JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS

Listen to Prodos's interview (Justice Clarence Thomas: A Journey into American Ideals) with James Valliant.

Related: My post, YOUR HOME IS NOT YOUR CASTLE ACCORDING TO JOHN PAUL STEVENS.

UPDATE 08/01/05:

Read Tara Smith's article, Only a Judge Who Will Actively Uphold Individual Rights is Fit to Serve on the Supreme Court. The need for an active Supreme Court justice. [Via the Secular Foxhole.]

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE E-BUSINESS COMPANIES

EBay and other dot-com companies have been in business for ten years. Here is an excerpt from the article, Happy e-birthdays, in the Economist.

In their brief history, most online businesses have found profits harder to come by than publicity. Many early stars crumbled to dust (remember Webvan, pets.com and Boo.com?), and Amazon's string of losses (which touched $1.4 billion in 2000) only turned to profits in 2003. Though quarterly results this week from eBay, Yahoo! and Google show their already healthy profits to be growing strongly, none of today's online successes feels able to rest on its laurels. Each is trying to move beyond its original source of revenue—selling books and an ever-growing list of other goods (Amazon); auctions (eBay); online advertising (Yahoo!); and “contextual” advertising (Google)—by adopting the successful strategies of its rivals. (Economist.com, 07/21/05.)

I remember how I tried to access Boo.com, a clothing store in cyberspace... Do you have any special memory from the early start of the e-commerce era?


CrispAds Blog Advertising

FAST FOOD SERVICE FOR MORRIS

Morris is using Lindeskog's fast food service...



and a couple of minutes later it is time to go out again.

ISLAMIC FINDER

Do you want to find where the next fatwa meeting will take place? Read Cao's post, Find the Islamic organizations in your area. [Via Trey Jackson.]

GARY HULL ON BOOK TV

Gary Hull will talk about the book, The Abolition of Antitrust, on Book TV on Sunday, July 31 at 5:30 am EST.

UPDATE 08/03/05:

Read David R. Henderson's book review, Do Antitrust Laws Protect Consumers?

MARKETS DON'T FAIL!

Thanks to Ben & Camilla for getting Brian P. Simpson's book, Markets Don't Fail!, at the Objectivist conference in San Diego. I have now read the first chapter, Capitalism, Socialism, and the Mixed Economy. Here is an excerpt from the Introduction.

This book will show that the arguments claiming market failure fail to provide a critique of the market. The only thing these arguments prove is that some people accept false ideas and use these ideas to mistakenly claim that markets fail. I will defend the market against attacks concerning monopoly and the antitrust laws, predatory pricing, "externalities;" the regulation of safety and quality, environmentalism, economic inequality, "public goods," and asymmetric information. Not only will I defend the market from an economic standpoint, I will provide a moral and epistemological defense of the market as well. The first step in doing this is to provide a description of the nature of three types of political/economic systems: capitalism, socialism, and the mixed economy (or welfare state). (Page 3.)

CARNIVAL OF RECIPES AT FEISTY REPARTEE

Christina of Feisty Repartee is hosting this week's Carnival of the Recipes.

NAP TIME FOR MORRIS

Zzz...



Go to Friday Ark at the Modulator for more animal photos.

SKYPE ENHANCERS

Check out these five add-on programs for Skype. [Via ZDNet.] Pamela Systems has plenty of interesting features, e.g., recording phone conversations and supporting podcasting. I look forward to the Linux version...

LICORICE CANDY SHOT

After reading Nick Lindauer's post, Frostbite Hot Sauce, on how to mix this spicy stuff in drinks, I thought it could be a fun thing to introduce you to a strange drink made by black licorice candy and vodka. It is called Salmiakki Koskenkorva in Finland.

LICORICE CANDY SHOT

• 1 bag of Turkish Pepper (Tyrkisk Peber) black licorice candy.
• 1 bottle of vodka.

Directions:

Here are a couple of ways to do it:

• Salmiakkikossu.
• Liquorice vodka.

[Editor's note: I could tell you a funny story about a Swedish fish drink at a bar... ;)]

HILLARY CLINTON IS NOT A GAMER

Is Hillary Clinton going in the same footsteps as Tipper Gore and Parents Music Resource Center? Hillary Clinton is not fond of video games. Read Steven Johnson's article, Hillary vs. the Xbox: Game over. Grand Theft Auto is not a game I want to play, but I don't think it should banned or censored.

Apart from that, the player is free to do whatever they want. The player can just explore the city, cause death and destruction amid the traffic in the city, or steal and sell cars for profit, although completing a level will almost certainly require the completion of missions. (Answers.com)

You are welcome to give me suggestions on good strategic and simulation computer games to Linux.

MIDWEEK SAMPLER

Here is list of interesting posts:

• Why Do I Blog? - d'Anconia Online.
• A Thought Exercise - Gus Van Horn.
• What Is Force? - Anger Management.
• Ayn Rand on David Kelley - NoodleFood.
• Notes on OCON 2005 - Contemporary History. [Via Benjo Blog.]
• "A Liberal Neighbor" - Charlotte Capitalist.
• Life's Lessons, Vol. 3 - Letters From An Enthusiast.

LIST OF CITIES

Here are some lists compiled at Forbes.com that could be of interest:

• Best Cities For Singles.

• Best Places For Business And Careers.

• City Blogs.

• 60 Cheap Places To Live. [Editor's note: I am planning on buying Rich Karlgaard's book, Life 2.0: How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness.]

Do you have a top list?

