.N.'s behavior? The Star Wars against capitalism. "Don't panic; simply persist." "Onward Christians soldiers, marching as to war against those who don't agree with them." Nude maids? Linux vs. Windows. 65,000,000,000 gallons of water - just for you! Existence...exists? Be a man. And more... (CharlotteCapitalist.com, 05/08/05.)

• Carnival of the Capitalists at A Penny For...

Welcome to the Carnival of the Capitalists. I hosted the COTC back in December 2003 and a lot has changed in the world of blogging. There are so many more people writing great stuff on business and economics. ...

My format this week will be in the form of a FAQ. I took the entries and created questions. The questions will direct you to the associated entries. My thought behind this is that everyone is always struggling with problems and opportunities in their own work and business. These linked entries are clearly not the definitive answers to the question, but they may give you another viewpoint you hadn't considered. (APennyFor.com, 05/09/05.)

• Carnival of the Cats at the Conservative Cat.

Welcome to The 59th Carnival of the Cats, the only carnival devoted entirely to superior life forms. ...

This is a very long post, with over 40 links, plus some pictures and plenty of commentary from me; however, it's about cats and it's MINE, so you HAVE to read the whole thing. I will be spot-checking some of you, and if I don't see serious time spent reading this article and plenty of oohs and aahs, I will inform your cats. You have been warned. (ConservativeCat.com, 05/09/05.)

MOBILE BLOGGING

I wonder if blogging on the move, i.e., moblogging, has become a standard thing yet. Blogger is on the "go" and Biz Stone recently announced the start of Blogger Mobile. I have to wait until the service could support international phone operators, or if you could use SMS. If someone is interested in becoming a mobile guest blogger, please contact me and I could add your profile as a team member. It has been interesting to read reports from BlogNashville. Many of the attending participants have been blogging during the conference. Here are some examples:

• "Live cartoon blogging" by John Cox & Allen Forkum.
• Live-blogging Hossein Derakshan's BlogNashville Talk by Les Jones.
• A Disrespectful Disagreement by the Politcal Teen.

Here is an excerpt from Jamais Cascio's post, The Rise of the Participatory Panopticon.

Because of that connection, it's possible to take a snapshot with a cameraphone and send it off in email or post it to a web page with a push of a button or two. Thousands of so-called "moblog" sites have sprung up, dedicated to cameraphone shots of whatever captures the photographer's eye at that moment. And increasingly, cameraphones can do more than just take still images. A growing number of cameraphones can record -- and send -- video clips. With so-called 3G networks, bandwidth is sufficient to send live webcam-style video from a mobile phone. (WorldChanging.com, 05/04/05.)

I have to get a newer phone with more features in order to do mobile blogging. For example a Qtek 8020 by HTC. At the moment I have a very simple phone (Siemens C45) with only some basic features. You are welcome to send me suggestions on phones in preparation for my future journey through the red and blue states. I don't think I will use the phone for tornado chasing, though. It sounds too risky.


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Technorati tags:

• BlogNashville
• moblog

UPDATE:

Here is an excerpt from Les Jones's comment:

Have you checked out the remote audio blogging services like AudioBlog? A couple of bloggers I read have used that while on the go, and it's pretty good. You call a number and record your message and it posts a link on your blog to the recording. Works with most blogging systems (Blogger, MovableType, LiveJournal, and TypePad). Mighty slick.

Please check out my post, EGO AUDIOBLOGGER.

Read Michele Catalano's post, Fun With Camera Phones.

MORRIS IN THE JUNGLE

Here is another photo of Morris using his surrounding environment to blend in. The wallpaper and the flowers are good materials of camouflage.


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

EGO BLOGIVERSARY REPORT ON MY BIRTHDAY ON MAY 25

EGO is celebrating its third blogiversary today. I am busy with school work, different job opportunities, activities with the purchasing & logistics association, and intellectual activism, so you have to stick around a bit for the Annual Blog Report III. I am planning to publish it on my birthday on May 25. In the meantime, read my first and second annual report. Cheerio!

CARNIVAL OF THE RECIPES AT TECHNOGYPSY

THANK GOD IT IS FRIDAY... It's time for the Carnival of the Recipes! This week's edition is hosted by TechnoGypsy.net.

Carnival of Recipes #38

The Pascha Basket Edition

Well, for me and a few others in the blogsphere, last Sunday was Pascha (Easter). That means the fasting is done and we can eat all the good stuff again. So lets look at this week's recipes and see where they fit in the Russian custom of an Easter Basket. Orthodox baskets contain eggs and candy like western baskets, but also lots more. Meat, fish, dairy, eggs, oil, and wine are all excluded in the fast and therefore all of them are seen in baskets. The baskets are blessed after the midnight service and taken home and eaten out of for breakfast and throughout Bright Week. So without me wasting anymore time, let's see what submissions for the electronic Pascha Basket bring. ...

