Kat

I have stepped down from the staff over on the other forum and posted this lovely piece over there. I may be disgusted right now, but I am always silly! Kat

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL - Ciro, you are a trip! Michael, are you listening to the doctor's orders? Kat

Thanks, Barbara, for that thought-provoking article. This reminded me of kids joining gangs, using drugs or doing any number of the stupid things kids do, and it seems to get worse after they grow up. The experiment showed that social metaphysics probably includes automatic emotional reactions and is not necessarily limited to evasion. It goes deeper than conscious choices. It is when people's minds are engaged in groupthink that they take on increasingly extreme views or initiate force against themselves or others for a higher cause or perceived injustice. I'm seeing this in places that I would least expect. Kat

Well, three of us met for pizza and chit-chatted. Seven people were expected, but again the actual turnout was very disappointing. It was pretty much a getting to know you meeting with a little structure from the questions. Because the new person had not read Return of the Primitive or any of Rand's non-fiction we only covered it in general terms, like the question about compromise. It was good conversation and good company, but again I was disappointed with the turnout. Kat

Some of you may have noticed that I am not a political junkie, far from it, and probably the only thing I hate more than politics is hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the topic of politics comes up constantly in Objectivist circles. It is pervasive, unavoidable, and things get rather heated up at times. I consider myself to be a apolitical, mainly a minarchist, I want a small government that will not invade my personal space and I believe, like Ayn Rand, that government is necessary and should have the monopoly on the use of force. I have mixed feelings about the war. I support it to an extent but think it is lacking clearly defined objectives and an exit strategy. I'm just thinking, "Aren't we done with this crap yet?" Maybe I am more politically moderate than most Objectivists, but on other forums I have been labeled a moron, a communist and most recently anti-semite for pointing at some of the extreme views being put forth as the Objectivist postition on politics. Bullshit. I recently commented that I personally feel that ARI has become too ethnocentric at the top of the organization (pro-Israel) and is putting way too much focus on Middle East politics. If the leadership there were black would they pick up an African cause? As an Objectivist, I expect our movement to be a little more objective and also to not try to step all over the non-initiation of force principle and alienate libertarian supporters of the philosophy. (I simply don't understand why an atheistic organization would focus their efforts on the basically religious conflicts in the holylands, alienating the low-hanging fruit right here at home). This group, which is supposedly the official voice of Objectivism has focused their energy on foreign policy rather than philosophy and they seem a little too trigger happy with the nuke option. As an Objectivist, that makes me very uncomfortable. They don't speak for me politically, although I do admire their efforts and accomplishments in getting Rand's books into schools and supporting campus clubs. Here is the link to the foreign policy articles on the Arab conflict I'd love to hear some civilized discussion here, not the internet gladiator attacks I am usually subjected to. Thanks. Kat

I am starting up a new thread here to put cooking tips, just so these types of things do not get lost in the recipes. When Ciro was teaching me how to make Tiramisu, I had asked about reducing processed sugar in recipes. Here is how to substitute honey for sugar in a recipe. Thanks, Ciro!

I started a thread in the library that has the discussion questions for Return of the Primitive if you want to have a look. Here is how Luke has broken out the year's discussion of the book. I also want to publicly thank Luke for being my guide and mentor through this club business. I know he is lurking.

Wow, that is really great news. I raise my coffee cup to you once more and wish you the best of luck with your book. I'm so proud that real writing projects are getting off the ground, because one of our main goals here is to produce published works. Roger, you are are a star! Cheers, Kat

Thanks Phil for your advice. I think that since several new people have signed up for the group, that it will be a "getting to know you" meeting. I don't consider myself an intellectual, just an organizer, and I am more interested in learning than teaching and so being the leader kind of puts me in an odd position. I do have Luke's discussion questions posted up in the library. I still gotta do some preparing. Dayammm!!! I wish all of Rand's books had annotated teacher's editions. I know that the questions sure do look like a test, but it is a starting point. I hope people are not put off like I was the first time I saw a list of questions like this. I know when I went to the group in Merritt Island, I thought I would get a ruler on the knuckles if I didn't study. :-$ I really don't want so discuss Return of the Primitive for a whole year as laid out in the meeting plans. It is not one of my favorite books by Rand. I hate politics and would rather cover other books over the course of a year. I am giving away copies of Philosophy Who Needs It and would love to find some type of study guide for that as well as her other non-fiction works. I see this group as being more social and lighter in nature, I would like to however cover Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology over a longer period of time, though. Most of the other books I only want to spend a couple of meetings on. Once this group is up and running smoothly, I'd love to do readings of her plays and have group outings to various places and events. It all really depends on where the group is and wants to be. Wish me luck, Kat

six points, but don't quit your day job yet. Ciro's joke about storing wine in Reardon Metal was better. Anyway I still contend Dagny got it right and Dominique got it wrong. Dagny bonked the heroes (go Dagny!!) and Dominique did the villains (whore!!) before finally getting the hero she knew she had wanted all along. Dagny was a strong woman who knew what she wanted and went for it with all she had. I think Hank understood that about her and it was something that helped him get through the heartbreak. If Dagny and Hank were married, I would not see her leaving him for John Galt. But Hank stayed married through their affair and I think that shows a lack of commitment to Dagny. If he loved her, he would have dumped Lillian in a heartbeat to be with her, but instead he kept her as the other woman. He did not let her in and she did not let him in either. I doubt they would have worked out as a couple for the long term. Kat

4 points Disclaimer: Like on "Whose Line is it Anyway" the points don't mean squat.