WAR ON TERRORISM

Look out for a document titled, National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism. Here is Robert Tracinski's commentary (Pentagon: Terrorism Is a Tactic, Not an Enemy):

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "War on Terrorism." On the one hand, "terrorism" names a tactic distinctive to our current enemy that reflects the Islamists' basic political goals: the use of mass murder to terrorism unbelievers. On the other hand, it tends to focus our attention on the specific groups who employ the tactic of terrorism, not on the governments and ideological movements that support them.

Here is a sign that some of that confusion is being cleared up: a Pentagon report that no longer name "terrorism" as the target in this war, naming "Islamist extremism" instead--a term that has its own problems but at least identifies the enemy in terms of his ideas. But it does not seem to focus on the role of states who sponsor terrorism: Iran and Syria. (TIADaily.com, 07/26/05.)

Related: My posts, STATUS REPORT: THE WAR ON TERRORISM and EXTERMINATE THE ROOT OF TERRORISM, NOT ONLY THE BRANCHES...

UPDATE 07/27/05:

Scott Holleran is commenting (Bush Replaces 'War' with 'Struggle') on the article, Washington recasts terror war as 'struggle'.

CRIER COMMENT: here it comes; the cowardly, mealy-mouthed change from what was not even a declaration of war -- and what a pathetic non-war this religious government has waged -- to a vague, non-military struggle against extremism, which is a turn against America's own extremist philosophical foundation of inalienable individual rights. War on Terror was bad enough. Now we must adopt the language of our enemies. (Jihad means struggle in Arabic.) Upshot of this major policy shift: We are no longer pretending to be fighting a war -- we will not fight back -- there will be no military retribution for Black Tuesday. (The Concord Crier, 07/27/05.)

RSS NEWS

RSS related news:

• MSN RSS Search Rumored to Debut Monday by Steve Rubel of Micro Persuasion.

• Finally, Google does Something with RSS by Nick W of Threadwatch.org.

• Online News Consumers Become Own Editors by Anick Jesdanun of Associated Press.

"Only 13% of Internet users "have a good idea" what podcasting is, while just 9% know what an RSS feed does." - Pew Internet & American Life Project [Via Podcasting News].

EGO PODCASTING TEST

I have recorded a short audio sample with Audacity, but I haven't had time to download the LAME MP3 encoder, so I don't think you could listen to it yet... In the meantime, check out the blog at Podcast Alley, and read Juliette Wallack's article, With mike, computer, 'Net, you can podcast. You could listen to her report on PodBlaze.

LANCE ARMSTRONG

Lance Armstrong has done it again! I look forward to hear about Jerry Nilson's latest bicycle tour. Here is an excerpt from Andrew Bernstein's article, Lance Armstrong's Heroism Is a Moral Inspiration.

Those of us who, physically, cannot cycle 2,000 miles or run the 100 meters in 9 seconds can still aspire to significant achievements. The vision of Armstrong's magnificent abilities and dauntless determination engenders in the best of us the questions: What might I accomplish in my field and in my life if I embodied the same degree of dedication? How high might I go in my own life-promoting endeavors if I put into them the identical indefatigable qualities of spirit that Armstrong does? (AmericanDaily.com, 07/25/05.)

UPDATE 07/27/05:

What is Lance's legacy? By Bill Gifford.

Lance Armstrong

OPEN THREAD POST: PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT

Looking at Little Green Footballs, I think it could be a good idea to start to publish an open thread post on Mondays. I want to get feedback from my readers on recent posts, tips and suggestions on material for future posts. Here is the weekly "schedule" in general:

• Monday: Open thread.

• Tuesday: How about a "special" RSS post?

• Wednesday: I will start with the mid-week roundup again.

• Thursday: Writing a post for the Carnival of the Recipes on Friday.

• Friday: Catblogging for the Friday Ark at the Modulator. Quiz, meme, weekend reading material.

• Saturday: Writing posts for the Carnival of the Capitalists and the Carnival of the Cats.

• Sunday: Linking to the Reason Roundup. A day for the future podcast show?
  

Here are some things that you could comment on:

• How often do you visit EGO? Are you using the RSS feed or email updates via Bloglet? Have you the blog bookmarked? Do you use it as a start page / portal?

• New blog resources. Anything you want to be added on blog?

CARNIVAL OF THE CATS AT THE OUBLIETTE

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

Welcome all to my oubliette, and the 70th edition of the Carnival of the Cats. For those of you who are return visitors, you are familiar with the somewhat cramped conditions. For those of you who are visiting for the first time, an oubliette takes some getting used to, but I think with a little shuffling we can find enough space for everyone. I've lit some extra candles so you don't have to worry about stepping on any of the resident kitties. There should be plenty of refreshments for all, human and feline alike. So, get comfortable, make yourselves at home, and enjoy the show. ...

Earlier this week, I was sent a list of Theories of Cat Behavior. While this research may be incomplete, I will be indicating which theories are illustrated in each post. To make things simpler, I present you with the current list for your reference: ...

LAW OF CAT MOTION:
A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction. ...

Martin Lindeskog at EGO informs everyone that MORRIS WANTS TO COME IN. Indeed he does, and is a great example of the Law of Cat Motion. (TheOubliette.blogspot.com, 07/24/05.)

DO YOU HAVE A FLAG?

The free trial period of the neo-counter is over and they have now displayed the total amount of visitors since I added the counter two weeks ago. I am not sure that I will list all countries in the future, but as fan of Eddie Izzard, I will show the list for some time. This is a quote from his history sketch from the show, Dress to Kill, in San Francisco (a.k.a "city of snakes") in 1999.

So, yeah. There was a lot of that, and we built up empires - we stole countries! That's what you do, that's how you build an empire. We stole countries with the cunning use of flags! Yeah, just sail around the world and stick a flag in. (AuntieMomo.com, "Cake or Death".)