For a bit of spice after the blandness of Lent, Martin at Ego has a choice that sounds great - Zwieback Crisprolls with Chile. (TechnoGypsy.net, 05/06/05.)

HIDE AND SEEK

MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

Could you find Morris? Click on the picture and you will see another new photo at Flickr. For more photos of animals, check out the Modulator's Friday Ark.

THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IS DEBATED IN WALL STREET JOURNAL

Robert Tracinski is commenting on the GOP debate in the Wall Street Journal.

The editorial page of today's Wall Street Journal is turned over to a debate over the merits of the religious right. Interestingly, both participants claim not to be Christians, nor even to be "religious believers." James Taranto's claim is not very convincing, since he spends the entire piece glossing over the actual ideas and statements of the religious right in order to make it appear oh-so-reasonable.

On the other side, former leftist Christopher Hitchens makes a terrific argument, presented in a more disciplined and hence more eloquent style than normal. His reference to Ayn Rand in this article is amusing, since I first became aware of Hitchens in the late 1980s--before his September 11 conversion to the right--when he defended socialism in a debate against Objectivists Harry Binswanger and John Ridpath. (TIADaily.com, 05/05/05.)

Read the comments on Roger L. Simon's post, Christopher Hitchens has a warning for the Republican Party... Here is an excerpt from Christopher Hitchens's article, Why I'm Rooting Against the Religious Right. Save the Republic from shallow, demagogic sectarians.

I have never understood why conservative entrepreneurs are so all-fired pious and Bible-thumping, let alone why so many of them claim Jesus as their best friend and personal savior. The Old Testament is bad enough: The commandments forbid us even to envy or covet our neighbor's goods, and thus condemn the very spirit of emulation and ambition that makes enterprise possible. But the New Testament is worse: It tells us to forget thrift and saving, to take no thought for the morrow, and to throw away our hard-earned wealth on the shiftless and the losers. (OpinionJournal.com, 05/05/05.)

And here is a quote from James Taranto's article, Why I'm Rooting for the Religious Right. Secular liberals show open contempt for traditionalists.

In the past three elections, the religious right has helped to elect a conservative Republican president and a bigger, and increasingly conservative, Republican Senate majority. This should make it possible to move the courts in a conservative direction. But Senate Democrats, taking their cue from liberal interest groups, have responded by subverting the democratic process, using the filibuster to impose an unprecedented supermajority requirement on the confirmation of judges. (WallStreetJournal.com, 05/05/05.)

CINCO DE MAYO OR CHRISTI HIMMELFAHRT

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo or Ascension Day?

In the news:

• Cinco de Mayo, once a Mexican militia victory, now an excuse to party in U.S. - Sun-Sentinel.
• National prayer day has yet to diversify. Some say event has been politicized, has evangelical slant - San Francisco Chronicle.

LIQUORICE LOVERS BLOG

If you like licorice, check out Denni Schnapp's Liquorice Lovers blog. [Via the Modulator.] For more on this tasty stuff, read my post, LICORICE: ROOT OF HEART PROBLEMS OR GOOD FOR THE BRAIN?

ZWIEBACK CRISPROLL WITH CHILE PEPPER AND PEANUTS

This recipe is by "Tina's Tea, Coffee, Crisprolls" store. The recipe is published in a magazine called, "All About Food" ("Allt Om Mat," party special issue, spring 2005, page 73):

Tina's chile pepper crisprolls / zwieback

Ingredients (approximately 70 pcs):

200 grams (7.04 Ounces / 0.44 Pounds) salted peanuts
6 deciliter (2.64 Cups / 0.17 Gallons) wheat flour
2 1/2 deciliter (1.10 Cups / 0.07 Gallons) sugar
1 teaspoon chile powder (or chopped chile pepper) [Editor's note: If you like chile pepper, check out my other blog, and see photos of my transplanted seedlings.]
1 teaspoon paprika powder
2 milliliter (0.01 Cups) salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 egg yolk

1. Set the oven at 200 degrees centrigrade (fairly hot, 400 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Chop the peanuts (coarse size). Mix all the dry ingredients in a blender.
   
