sbeaulieu

That's one arena I do not ever want to climb into. I'd gladly be a spectator, though. Some of those debates can be a real popcorn-eatin' thrill! ~ Shane

What do you see the taking of as no value with regard to the Occupy movement? From the leadership or followership angle? ~ Shane

OMG! I want to say that's an awesome picture. But out of fear that that might be taken out of context, let me explain. The guys that gen up these pictures have a great knack for "capturing the moment," but I'd hazard a guess that this was probably taken from clips of a camera in live action, then selecting this frame for, as Michael put it, "kissing pure evil with pure satisfaction." Priceless! ~ Shane

I see this guy riding some bandwagon with dust trailing explosively from spiked wagon wheels, driven by a... troll. John, that video is spooky. At around 1:17, she mentions that good shook Japan by the shoulders (guessing this was from March timeframe?). That's some entrance for a benevolent diety to announce his presence by saying "I'm the one true god, and you're f'd!" And that she was near orgasmic at the thought that her prayers were answered in the form of a quake that killed thousands..!! Yeah, you can keep on walking down the street with your shit. ~ Shane

Adam, I see your point. Perception is everything, and everyone is watching. I suppose little miffs like that could lose a few votes if portrayed correctly by the opposition. Even Romney telling the guy "Let's talk" should have put the cap on that situation. If the head dog confronts the mewling cat and it backs down, I'm not going in after to get in a cheap shot. ~ Shane

ONTGH is definitely a tour de force. I had read it a few years back, and had intended to try a little essaying on each of the chapters. Unfortunately, my intent has not materialized. But I really loved his approach at the book, and the contemporary setting. However, I've seen quite a few books, now that you mention thrillers, where characters are well off (Dean Koontz). This puts them on a platform to call forth reserves to get things done, whether by design or circumstance. In contrast, I liked Fountainhead for the opposite, since Roark was not well off and still got things done regardless of adversity. To me, this showcased Roark's will to persevere and stick to his principles. This doesn't take away from ONTGH, as Nicholas was using lots of historical examples to inform, and using plot points in the book as demonstrative applications of his philosophy. Your effective opening paragraph does hit on that Rand hero type. I don't buy into the aloof, supremacy, unconquerable character types myself (I only see Roark as being the unconquerable, not the other two I mentioned). But I can see where that could be surmised in some writings. And it's that type of first impression that can turn people off. ~ Shane

In the near future, when my kids and grandkids ask me what the Occupy movement was about, I'll have this to say - "Haven't the slightest clue." I'm sensing the MSM is feeling the same thing. Sure, there's tidbits here and there about the 99% vs the 1%, but there's been no clear agenda, no clear structure. It seems to me that it's been a public venting session that's cost both sides millions of the dollars and no ground gained. At the losing end are those vendors that lost revenue because of these misguided crusaders. I feel bad for them. However, had this been truly organized from the get-go with a concrete strategy, some good might have come from it... some. All I saw out there were mobs ranting for want of free stuff, and I got the feeling that the 99% wanted the 1% to foot their bills in many aspects. And hell broke loose when the free stuff stopped flowing from the pro-Occupy backers. Ultimately, I think they wanted to be heard. Done. Those that are truly driven will winter the coming months, otherwise this movement will fade like the snow in coming spring. ~ Shane

Adam, Romney did good in handling that situation. His advice guy probably took the attack personally since the reporter's comment was directed at discrediting Romney. I probably would have done the same thing, honestly. Now, if it proved true and it was ruffling his feathers, that's another story. But you need facts, which the reporter didn't seem to have. ~ Shane

Shane: He will not do well in prison. I am assuming all his victims were white, but if they were not, it will be even more brutal once he gets in general population. Apparently, his attorney at the age of 49, and while representing a 16 year and 11 month old girl in an emancipation petition accidentlally had an erection and tripped over a stack of law books and entered the girl and in a state of surprise, impregnated her and she had the child just shy of her 18 th birthday. The attorney married his teenage client. You just can't make this shit up! Here is the link: http://www.thedaily....awyer-teen-web/ Adam Adam, I was waiting to see the part about tripping over books. No luck. That certainly would have proved the saying about fact being stranger than fiction. What struck me most on that article is that his lawyer is comfortable leaving his kids alone with Sandusky. Honestly, I think that statement is an attempt to blow smoke up the public's ass about Sandusky being trustworthy around kids. Ludicrous. Sandusky made a lot of wrong choices, his lawyer being the latest. That dude's toast! ~ Shane

Adam, I'm just as suprised as you that he took to accepting the interview. And like you said, repeating a question is a tell-tale sign that they are buying time to conjure a response. Why his lawyer let him speak is beyond me. ~ Shane ...maybe Sandusky was a Roman/Spartan in a previous lifetime...

He is unarguably correct, both historically and in our experience since Nine Eleven. It has come to the point of inflicting verbal and even physical abuse in public venues, notably at sports events, for not making such obeisance to governmental symbols. Somebody in academe finally has the cojones to say this out loud! While this may be a correct statement, his source for the comment is the big flag in the law building. That's just absurd. Having dozens of flags all around the university where everywhere you turn is nothing but red, white and blue... that might be indicative of excessive patriotic zeal. Not one flag. ~ Shane