Visitors to this date:

1. United States: 1047
2. Canada: 98
3. Sweden: 87
4. United Kingdom: 40
5. Mexico: 17
6. Norway: 17
7. France: 11
8. Finland: 10
9. India: 10
10. Malaysia: 10
11. Australia: 8
12. Spain: 7
13. Peru: 7
14. Netherlands: 7
15. Germany: 7
16. Israel: 6
17. Denmark: 6
18. Korea: 6
19. Brazil: 5
20. Portugal: 5
21. Italy: 5
22. Philippines: 4
23. Venezuela: 4
24. Singapore: 4
25. Russian Federation: 4
26. Argentina: 3
27. Switzerland: 3
28. Taiwan: 3
29. Ecuador: 3
30. Japan: 3
31. Ukraine: 2
32. Hungary: 2
33. New Zealand: 2
34. United Arab Emirates: 2
35. Turkey: 2
36. Belgium: 2
37. Vietnam: 2
38. Thailand: 2
39. Sri Lanka: 2
40. Estonia: 2
41. Ireland: 2
42. Cote D'Ivoire: 1
43. Yemen: 1
44. Unknown: 1
45. Mauritius: 1
46. Bulgaria: 1
47. Nigeria: 1
48. Romania: 1
49. Greece: 1
50. Kuwait: 1
51. Bosnia and Herzegovina: 1
52. Lithuania: 1
53. Bahamas: 1
54. Iran: 1
55. Satellite Provider: 1
56. China: 1
57. Poland: 1
58. Egypt: 1

1486 visitors from 58 countries. NeoCOUNTER.

Gallery of national flags.

CAPITALISTS AND POLITICAL CALCULATIONS

Check out the Carnival of the Capitalists at the Political Calculations and the Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

MORRIS WANTS TO COME IN

Morris is an outdoor cat, but now and then he wants to come in and eat and take a nap.



Jump!

BLOGGING AND ADVERTISING

In the news: Google Profits, Revenues Soar On More Ad Sales.

Indeed, ad sales on Google-owned sites generated $737 million in the quarter, or 53 percent of total revenues and a 115 percent boost over a year ago. On Google's partner sites, the company's AdSense programs generated $630 million, or 46 percent of total revenues and an 82 percent increase over the same quarter last year. (InformationWeek.com, 07/21/05.)

[Editor's comment: It will take some time before I could cash in 14 grand per month on my AdSense program...]

Have I lost my own brand ("Me, Inc."), by having ads on EGO blog? Dave Winer thinks so:

A blog without ads is itself an ad, interesting to a small number of people. Blogs with ads, like their print counterparts, strive to be as broad as possible, to reach as many people, and in doing so, lose their value as an ad for the author. (Scripting.com, 07/20/05.)

Luckily, there are others who don't share his opinion. Read Darren Rowse's post, Distinctions between Blogs with Ads and Blogs Without, and Stephen Baker's post, What happens to a blog when it takes ads? Here is an excerpt from Steve Hall's post, Blogs Provide More Personal Medium For Advertisers.

Next up, BlogAds Founder Henry Copeland describe the BlogAds advertising network and it's 17 targeted mini-networks which consist of topically similar weblogs packaged and a small ad network. Copeland asked the audience to participate in a clapping exercise whereby the audience began clapping and then moved to a rhythmic clap demonstrating how big media isn't needed any longer to control how information and conversations take place on the internet. Blogs have removed much of the control big media has enjoyed for years and has placed it squarely in the hands of the individual. (Adrants.com/, 07/12/05.)

As you probably know by now, I am trying to set up a new mininetwork at Blogads called the Great Republic Ad Network.



I have several different types of advertising from different companies on my blog, e.g., Blogads, AdSense, Linkshare, ValueClick, and BlogKits. The latest addition is CripsAds' graphical banner ads with an automatic featue that switch over to cost-per-clicks text ads.

I am looking forward to the opportunties with Pajamas Media's blog portal and Marc Danziger's ad platform. Bernard Moon paints a fascinating scenario in his article, Open It Up, NYTimes, Tribune, SF Chronicle!

It's only a matter of time before micropayment systems become firmly established in this country, internet penetration reaches the furthest corners of America, and mainstream media finally cracks and opens the floodgates. Wouldn't it be cool, then, if a U.S. media company were to incorporate a citizen journalism system into one of its properties? If, say, 40,000 citizen journalists were to contribute half of the New York Times' online content? (OhmyNews.com, 07/08/05.)

[Editor's comment: Maybe I should start with product placement?]



CrispAds Blog Advertising

PODCASTING

I hope you are looking forward to EGO show. You are welcome to send me suggestions on topics and guests. In the meantime, listen to My podcast on Why Podcasting isn't Interesting by Dave Taylor.

COMMODORE AMIGA

Happy birthday Amiga! I have fond memories of Amiga 500. The Commodore brand name is now owned by Yeahronimo Media Ventures. Maybe I should get the data & music player Mpet? The AmiGBG 2005 fair in Gothenburg celebrated Amiga's 20th anniversary.

OUSSAMA KASSIR: TERRORIST LINK TO SWEDEN

In the news: Man linked to London bombings threatens Sweden.

From the article, Man quizzed in US over terror links.

Aswat is one of two al-Masri associates who are referred to but not named or charged in the indictment of Ujaama by a federal grand jury in Seattle, officials said. The other is Oussama Kassir, a Lebanese-born Swede, who was found guilty of weapons violations in Sweden in 2003. (ThisIsLondon.co.uk, 07/23/05.)

Background: THE AL-QAEDA NETWORK IN SWEDEN.

THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

From Embracing Illegals:

The corporate Establishment's new hunger for the undocumenteds' business could have far-reaching implications for America's stance on immigration policy, which remains unresolved. Corporations are helping, essentially, to bring a huge chunk of the underground economy into the mainstream. By finding ways to treat illegals like any other consumers, companies are in effect legalizing -- and legitimizing -- millions of people who technically have no right to be in the U.S (BusinessWeek.com, 07/18/05.)

Go to Anita Campbell's post, Illegal Immigrants are a Lucrative Customer Opportunity, if you want to comment on the article and continue the discussion on immigration.

GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY

Read Ben Macintyre's article, How would Churchill have answered the Islamist threat? [Via Little Green Footballs.] Time to use gunboat diplomacy?

CARNIVAL OF THE RECIPES AT THE GLITTERING EYE

This week's edition of the Carnival of the Recipes is hosted by The Glittering Eye.

Welcome to the 49th edition of the Carnival of the Recipes, a collection of recipes from some of the best cooks and bloggers in the blogosphere. It's been almost six months since the last time I've hosted the Carnival and I've got to admit it was a lot easier this time around. Please look around while you're here. ...

If you can judge by this post, Cajun food is as popular in Sweden as it is here. Martin Lindeskog of EGO cooks up some Hickory-Smoked Cajun Shish Kebab. (TheGlitteringEye.com, 07/22/05.)

EGO STAMP

I have added the following new products to the EGO online store:

• EGO Hooded Sweatshirt
• EGO Sweatshirt
• EGO Tile Coaster
• EGO Tile Box
• EGO Black Cap

Would you be interested in sending your snail mail with the EGO stamp?

Ayn Rand was an avid stamp collector. You could read her article, Why I Like Stamp Collecting, in The Ayn Rand Column: Written for the Los Angeles Times. I collected stamps as a teenager. I wonder how big Tammy's stamp collection is now... Read Robert Tracy's thoughts on stamp collecting. I bought several sheets of Ayn Rand stamps and first day covers. Here is a photo from my old apartment in Troy, Ohio.



[Editor's note: This post is crossposted to the Egosphere.]

PAWS FOR THOUGHT

Paws for Thought...



Check out the Friday Ark at the Modulator for more animal pictures.

LISTEN TO THE NEW BEAT

If you want to get in a better mood, swing by my other blog for a photo from a music concert. Do you like bossa nova?

LONDON CALLING

In the news: Four explosions on London Tubes and bus - Daily Mail.

I have sent SMS and email messages to people in London for more information about the situation.

Glenn Reynolds:

JEEZ, I CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE GYM without some Al Qaeda bozos trying to blow up London. Luckily, this week's effort seems pretty lame so far compared to two weeks ago. (InstaPundit.com, 07/21/05.)

I hope the situation will be safer in September, so I will able to make it to the Objectivist conference in London. For more on the situation in London, go to The Command Post and The Counterterrorism blog.

From Cox & Forkum's post, The Real Suicide Bomb.

In referencing the above editorial, TIA Daily's Robert Tracinski further noted what is needed to combat multiculturalism:

[Steyn's] most profound point is that "you can't assimilate with a nullity." "Britishness" has to be about more than superficial details of lifestyle. Britain has to decide what *ideas* it stands for -- and as with the rest of Europe, this is a task for which British culture is unprepared. This is the great advantage that America has: we don't have to search for a non-racial identity, because we are a nation explicitly founded on an idea.

America can provide a model from which Europe needs to learn. Or, in the case of Britain, they can look back to the models from which America learned, from the Magna Carta to the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Enlightenment ideas that inspired it. (CoxAndForkum.com, 07/20/05.)

The above excerpt is the last part of the Robert Tracinski's commentary (The Real Suicide Bomb Is Multiculturalism, 07/19/05) I quoted in my post, SUICIDE BOMBERS AND MULTICULTURALISM. Don't you think it is time to join THE GREAT REPUBLIC BLOGADS MININETWORK?

Do you want to join an ad network of Europeans who have a pro-American sentiment? We want to start a conversation between bloggers and advertisers who value the Americana sense-of-life and individuals who have an intellectual bond with the Anglosphere. We want to create a special relationship between the Anglophile in the United States of America and the American in spirit. We welcome people who are critical against the Eurocrats, but at same time are "Eurocentric" and defenders of the New World and Western civilization. (EGO, 07/19/05.)

DONE BLOG 1000

I have updated my post, MILESTONE (08/20/04), with Shai Coggins's Done Blog 1000 button. Wayne Hurlbert's roller derby blog is approaching the 1000th post... [Editor's comment: I didn't know that roller derby was so popular.]



This post is #1408.

WEBLOG ETHICS SURVEY

Three students at the School of Communication and Information (Nanyang Technological University) in Singapore, have compiled a survey on ethics in blogging.

TIME FOR MORE LETTERS BY ERIC RUDOLPH?

The court system has given Eric Rudolph time to write more letters... Is this an act of justice? Have you read Emily Lyons's book, Life's Been a Blast?

JOHN G. ROBERTS, JR.

I am curious to learn more about John G. Roberts's view on this issue. Could you tell me why the members of the U.S. Supreme Court are holding their position indefinitely? What was the reasoning for establish job security for a lifetime, instead of limiting the work contract to a maximum amount of years?

Related: My post, THE SUPREME COURT AND THE ELECTION.

APOLLO 11

It is time to commemorate the Apollo 11 mission. Check out Google Moon and read and excerpt from Ayn Rand's essay, Apollo 11. For the full version, buy the book, The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought.

BIN LADEN IN THE NEWS

• Terror group threatens war across Europe - Associated Press.
• Al Qaeda’s Al-Zawahiri Received Terrorist Training in Russia - MosNews.
• Bin Laden books 'don't break law' - The Daily Telegraph.

