How to Call the Police [True Story]

HOW TO CALL THE POLICE:


George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi
was going up to bed when
his wife told him that he'd left the
light on in the garden shed,
which she could see from the bedroom
window. George opened the back
door to go turn off the light, but saw
that there were people in the
shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is
someone in your house?" and he
said no. Then they said that all
patrols were busy, and that he
should simply lock his door and an
officer would be along when
available. George said "Okay," hung up,
counted to 30, and phoned
the police again.
"Hello. I just called you a few seconds
ago because there were
people in my shed. Well, you don't have
to worry about them now
hung up.
Within five minutes, three police cars,
an Armed Response unit, and
an ambulance showed up at the Phillips'
residence. Of course, the
police caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the policemen said to George: "I
thought you said that you'd
shot them!"
George said, "I thought you said there
was nobody available!"

Harry Binswanger posts @ Immigration Daily

Dr. Binswanger has an essay favoring open immigration over at Immigration Daily. Here's an excerpt...[It's excellent. Read it all].

An end to immigration quotas is demanded by the principle of individual rights. Every individual has rights as an individual, not as a member of this or that nation. One has rights not by virtue of being an American, but by virtue of being human.

One doesn't have to be a resident of any particular country to have a moral entitlement to be secure from governmental coercion against one's life, liberty, and property. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, government is instituted "to secure these rights"--to protect them against their violation by force or fraud.

A foreigner has rights just as much as an American. To be a foreigner is not to be a criminal. Yet our government treats as criminals those foreigners not lucky enough to win the green-card lottery.

Seeking employment in this country is not a criminal act. It coerces no one and violates no one's rights (there is no "right" to be exempt from competition in the labor market, or in any other market


Here's the link to the full article:

http://www.ilw.com/articles/2006,0329-Binswanger.shtm

[HT:Charlotte Capitalist]

An Interview with Lee Sandstead

Objectivist Art Historian Lee Sandstead sat still long enough to give this interview and I call it to your immediate attention. I've known Lee for almost a dozen years, perhaps longer, as I was living in central Tennessee at the time and he showed up at our Objectivist gatherings.
It's always great to see younger people succeed and I am proud of him and the work he's doing.

Don't miss this interview. You'll be glad you read it.

http://www.monumentlight.com/interview/interview.html

Some General Observations...

My friend Simon over at Capitalist Solutions in Hong Kong has some general observations, including this little gem:

Over 500,000 students demonstrated in France last week against labour reform, but only a handful protested against Islamic threats to free speech.


Here's the link. Go. Read.

http://www.hkcapitalist.com/hkcapitalist/2006/03/some_general_ob.html

Atheists identified as America's Most Distrusted Minority

University of Minnesota study concludes, among other things...



From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.

Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public.

“It seems most Americans believe that diversity is fine, as long as every one shares a common ‘core’ of values that make them trustworthy—and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious."

Here's the whole article:

http://www.ur.umn.edu/FMPro?-db=releases&-lay=web&-format=umnnewsreleases/releasesdetail.html&ID=2816&-Find

Noam Chomsky: Closet Capitalist?

Noam Chomsky, the man who endlessly speaks of class warfare, who claims that tax 'havens' are 'allowed' so the brunt of the tax burden is laid on the poor...has decided to put his growing wealth [$2 million] in a Trust Fund of his own!

Hey Noam, contradictions cannot exist.

Here's the story:

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=1385b76d-6c34-4c22-942a-18b71f2c4a44&k=53758

The Teaching Company Lectures

I remember some time back, when Diana [Noodle Food] mentioned she'd been racing through the lecture series she'd purchased from the above company. I thought, that's interesting, and promptly forgot about it.
Last month, I got one of their sale catalogs and boy, I ordered three series of lectures. Ancient Greece, History of Jazz, and Plato's Republic. As you might guess, I couldn't stop there, last week, I ordered FIVE more series.[!] Luckily, these are all 'sale' prices, or I would be bankrupt. Heh. The five new ones are: Science and Religion, Aristotles Ethics, Argumentation and Rhetoric, The Aeneid by Virgil, Einstein's theory for non-scientists. Quite a line-up, I must say.
One thing I've noticed is that the majority of these lectures [or, at least, the ones I have so far,] are "Catholic-centered." In a way, since Catholics are more philosophical than most all other religions [I think] it is a good test of Objectivist epistemology, and my own thinking skills, to listen, learn and compare. I am currently listening to the Science and Religion course, where Dr. Principe denounces that there was/is a schism between faith and reason. Can you guess, though, where 'reason' is placed in this equation? Right. As the 'handmaiden' of faith. One simply can't exist without the other according to him.

These courses are first rate, high quality lectures that can sharpen your thinking and reasoning skills, and when on sale, are a wonderful augment to any college or university training you may have, or have had in your life. Some courses are as low as $19.95, regularly $130. So you can get some bargains, and you have a money back guarantee.

Here's Diana's link:
http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog/2004/10/teaching-company-loves-me.html

Carnival of the Objectivists: # 1!

Nick over at 'The Rule of Reason' has posted his first edition of the Carnival!

WHAT A LINEUP!!!! I am honored to be included in this illustrious company! Although I'm sitting here at home in Connecticut, my 'spirit' is in Denver at the Law conference there. Hope there are many more of those kind of gatherings.

Sadly, no new 'babe' spottings at the bookstore :-(
But I remain ever vigilant. Heh.

Here's the Carnival link:

http://ruleofreason.blogspot.com/archives/2006_02_26_default.htm#114148875229409634

Huge 'Hat Tip' to all of us!!!!

My Blog's Worth...

...over Nine Grand! Okay! Now, I wonder if my bank will let me use my blog as collateral? I've always wanted to go to the US Virgin Islands ;-) Nine grand should give me a wicked good time!!!!! HA.

[Hat tip: Gus via Literatrix]