Which writers? ~ Shane Erika Holzer’s Eye for an Eye and Robert Bidinotto’s Hunter are probably the examples she’s thinking of. But why not include Ira Levin and James Clavell in the category of “Objectivist-influenced”? BTW, I can’t help thinking that this “goof” is in fact a publicity stunt. It sure has people talking! http://www.slate.com...pisrc=obnetwork The authors I read, Terry Goodkind and Nicholas Dykes, were pretty damned good at their books. But, that is my opinion. Terry Goodkind does have revenge subplots, such as when Kahlan goes into her Con Dar (not all instances are vengeful, but there are one or two). But his approaches are far from being revenge novels. Nicholas's book is a "guide to happiness" fiction, and I don't recall any revenge there. Although it's slanted more towards anarchistic points of view, the plots are extremely tame. Suffice to say, it's hard to nail down that "Objectivist-influenced fiction writers produce competent revenge fantasies, nothing more." Just sounds like stereotyping. Hence the question for specific authors ;) ~ Shane Shane, how did you miss the gleeful humiliation of the trespassers of Galt's Gulch West, or the triumphant foiling of stereotyped cops and officials in Scotland, or indeed the instant financial success of Jaques at age 18? Plus, he also gets to go to Oxford. Pure revenge, Dykes style. I did not know that Clavell was Oinfluenced, I loved Shogun and very much enjoyed the Jardine novels. Don't know of the first two to comment, however, I cannot argue the point of Jaques being well off. I'm guessing that implies revenge against the system. I'm working with you. But do you really consider the entire novel as being revenge? That's what I got from your first statement. I see pieces of revenge, not the whole puzzle being revenge. ~ Shane

Adam, Guys like this get under my skin. More so because they're a nuisance and not so much of a threat. This is probably one e-mail he distinctly wishes he hadn't sent, and likely to bury his "good name." I'm more irritated that he felt it his duty to inform his colleagues via a professional platform. It's not the 70s anymore where it was the public attitude to vilify soldiers as baby killers. There are tactful ways of getting his point across without having it backfire, and maybe addressing an important topic. His approach could have been more interogative to elicit discussion. Such was not the case. But, I'll have that beer with you at 2pm and we'll see what happens if we cross paths with him ;) ~ Shane

Reading articles like this always raises my hackles - Massachusetts Law Professor Calls Care Packages for U.S. Troops 'Shameful' In my military career, I've been extremely fortunate not to come in harm's way (though I've been close a few times). However, I have a great love in my heart for any man or woman who does so, our American servicemen and women, both uniformed and civilian. The US military is the only profession, as part of their oath, that take on that singular responsibility to lay down one's life if situations dictate they must. They do it voluntarily. However, I feel that police officers and fire fighters fall into the same category. So I take it personally when someone, in this case Massachussetts law professor Michael Avery, exercises his free speech rights to call an extension of good will and support "shameful." The influence this person has as a professor has the potential to poison students and faculty alike. I'm glad that most haven't sided with him, and I agree with Suffolk University's stance that opinions like that ought to be open and discussed in the proper venue. E-mailing his professional opinion doesn't seem the right thing to do. It'd be like me stating something similar, and thus, seemingly attributing that as the Air Force's opinion on the subject. There are other platforms, like Facebook or other social outlets to vent this, which I'm totally for, as it becomes a personal opinion vs professional. ~ Shane

Which writers? ~ Shane Erika Holzer’s Eye for an Eye and Robert Bidinotto’s Hunter are probably the examples she’s thinking of. But why not include Ira Levin and James Clavell in the category of “Objectivist-influenced”? BTW, I can’t help thinking that this “goof” is in fact a publicity stunt. It sure has people talking! http://www.slate.com...pisrc=obnetwork The authors I read, Terry Goodkind and Nicholas Dykes, were pretty damned good at their books. But, that is my opinion. Terry Goodkind does have revenge subplots, such as when Kahlan goes into her Con Dar (not all instances are vengeful, but there are one or two). But his approaches are far from being revenge novels. Nicholas's book is a "guide to happiness" fiction, and I don't recall any revenge there. Although it's slanted more towards anarchistic points of view, the plots are extremely tame. Suffice to say, it's hard to nail down that "Objectivist-influenced fiction writers produce competent revenge fantasies, nothing more." Just sounds like stereotyping. Hence the question for specific authors ;) ~ Shane

Which writers? ~ Shane

I hadn't heard about Perry's ambition to rid of any departments before this debate. Sounds like he tried to steal a little of Ron Paul's thunder, but got the lightning bolt instead. Oops, indeed. ~ Shane

Adam, Any way to embed the video? Can't see it from work. But from your question, I see the Tea Party and Objectivists as being two overlapping rings. As it turns out, the part that doesn't overlap (in Minnesota, at least) is pretty obvious. ~ Shane

It's pretty bad when the head honcho is trying to blow smoke up his own people's ass. Thanks for the info, gents ~ Shane

Adam, Definitely. Incrementalism should be the natural transition. I can't imagine a straight-forward cutover working well. But if it works towards a flat tax rate, and it eliminates the IRS (that alone would save millions towards useful pursuits), I'm all for it. ~ Shane

I remember watching this some time ago. I'll have to watch it again, but I remember liking it. Sometimes, I have trouble distinguishing some of the Chinese epics because the battle scenes in most of these movies are somewhat similar (and they have lots of battles) ;) ~ Shane

Agreed. Among millions, a 1% tax would still add up to a lot. But then, it's not a flat tax rate That's a hard pie to slice. ~ Shane

Not having read The Da Vinci Code, I can attest to a very high degree of translation of Angels and Demons. He did a hell of a job on that movie! ~ Shane

Adam, Interesting piece. What would be the lowest income for targeted flat rate tax? If someone's making a low income of $12,000 per year and they're hit with a flat tax of even 10%, that would take a big bite out of their earnings compared to someone who made 10 or 100 times more a year? ~ Shane

NYCC should be on that list as well, based on the article I posted - http://www.objectivistliving.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11334 ~ Shane