AKBAR GANJI

In the news: Jailed Journalist Hospitalised.



Akbar Ganji

SUICIDE BOMBERS AND MULTICULTURALISM

Don't you have to check out this article, after reading Robert Tracinski's commentary?

This Mark Steyn column is worthwhile just for one sentence alone: "the real suicide bomb is multiculturalism"--a line so good I wish I had thought of it. This is more evidence that the main ideological casualty of the London bombings will be the shield of political correctness that has suppressed conservative criticism of multiculturalism. (TIADaily.com, 07/19/05.)

UPDATE 07/21/05:

The Real Suicide Bomb

ARTICLES ON INTERNET HAGANAH

Here are two articles on Internet Haganah:

• Heroes or Nettlesome Hacks? By Brad Stone.
• Terror Forum Sows Seeds of Jihad. By John Lasker.

TERRORISM AROUND THE WORLD

Here is a list of posts and articles on terrorism:

• We Cannot Surrender. States which shelter these killers will know no peace. By Christopher Hitchens.

• Mastermind of Madrid is key figure. By Nick Fielding and Gareth Walsh.

• Safer at Safari. By Michael A. Ledeen.

• Leaked No 10 dossier reveals Al-Qaeda’s British recruits. By Robert Winnett and David Leppard.

• How to Lose a War. By Victor Davis Hanson.

• And this is why they did it. By Amir Taheri.

• Van Gogh's Killer Says He'd Do It Again. By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross.

• Iran suspected of backing new suicide attacks. By Nicholas Birch.

• BBC edits out the word terrorist. By Tom Leonard.

• Al-Qaeda answers CIA's hiring call. By Michael Sulick.

• Islam does incubate terrorism. By Mark Steyn.

HIZB UT-TAHRIR

Yesterday I saw a scary news segment on Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities in Denmark. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Jalaluddin Patel, leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir in the UK.

JP: Islam calls all regimes that do not implement Islam Dar al-Kufr (unbelivers' countries). Therefore from this perspective, the Iranian regime, like the other regimes, needs to be replaced by the Khilafah system. (Jamestown.org, 08/11/04.)

For more on the Islamic political party, read the following:

• The Mode of Operation of Hizb ut Tahrir in an Open Society - The International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism.

• Hizb ut-Tahrir: A Party We Should Know More About - Global Politician.

The Guardian has given the group a voice by letting Dilpazier Aslam writing for the newspaper. [Via Regime Change Iran.]

THE GREAT REPUBLIC BLOGADS MININETWORK

Do you want to join an ad network of Europeans who have a pro-American sentiment? We want to start a conversation between bloggers and advertisers who value the Americana sense-of-life and individuals who have an intellectual bond with the Anglosphere. We want to create a special relationship between the Anglophile in the United States of America and the American in spirit. We welcome people who are critical against the Eurocrats, but at same time are "Eurocentric" and defenders of the New World and Western civilization.

We think that the following parties could be interested in the mininetwork:

• Individuals who are interested in visiting North America and Europe, doing business in these areas, and are interested in cross-cultural issues.

• Potential advertisers: Fellow bloggers, expat associations, business schools seeking international students, global trade organizations, international magazines, etc.

If you are a new blogger and want to start using Blogads, please contact me and we could discuss a sponsorship. For an explanation of the name of the network, check out:

• Churchill and the Great Republic - A Library of Congress Exhibition.

E pluribus unum!

MY BLOG LOG

Do you want to track the missing link? Go to the List of Referrers category for the top five outgoing links. This service is powered by MyBlogLog.com. From the Help page:

MyBlogLog enables you to track that last little bit of information about your website. You probably already know where your users are coming from and you probably already know what pages they're looking at while they're there. However, if you have a blog or any other site where you frequently post new content on the main page, you don't have a good way of tracking what people find interesting. One way is to track when people click on the links you provide. Up until now, outbound link tracking has been a pain in the butt, requiring CGIs and managed links. MyBlogLog makes this process easy. (MyBlogLog.com)

You could check my blog's public stats, if you click on the button under the About category. If you want to sign up for the service, click on the button under the Support category.

POSTS IN THE PIPELINE AND FUTURE PROJECTS

I am planning to write a post on Islamist groups in London, Scandinavia, and the rest of Europe. I will post a list of links of interesting articles by different authors, e.g., Hitchens, Leeden, and Steyn. Could you call the holy war of Jihad a starting point of the WWIII? How about ending the battle by taking out the HQ of terrorism?

I want to mention that the podcasting project is moving along. I had an interesting discussion with Prodos the other day. Please stay tuned! I plan to start the show in August or September.

I have been in contact with Henry Copeland of Blogads in order to try to start a mininetwork of Pro-American blogs in Europe. Here is an excerpt from K. Daniel Glover's post, Advocacy Ads' Newest Outlet.

The company, which will mark just its third anniversary next month, now arranges ads for self-organized networks of bloggers who sell blocs of space geared toward certain audiences. The current options include the Law Blog Ad Network and the Political Insider Ad Network, which includes blogs as diverse as D.C.'s Political Report, Political Wire, PoliPundit, Talking Points Memo and Wonkette. (Beltwayblogroll.nationaljournal.com, 07/18/05.)

Talking about Pro-American signals, read A Rally of One in Sweden and More Danish Pro-Americans at the Gateway Pundit.

CARNIVAL TIME

Check out:

• Carnival of Cats #69 at Boxing Alcibiades.

• Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

STEAK AND KEBAB GRILL PARTY

The dinner yesterday was a culinary feast with the "ultimate" steak, shish kebab, and blackberry cake.

