August 04, 2004

Part two of ISIL/FMN's PBS impersonation is coming to you from beautiful Snowmass, Colorado. I'm here, with Louis James, finalizing last-minute details for this year's Eris Society conference. Driving out was an interesting experience, as my car is an old clunker that somehow manages to take all the abuse that gets heaped on it, and just keeps running. And abuse it we did, climbing up the Rocky Mountains fully loaded -- my partner Don Tiggre and myself, a visiting friend from Lithuania, our five children, and the assorted gear necessary for a weeklong trip for all these humans.

I had always scoffed at the idea that premium gasoline and engine- cleaning additives really make a difference -- they certainly didn't seem to for the nice sportscar I once owned and pampered. However, I'm convinced that it was the use of those products that got us all here, not only intact but in good time. Even better, the ol' engine seems to have enough spark left in it to get us home.

But, back to my point. We paid for that stuff, hoping to get something extra from our investment, and we did. And that's the way it almost always goes, with such nonfraudulent investments. You may not always be able to tell the difference -- just like I couldn't tell the difference between regular and premium gas in my new car -- but you do get what you pay for. Sometimes what you're paying for is ambience, or reputation, like Eris does in holding its conference in Snowmass, and other times, the "extra" is more obvious.

So, what's the extra you get for your support of Freedom News Daily? You get diligent, daily service from editors who cover the top freedom-oriented web sites; the best of their work goes into FND. When they find a new web site, a nifty pro-freedom tool or animation, or a terrific activism project, they add those as well, making Free-Market.Net's database a continually updated, rich resource for freedom information, ideas, people, and resources.

As the editor of FND, I do almost all the news-gathering. I say "almost" because you readers suggest items, which are checked and often included in the database. And, even more important, my news work shifts depending upon the feedback I receive from FND subscribers. For example, as the Iraq war dragged on, many subscribers told me they didn't want to hear every war-related detail -- they heard a lot of it from regular sources and it was just too much. So I cover the Iraq war and related stories only when it seems warranted, not just to fill FND with bunches of news items.

With each FND that goes out, I try to create a fairly accurate snapshot of what's going on in the world that is important to freedom-lovers. Not just "of interest", or offbeat, or my personal preference. The story needs to relevant to liberty -- whether it's regulations, taxation, sexual freedom, civil liberties, international affairs, environment -- whatever the topic, the freedom relevance has to be there. Where else could you hear about Pitcairn islanders still resisting the long arm of British law, alongside Hustler's continued efforts to sell sexually-oriented products in Cincinnati, and the latest "stupid gov tricks" from Homeland Security or wherever they happen to occur? Add to that our topnotch coverage of libertarian commentary, and then toss in a heap of "movement news" -- events, activities, discussion lists, and other stuff -- and you get a newsletter that covers the freedom world like no other.

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Remember, you get what you pay for.

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On behalf of everyone at FMN, ISIL, and all who enjoy the benefits of our work, I thank you.

Sunni Maravillosa, Ph.D.
Director of Operations
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