8 points :D/

Kevin, you had some very good points about emotions. When members of our little collective here, including myself, are being attacked over on other sites, it does make me angry and want to go tell them off. But that would be taking the bait. I have to make a conscious effort to put it into perspective. I will acknowledge my feelings, but they will not consume me. The anger is mixed with sadness, pity, and contempt, but our antagonists are not important people so I don't dwell on it. I put very little value on those I do not respect. They will not be remembered for their achievements, only their nastiness and cruelty. I have also come to the realization that I no longer have the will to read articles and books that literally make me want to puke. I did it today anyway and my stomach turned. Why does this go on? To sell a book based solely on malice?!? Enough is enough already. I want the smear campaign to stop but why should I engage with a fringe group who generates audience with malice, smut, and snarkiness. That is a horrible way to be. I won't sanction it. I think I'll stay home for awhile where I am loved. Kat

There is a place on the Cordair website called Artist's Studio where they show the process of creating some of the pieces that they feature there, including this one and the other piece I posted, Born with Wings. Maybe one day I will pick up brush. Kat

Here is a piece I like by Bryan Larson that is available through the Cordair Gallery. It reminds me of Dagny and also makes me think of Summer spinning in the kitchen. This one is for you my friend. Kat

I sort of did the same thing Dagny did. I had been living with someone for several years and was pretty happy with the relationship. I never thought I would do such a thing, but once I discoved my ideal man was actually out there, I had to make room in my life for him. And here we are. purrrrrrrrrrrr Kat

Return of the Primitive "The Cashing-In: The Student 'Rebellion'" Here are some discussion questions for Return of the Primitive for my group on Saturday. I don't have the teacher's edition so I'd love to get some feedback on the following questions on the begining of the book. Interpretive Questions Why did Peter Schwartz change the title for the second edition of this book from The New Left to Return of the Primitive? Why does Ayn Rand contend that the "central theme and basic ideology of all the activists is: anti-ideology"? Distinguish between what the student activists mean by "rights" and what Ayn Rand means by "rights." Distinguish the meaning of "civil disobedience" when each of the following persons uses the key term: Martin Luther King, Jr.; Mario Savio; Ayn Rand Evaluative Questions Evaluate the Introduction. Evaluate the Foreword. Do you agree with Ayn Rand that the activists are "fully, literally, loyally, devastatingly the products of modern philosophy"? Do you agree with Ayn Rand that "compromise does not satisfy, but dissatisfies everybody"? Do you agree with Ayn Rand that the purpose of the student rebels aimed "to condition the country to accept force as the means of settling political controversies"? Which of your values did these essays undermine or reinforce?

Thanks, Jody, for this tribute to Roger. He is a real star here, writes wonderful, thought provoking articles, and has been a major force in getting this forum off the ground. Most importantly, Roger is a really great guy, a great mind, and principled individualist. One of the things I admire most about Roger (and this applies to most of the people here) is the fact that he is not about to accept someone else's truth as his own truth. A fine and truly independent mind is a rare asset. Roger has been a wonderful friend and inspiration to us all. Becky is a very lucky woman, indeed. Roger, a toast to you, a big hug and a nice round of applause from all of us at Objectivist Living. You Rock! =D> =D> :D/ =D> =D> :D/ =D> Kat

Sure Jody, I have affiliate links for both Amazon and LFB, which is the preferred store. They have better prices, better service and higher commissions. What more can I say? O:) Objectivist Books is just an internet store for now, but one day maybe we will have a real store. Here are the links: Bookstores Objectivist Living Bookstore Laissez Faire Books Amazon

Looking at that code was pretty scary stuff, looked like major scripting. I was having horrible javascript flashbacks, but I'm no fraidy kat. I found a little nugget of code [img width= height=]resized_image_url_here[/img] Lets see if it works [img width=500p]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/objectivistliving/Event.jpg Dayaammm! I still can't get it to work. Now I know why I became a chart monkey instead of a code monkey. I'll have to tinker with it later, when my kid can show me how simple it all is. #-o Kat

Thanks Dragonfly. I wanted to size it about that much, but I was wondering if there was a way to do it from the original image I uploaded. Your image was not from the same source and also lost some of its original clarity. HTML has a fairly easy way of sizing, and I am trying to figure out how to do the same thing in BBCode. I know I could have easily sized it in Photoshop, but if I did, I would either need to post a second version of the image or it would be affected on the other forum. Do you know if there is a reference book or cheatsheet out there on BBCode or a comparison between HTML and BBCode? I am also wondering about i-frames, linking within images and other geekly delights. Kat

Hi Dragonfly, I have a club that meets monthly in Chicago. I posted a jpg notice over in Events. You can maybe try the sizing with your picture of the yellow cat a couple of posts up and clue me in on the tags. I would also like to make graphics link to another site. btw - when are you going to show us your site? I really like your work. Thanks, Kat

I have a question about BBCode and I don't know if anyone here is familiar enough with it to answer. I posted my meeting notice up and it is too honking big! In HTML you can size images with tags like width and that is what I did on the other forum. It doesn't work here and I tried to figure it out last night using a bunch of different combinations. Is it a limitation of BBCode or is there a secret code. Also, HTML does not seem to work here even when I have the "Disable HTML" unchecked. Kat

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Surfside by Ron Sanders The lovely Isle of Merit is where I should be Wading in the ocean, carefree as the breeze. This is one of my favorite pieces from Cordair Gallery in the San Francisco area. Linda, the director has invited us to stop by. They have some beautful works there. Kat