I had to test the recipe for the ultimate steak from the latest issue of Bon Appétit magazine. Go to Nick Lindauer's Hot Sauce Blog for the recipe ingredients and directions. I followed the recipe with a few exceptions. I was informed by the butcher's that you can't buy T-bone steak in Sweden at the moment, due to the mad cow disease. I purchased entrecôte instead. I followed Mr. Lindauer's suggestion and used a blue cheese from Spain, instead of gorgonzola. We served the cheese on a baguette (Hungarian type with coarse salt on the top) as a side dish, instead of putting the steak on a ciabatta.

Ultimate steak
For more pictures, go to my BBQ gallery at Buzznet.

Hickory smoked Cajun shish kebab

Ingredients:
500 grams loin of pork
2 bell peppers

Marinade:
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 deciliter red wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon French mustard
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Grill oil:
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:

1. Cut the meat and the bell peppers in pieces.
2. Mix the marinade in a bag and add the meat. Let it marinate for about 60 minutes and then let the liquid rinse off.
3. Add pieces of bell peppers and meat on skewers.
4. Add the grill oil coating to the shish kebab.
5. Grill for circa three minutes on each side.

The meal was served with criolla salsa and avocado & kidney bean salad.

We ended the evening with a blackberry cake served together with vanilla ice cream and a glass of Marsala dessert wine.

ICON 2005 OBJECTIVIST CONFERENCE IN LONDON

Merlijn Sluis asked me to post the following announcement:

iCon 2005!

London, September 9th through 11th.

• On the Evolution of the Conceptual Faculty by Adam Smith.

• Two Biographical Lectures on Ayn Rand by Dina Schein.

• For the New Intellectual: A Seminal Text in the Study of History by John Lewis.
  

• Bringing Reason to the West: The Greek Cities of Southern Italy and Sicily by John Lewis.
  

• Appreciating Ayn Rand's Tiddlywink Music by Kristi Hall.

• Humor in The Fountainhead by Robert Mayhew.

• Ayn Rand as a Source of Inspiration by Scott McConnell.

We are sure you won't want to miss it.

(Reduced rates available if you book before 15 August.)

For details and registration please visit: http://www.icognition.biz/iCon2005/index.html

Questions? Email: "iCon2005 @ icognition.net"

Please read my post, REGISTER FOR ICON 2005 AND A NEW DROPCASH CAMPAIGN.

GONE BBQING

I am preparing a barbecue dinner, so I will be gone for the rest of the day. You are more than welcome to send me your favorite grill recipes.

MORRIS IS ENTERING THE BUILDING

Morris pays a visit...

100000 VISITS TO EGO

EGO has reached the milestone of 100,000 visits.

BLOGGING PERSONALITY

Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful

You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog. Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights. A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time. You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

A SLOW DAY ON THE NET

I don't know if it something wrong with my computer today or a problem with the internet connection to certain web sites, e.g., Google news. I have had a hard time to access Blogger.

MORRIS AND THE PERSIAN RUG

Morris: "I am watching you!"


Morris: "Everything is OK. I can relax."


For more animal photos, go to the Friday Ark at the Modulator.

A NEW VOIP GIZMO AND PODCAST TOOL

This new VoIP gizmo could be the solution on how to save internet phone calls and turn them into a podcast session / audio blog post. With this problem solved, I could start doing "talk (radio)" blogging in the near future. I hope that the Linux version of the Gizmo Project will be released in August as planned. When do you think Microsoft will launch a similar program?

Listen to An Audioblogging Manifesto by Maciej Ceglowski. [Via Blogspotting.] I look forward to your input and suggestions on the future show. Please contact me if you are interested in participating in one way or another. As a preparation for the show I will soon have a chat with Prodos about his Rational Voice project. Here are some things to think about:

• How many minutes per session? Between 5 to 15 minutes?

• How often? On a weekly basis? An audio version of Reason Roundup with segments covering "People Of Reason, People Of Faith, People Of Force."?

PLAY A REPUBLICAN GAME

Today I went to a city park and played a game of Kubb. The goal of the game is to "knock down" the king at the end. Go here if you want to play the game in your web browser.

Here is an excerpt from my post, EGO BLOG IS NOT BURNED OUT...YET...

With that said, it is time for a short summer vacation and blog break for maybe a day or so... ;) So long & "hasta la vista, baby"! Don't worry, "I will be back"... (EGO, 07/10/04.)

In the meantime, listen to Capitalism The Magnificent by Prodos. I look forward to Andrew Bernstein's book, The Capitalist Manifesto: The Historic, Economic and Philosophic Case for Laissez-Faire.

TAKING A SUMMER PAUSE WITH WILD STRAWBERRIES

Before I post something on the WWII anniversary, the al-Qaeda recruits in Great Britain, and the never ending story on Osama bin Laden's whereabouts, I have to take a short summer pause and reflect on "purple cows" and my upcoming traffic milestone (100,000 visits).

TASTE OF HUNGARY

One of my hobby projects this summer is to create a scrapbook with photos from my school project in Hungary. I will show it to my classmates at our reunion in September. My tomato, paprika and chile pepper plants are reminding me about the time in Sopron. Here is an excerpt from Lynette Evans's article, Hungarian peppers keep dishes comfortably warm.

