Who Were the Sea Peoples?

Nonstops: Commercial flights having no intermediate destinations. Nonstop nonstops: Round-the-clock nonstops to your destination. Nonstop nonstop nonstops: A blitz of advertisements for nonstop nonstops. Nonstop nonstop nonstop nonstops: ? Suggestions appreciated.

I heard Joe Biden on the radio yesterday saying, "Our economic stimulus package has created or saved 640,239 jobs. I nearly crashed my car laughing. Not 640,238, mind you, nor would Joe dare to exaggerate and claim 640,240. No siree, exactly 640,239.

Shuttling back and forth between both academic and ‘regular’ life in the US and the UK has made me aware of a significant difference between Yanks’ and Brits’ inclination to Anglicize foreign-word imports into the English language. One of my first hints as to the existence of the difference was when I realized that the dish that Americans pronounce ‘fil-ay of sole’ is standardly pronounced in England ‘fil-et of sole’. Gradually, I realized that this divergence pervades American and British English. I especially was struck by it when it comes to the pronunciation of foreign names. I recall eating breakfast, at a conference in Wales, with two British academics, both of whom are well-respected scholars in the history of political thought. As I listened to their conversation (with little to add of my own), I grew puzzled at to just who was this Italian political theorist ‘Russo,’ whom they kept mentioning, and with whom they seemed to assume I was familiar. When one of them brought up the ...

Roderick Long shows that Rothbard employed a cartoon version of Plotinus -- kind of like his cartoon Rousseau, or his cartoon Smith, or his cartoon English Revolution.

Here . (Hat tip to Sandy Ikeda.)

We all know about Hitler's infatuation with the Aryans Many people assume, therefore, that 'Aryans' means 'Germans' or 'Nordic' something of the sort. So, today's quiz: what two modern countries take their name directly from the word 'Aryan'?

Here . Closing quote: "At the Last Judgment, libertarianism may find itself reduced to a minority of one, and its name will not be Legion, but Rothbard."

Over at Reason , David Harsanyi pens a very touchy article discussing recent remarks from the Obama administration about Fox News. Let me offer some quotes from Harsanyi that illustrate how he is placing the worst possible interpretation on whatever the Obama administration says: "Dunn also asserted that when the president 'goes on Fox, he understands he's not going on it really as a news network at this point. He's going on to debate the opposition.' Who knew debating the future of the nation is such a ghastly thought?" Of course, Dunn doesn't say the idea is "ghastly," I guess we're just not supposed to notice that the ghastliness is entirely the invention of Harsanyi. "So what is the underlying rationale for this hypersensitive strategy of trying to delegitimize the voice of cable opposition?" But if Fox News is "the voice of cable opposition" then they really aren't a news station, are they, but more of an op-ed ...

(HT to Jesse Walker.)

it's best to bring your scooter and your push carpet cleaner:

A major factor in gang violence . (HT to Katherine Raymond.)

Read about it here . (Hat tip to Elizabeth Higgs.)

Glenn Greenwald on Democrats for perpetual war .

I tried to post this as a comment over at Marginal Revolution , but I kept getting the message, "We're sorry, we cannot accept this data." Whatever that means. Boonton (a blog commentator): "The economy knew the new tech was great but also knew it was overdone so it looked for other things to take its place. Housing, finance, healthcare and other things were it." Yes, I recall meeting "the economy" while it was looking around for things to take the place of high tech -- I think I bumped into it just outside of Topeka, at a rest stop along a lonely country highway. The economy was pumping some gas, the stub of a cigarette smoldering between its parched lips, the cracks in its leathery face showing beneath the three days of stubble on its cheeks. It had a sort of far-off, forlorn look in its eyes, but it assured me it was not going to create a bubble with the next "big thing." I knew then it was like a drunk coming off a bender, and it was just...

What a funny name for a post, huh?

I was laying awake last night in my hotel room in Fairfax, Virginia, surfing late night TV. A newscaster was on screen, talking about the eight anniversary of the start of the Afghan War. She said, "During that time, almost 800 people have died ." And that's just the human deaths! Countless other, non-human deaths could be added to that score, such as Afghan flying squirrels , Afghan hedgehogs , Russian tortoises , and Afghanis .

George Mason University

Yu know what I hate? The way every person and his brother throws around "haters" at anyone who mildly criticizes something they like. Post a negative restaurant review? You're a "hater." Claim that Notre Dame is not having that good a season ? Hater! Listen, folks, a "hater" is someone who beats up the restaurant owner, not someone who posts a slightly critical review.