3. Add eggs and egg yolk and mix together to a smooth, but "sticky" dough.
4. Put the dough on a baking table (with a bit of flour), cut it into two pieces and then each part in three pieces. Add some more flour when your roll out the dough into a thinner shape of about a thickness of 1.5 centimeters (0.59 Inches / 0.05 Feet). Put them on a plate with cookie sheet.
5. Brush the dough with egg and milk. Bake in the oven for circa 15 minutes, until the crisprolls are golden brown. Cut them in a diagonal shape as soon as you have taken them out of the oven. Break them apart and put them on a plate.
6. After the crisprools have been baked, lower the temperature to 100 degrees centrigrade (very cool, 212 Fahrenheit). Put the crisprolls back in the oven for about 45 minutes. Let them then stay and dry in the oven for a couple of hours, or during the night, if you could wait... ;)
   

If you want to have Tina's recipe for Italian biscotti, please tell me...

CABINET IN IRAQ

What do you say about the members of the cabinet in Iraq?

READING LIST

Here is list of posts and articles:

• New Pope gets down to it! - The Secular Foxhole.

I better read a Harry Potter story soon... I am glad to see that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is ranked higher than Joseph Ratzinger's book, Werte in Zeiten des Umbruchs.

• Notes on Blogging IV - Gus Van Horn.

I will have some notes on blogging in my annual report III on May 7.

• Bush Press Conference - d-Anconia Online.

Read Robert Tracinski's post, The Metaphysics of Social Security.

• FDA Interventionism - The Washington Re-Post.

Please read my post, SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: FDA IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH...

• The second issue of The Undercurrent.

The first issue of The Undercurrent will soon be distributed in Gothenburg.

ARE THE THEOCRATS COMING?

Do you think that the "Theocrats are coming?"^TM You could really start to wonder after reading Joe Gandelman's post, A Skunk Spraying Inside The GOP Tent. [Via InstaPundit.] Here is an excerpt from Dick Polman's article, Religious right targets church-state separation.

Glenn Simpson, a Tennessee law professor who runs the conservative Instapundit blog, wrote recently: "The Republicans' weakness is that people worry that they're the party of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. They tried, successfully, to convince people otherwise in the last election, but they're now acting in ways that are giving those fears new life." (SeattleTimes.nwsource.com, 05/01/05.)

[Editor's comment: I think that the journalist is meaning Glenn Reynolds! ;)]

Have a look how the people in both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are pushing the religious agenda:

• George W. Bush and the gospel of freedom and liberty by David Domke.

The certitude in the support for Bush by Falwell (and by many other religious-right leaders, including James Dobson, Pat Robertson and Gary Bauer) is emblematic of Christian conservatives' confidence that their vision of the world is the vision of the world — entirely true and without flaw. Such an outlook inevitably fosters a conception of their beliefs as providing what religion scholar Bruce Lawrence terms "mandated universalist norms" that cross cultural contexts and therefore, as the biblical command makes clear, are to be shared with all nations. (SeattleTimes.nwsource.com, 05/01/05.)

• Does one party speak for God? Republicans, conservative allies don't own religion in America. By Jim Wallis.

But religion must be disciplined by democracy. That means bringing our religious convictions about all moral issues to the public square -- the uplifting of the poor, the protection of the environment, the ethics of war, or the tragic number of abortions in America without attacking the sincerity of other's people's faith or demanding we should win because we are religious. Rather, we must make moral arguments and mobilize effective movements for social change that can powerfully persuade our fellow citizens, religious or not, about what is best for the common good. (Charlotte.com, 05/02/05.)

For more examples, read Andrew Sullivan's post, Fundamentalism Watch I-IV. [Editor's note: In a way, you could call me a "fundamentalist," due to the fact that I am interested in fundamental ideas.] Have you heard about the Constitution Party and Christian Reconstructionism? The Commisssar of the Politburo Diktat will attend this seminar arranged by the Open Center: Examining the Real Agenda of the Religious Far Right. James Joyner of Outside the Beltway is saying the following:

President Bush is, like it or not, much closer to the middle on values issues than Open Center or People for the American Way. Further, the idea that Christian religious forces are more powerful now than they were at earlier points in our history, especially our first century and a half, is absurd. Indeed, for years after the passage of the 1st Amendment, Virginia and Massachusetts had official state religions. (OutsideTheBeltway.com, 05/01/05.)

So, what do you think? Are the "theocrats coming," or not? Maybe they are already here?

Related: My post, HAS THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT TAKEN OVER THE GOP?

CARNIVAL OF THE CAPITALISTS AT INCITE

This week's edition of the Carnival of the Capitalists is hosted by Incite. Don't forget to check out the Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

Reason Roundup
"What happened to Elian?" "What's it called when I take your stuff by force?" "What is the difference between St. Aquinas and St. Augustine?" "What's it all about, Felipe?" "What to do about unpleasant behavior?"

"What's else is there?" Read'em and enjoy. (CharlotteCapitalist.com, 05/01/05.)