In Hungary, we had seen bunches of long red paprika pods hanging on the walls of houses and apartment buildings alike. The Hungarian paprika is the basis for many regional dishes, but as Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach note in "The Whole Chile Pepper Book" (Little, Brown, 1990): "Bright red Paprika pods are not the only chiles popular in central Europe. Also proliferating in the region are yellow Wax varieties, which appear both fresh and pickled. The mild or sweet variety is the Banana pepper, as it is known in the United States; its fiery cousin is called the Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot. These yellow peppers, which run from pale yellow to red-orange at maturity, are particularly devious because their gorgeous golden appearance can signal either heat or sweetness to the shopper, and it is impossible to tell them apart without tasting." (Sfgate.com, 07/09/05.)

If you want to follow the development, go to my other blog for a link to my updated photo gallery.

EGO IS INCLUDED IN ANSWERS DATA SOURCE

Go to the Bloggers reference area in the People directory and look under letter L. [Editor's note: Tell me about: Martin Lindeskog.] Here is a link you could use if you are interested in getting listed.

CAPITALISTS AND A CAT IN A FINE MESS

I have been late with submitting entries to the carnival of capitalists and cats. Morris posted an explanation at That's Another Fine Mess.

Hmmm, Morris the cat is hiding from this week's edition of the Carnival of the Cats due to a polychronic time perspective... ;)

Don't forget the Reason Roundup at the Charlotte Capitalist.

Welcome to the Reason Roundup. Celebrating Independence Day, the beautiful Vietnamese, Icarus finished, teenagers, "Sex and the Single Guy", and more... (CharlotteCapitalist.com, 07/09/05.)

POWERBLOG REVIEW BY EGO

Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends gave me an instruction to write a PowerBlog Review of Joseph's Marketing Blog.



I have added a "Featured Site - PowerBlog Reviews" badge to the About category. Click the button and you could read a review of EGO by Anita Campbell.

NEOCOUNTER

As an addition to the Geolog, you could now see another web counter in the Globalization category.

MORRIS IS HIDING

Morris is trying to hide, but you could see his flashing eyes...


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

Morris is having a siesta.


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

PLAXO AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR ELECTRONIC ROLODEX UP-TO-DATE

Will Plaxo's deal with AOL be a success? David Coursey of eWeek thinks so. Here is an excerpt from his article, AOL Deal Gives Plaxo a Fighting Chance.

Lacking a means to attract the 10-to-20 million users needed to turn a profit, Plaxo was running out of money. The company had $20 million when it started in 2001 and, by my estimation, is now down to $10 million or less. Yes, it could have cruised on that money for a while, but finding at least 7 million new users would have been much too expensive without big help.

Enter the big helper: AOL will offer Plaxo's free contact list management tools to its zillions of members. If a reasonable percentage of AOL members decide to use the service, Plaxo will reach critical mass. (Eweek, 07/07/05.)

At the moment I am using a Filofax for my addresses, but as a long-time user of a personal handheld organiser called Psion, I am interested in looking into a new universal digital assistant. Former Google employee, Mark Jen, has a song and dance lecture in his post, What is Plaxo? I have signed up only for Plaxo's online version, because I can't use Outlook on my computer. I have read some critical voices regarding Plaxo's product, but I think it could be a good network tool, if you use it in the right way. I think I could benefit from it when I am traveling around. Talking about journeys, I got an invitation to join Where Are You Now?


CrispAds Blog Advertising

AYATOLLAH MOHAMMAD EMAMI-KASHANI

Mohammad Emami-Kashani, member of Constitutional Amendment Council of Iran, has the following comment on the terror bombings in London.

Ayatollah Kashani condemned the blasts, but also launched a stinging attack on Western foreign policy, punctuated with cries of "death to America, Britain and Israel".

"You talk about al-Qaeda. Have you forgotten who has bred al-Qaeda?" he asked, in remarks addressed to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"It's the illegitimate child of America and Israel, but you name it Islam. This savagery is not Islam. It is coming from inside of you and it is now punching you." (News.BBC.co.uk, 07/08/05.)

DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE MULLAHS IN IRAN

I don't know if it will be a demonstration in Gothenburg this year. Here is an excerpt from my post, DANESHJOO VERSUS MULLAH.

I went to the Gustaf Adolf's square (King Gustaf II Adolf founded Gothenburg in 1621) around 5 P.M. CET. I saw lots of red flags so I was a bit worried that the demonstration had been hijacked by the Worker-Communist Party of Iran! Luckily the "red-flag-waving commies" left before the demonstration started. It was said that the event was arranged by the Constitutionalist Party of Iran and the Iranian Student Association of Gothenburg. You have a broad spectrum of political parties and organizations involved in the Iranian ideological debate, working both from the inside and in exile. For example, I found the Iranian Renaissance Movement on I.S.A.o.G's link page. (EGO, 07/08/04.)

The Near East Democratic Association of Iran is hosting a symposium in Washington, D.C.

After the raids on university dormitories on July 9, 1999 which sparked nationwide student protests in Iran, Iranian youth have marked the anniversary of the student uprisings by taking to the streets and saying "no" to the Iranian regime in its entirety. Each year thousands of students are brutally suppressed, injured and arrested in these demonstrations. (USNewswire.com, 07/08/05.)

From Regime Change Iran's section Schedule of Pro-Democracy Events:

Iranian students will commemorate the legacy of the 1999 Students' Uprising by gathering inside and in front of the Iranian universities despite any official ban.

In addition, thousands of Iranians are expected to come into streets and squares of most Iranian cities or on their roof tops and to condemn the Islamic regime in another show of rejection of the theocracy. They will also cherish the legacy of the "Epic of the Students Uprising of July 9, 1999". (RegimeChangeIran.com / SMCCDI, 07/04/05.)

For more information, go to Free Iran News and read the Declaration Number 2: 18th of Tir (July 9th) by The National Leadership Assembly.

Check out the Iran Cartoons at Cox & Forkum.