INTERVIEW WITH SWIFTBOAT VET

Listen to Gabrielle Reilly's interview with Jerome Corsi.

Interview - Best Selling Author, Jerome Corsi On Iran And His Run For Senate Against Senator John Kerry. (GabrielleReillyWeekly.com)

From World Net Daily: Ayatollah warns U.S. needs punch in mouth. Iran's spiritual leader says nuke plan to continue no matter who is elected.

Nuke-Go-Round

JIHADISTS ARE PLANNING TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST SWEDEN

From Internet Haganah [Via Gus Van Horn]:

Islamic extremists of the Salafyist variety have posted a very explicit threat to launch a wave of terrorist attacks against Sweden. (Haganah.org.il, 04/29/05.)

Go to the Little Green Footballs for comments on this threat.

I hope that the counter-terrorism section of the security service (SÄPO) is looking into this matter. Here is an excerpt from the 2003 annual report.

Islamic extremism

Counter-terrorism efforts in 2003 made the follow-up of Islamic extremist networks a priority. The concept of Islamic extremism comprises Sunni as well as Shiite extremism with varying ethnic and national affiliations. The past decade has seen a globalisation and internationalisation of groups, organisations and structures rooted in the militant currents existing within Islam. The need to act against these structures has increased in later years, in particular after the terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001.

The follow-up of the al-Qaida and other Sunni or Shiite organisations and structures in Sweden continued in 2003. In connection with this, Säpo's international co-operation has intensified. This fol-low-up has revealed contacts between groups and individuals that were previously unknown to Säpo. All these cases contain elements of international contact. No decrease in activity within the Islamic extremist networks has been observed since the US intensified its war on terrorism.

Within the Islamic extremist structures in Sweden there are persons originally from for instance northern Africa and the Middle East, but also second-generation immigrants born in Sweden, and Swedish men and women who have converted to Islam. (SecurityService.se)

Related posts:

• IS SWEDEN SAFE FROM OSAMA BIN LADEN?
• TERRORIST CONFERENCE IN SWEDEN
• TERRORIST CELL IN SWEDEN?
• HAMAS WEBSITE HOSTED IN SWEDEN

CARNIVAL OF THE CATS AT RUNNING SCARED

This week's edition of the Carnival of the Cats is hosted by Running Scared.

Welcome to the 58th edition of the wandering, wonderful Carnival of the Cats. Before we get started, I'd like to thank Laurence for giving Running Scared the opportunity to host this event once again. Cat lovers everywhere seem to really enjoy sharing their pets lives with Blogistan and, judging by the number of submissions, its popularity continues to grow. But enough of my yakking. On with the cats. ...

Ego provides a gallery of 12 shots of Morris. I don't think this cat actually sells cat food, but I'm sure he consumes some. (RunningScared.org, 05/01/05.)

I didn't know that Del Monte had a cat food brand called 9Lives®. It was pretty funny to read Morris's biography. Maybe our Morris should give Philip Morris a call and ask if he could join the company...

BOOK ON ANTITRUST

The Book of the Month is Abolition Of Antitrust. The book is edited by Gary Hull. For more on the book, go to Transaction Publishers. Will you attend Gary Hull's lecture, Antitrust Is Immoral, on May 24?

MORRIS ON THE GUARD

This is follow-up post to the FOTOFLIX show.

Morris is seeing an intruder. Click on the picture if you want to see the gallery with 11 photos. [Editor's note: The sequence of the photos is not exactly right, but I didn't manage to switch the order of the images.]



Go to the Azure Waters for some "house-guarding tricks" for your cats.

MAY DAY

Today is a "red" day in Sweden. I have been close to a May Day demonstration once, many years ago. A friend and I were walking along on the street, watching a group called Communist Party Marxists Leninists (revolutionaries). We asked them that they thought about their "house god," Karl Marx and his anti-Semitic views. They didn't like the question and shouted at us: "Go home, your damn upper-class youth!" Do you know the Swedish version of the song, The Internationale? The leaders of the ruling party (Social Democrats) in Sweden are not so keen on singing the fourth verse of the song... The text is about the oppression of the State and the TAX PRESSURE.

In the news:

• Don't Forget May Day - The Nation.
• Today is May Day; let's celebrate - Tribune-Review.
• May Day in America: Mostly a Time to Celebrate Nature's Labor - Voice of America.

Instead of participating in the May Day demonstration, maybe you could join the Morris dance? [Editor's comment: I will ask our cat, Morris, if he know about this dance! ;)]

May 1st is controlled by the so-called working class and the focus is on manual labor instead of the work of the mind. As an antidote to this idea, listen to Prodos's interview with Glenn Woiceshyn. Mr. Woiceshyn is the founder of the Powerful Minds program.