18 Tir


UPDATE:

I went to the city of Gothenburg to see if I could find any Iranians. I found a couple of people at Gustaf Adolf's square. It looked like I had missed the protest rally. They told me that it had been around 200 people gathered, including representatives from all different parties and organizations. I gave a copy of the 18 Tir cartoon to one of the demonstrators. Right before they left the square, one of the Iranians gave me a leaflet. It was issued by the Worker-Communist Party of Iran. Here is an excerpt from the leaflet:

The murder of innocent people in London is another instance in the race of terrorists, which began on September 11 on the world stage between Islamic states and movements on the one hand and western states led by the United States on the other. Both are armed to the teeth and feeding off each other. In the meanwhile, the victims of this war and slaughter are only innocent and ordinary people. (WPIran.org.)

We should hope that this group will not be in charge after the mullahs have been kicked out...

BLOGGER CODE

I have added a pretty geeky thing to the About category. My blogger code is: "B9 t- k+ s+ u f i- o x e+ l c--." Click here if you want to decode the cryptic message. I didn't answer the second question ("domain quotient"), because I couldn't find this alternative: "I own 1 domain, but I have my own web addresses at blogspot, diaryland, livejournal, or other similar site." Maybe this alternative should be graded as [d+-]...

CARNIVAL OF THE RECIPES AT BLOG O' RAM

This week's edition of the Carnival of the Recipes is hosted by Blog o'RAM. Talking about food, don't miss Nick Lindauer's (Hot Sauce Blog) version of the "ultimate steak" recipe featured in Bon Appétit. I have to start cleaning our Japanese cast iron grill...

CAT ON THE MAT

Morris on the mat. Visit the Friday Ark at the Modulator for more animal pictures.


MORRIS
Originally uploaded by Lyceum.

PERSIAN LIME MARTIN(I)

This drink is dedicated to the individuals who are fighting for a regime change in Iran. For a background, read my post, MULLAHS AGAINST MARTIN(I). I picked the lime fruit as a play with words. The synonym for lime (linden) is a part of my last name.

PERSIAN LIME MARTIN(I)

Ingredients:

• 1 jigger / measurement cup Martini Bianco, white vermouth.
• 1 jigger / measurement cup fresh lime juice.
• 1/2 jigger / measurement cup Bombay Sapphire gin.
• ice cubes
• soda water
• lime wedge

Put ice cubes, vermouth, gin, and lime juice in a highball glass. Stir with a spoon. [Editor's comment: I wonder what James Bond will think about this method...] Add soda water and a lime wedge. Serve the drink with a straw.

LETTERS BY ERIC RUDOLPH

I wonder how Blake Morrison of the USA Today could describe Eric Rudolph as an egoist. [Via Kausfiles.]

They reveal a thinker, clever and cunning, who details how he fooled locals and the feds during five years on the lam; an egoist who sees himself and his plight in the books that now take up his days; a zealot, unapologetic in his disgust for abortion and the government; a son who seems to deeply regret what his family has endured. (USAToday.com, 07/05/05.)

The New York Times reports that Eric Rudolph's tale, "Lil," is published at a website called "Army of God."

The Webmaster of the site, Donald Spitz, a minister whose site also includes photographs of aborted fetuses, said Friday that he had been writing to Mr. Rudolph in jail for months, and that Mr. Rudolph had mailed him the 21-page handwritten account. (NYTimes.com, 06/26/05.)

TERROR IN LONDON

In the news: 'Al-Qaeda' group linked to London blasts.

A group calling itself "Secret Organization — al-Qaeda in Europe" has posted a claim of responsibility for the series of blasts in London, a German magazine reported Thursday.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that the group posted its message on a Web site popular with Islamic militants, which it did not name. It said the group claimed the explosions were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. (USAToday.com, 07/07/05.)

Internet Haganah reports that the "claim was posted on the Qal3ah site of Sa'ad Al Fagih."

Is Denmark the next target? From my post, TERROR IN MADRID.

The terror threat is coming closer to home. Could Denmark be al-Qaeda's next target? From the Copenhagen Post:

"Danish-Moroccan Said Mansour, who has been linked to the Danish national currently facing a death sentence in Algeria for acts of terrorism, has been sentenced to three months in jail by Copenhagen District Court for unlawful possession of arms, document fraud and dealing in stolen property." (EGO, 03/14/04.)

For more on the situation in London, go to The Command Post.

UPDATE:

Here is the last paragraph from Robert Tracinski's article, "Victory in Spite of Terror" (What Blair Needs to Say--and Europe Needs to Do).

The worst conclusion our leaders could draw would be the one that I am certain will soon be pushed by the left: that today's attacks were the result of being too aggressive in confronting Islamic terrorism. On the contrary, these attacks were the result of the West continuing to pull its punches and hold back the use of force against the remaining terrorist regimes in Iran and Syria. That is the lesson to be learned from the attacks on London. (TIADaily.com, 07/07/05.)

HOW AMERICAN ARE YOU?

You Are 74% American

Most times you are proud to be an American. Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!

How American Are You?

I think that I didn't answer in the "correct" way regarding the bland American cheese and the letter "Zed"... And of course, my secret beer mission is not fitting the general profile.

PODCASTING CHECKLIST

I have been thinking a bit more on how do make podcasting blog sessions in the future. It would be great to conduct interviews with interesting individuals and have conversations with fellow bloggers. Jim Logan has written a short and sweet post (Laymen's Quick Start Guide to Podcasting) with a checklist on what you need for converting phone interviews into podcasts. [Via Blog Business World.]

Checklist:

• Skype - checkmark.
• HotRecorder - I have to find a Linux alternative.
• Audacity - checkmark.
• Plantronics headphone - checkmark.