Praedo

Excellent questions. However, I am not qualified to answer because I was just examining free-will myself, so have not formulated a complete opinion. So thank you for putting my question into words. Would be interested to examine any answers while I reason out where I stand on the issue myself.

Three years and 2000 ejaculations missed (at least)? Wow, you keep a busy schedule. We get plenty of money, but don't let me stop you from investing more tax dollars into my salary, . With living expenses (food, shelter, insurance, ect) covered in every shape or form, a car and a cell phone are the only real sources of bills for me. I'm not a model saver, but I still can save over half my paycheck every month by giving myself a just a 20$ bill each day for random enjoyment and not using my cards. My Navy friends wonder how I have so much money. I go out with them and end up covering the whole tab time to time. Excellent advice, not to smoke or drink (for health reasons too). I had $2,500 of debt when I joined the Navy. I paid it off, bought a $1200 laptop, some designer clothes (if I can only bring 3 outfits with me on a trip to Europe, I'm gonna spring for the ones I really like), have a couple thousand in retirement plan so far, and have a thousand in bank account. I have taken trips to Mexico, gone out to clubs, parks, seen the sights, and still hang out in bars with friends. Everything is choice; and consequence. I hiked up too many mountains in the Adirondacks to count or remember, but look back fondly on it. It was always hiking and camping for mini-vacations so I grew to love the outdoors. Something I have missed the most being in San Diego is the lack of weather, or real terrain. There are some nice parks, but everything else is an oasis in the desert that isn't there naturally and takes massive sprinkler systems to keep alive. When I first got here I called it 'Heaven' because it seemed so artificially perfect. The description still flies with me, but usually not in a good way. Sword of Truth? The first two are amazing and action packed, and I recommend reading them in order, but it starts getting more into deep thinking after those two. The action suffers some, but it makes you think more. Faith of the Fallen would probably be the favorite on OL if everyone read the series, but I liked Naked Empire because it addressed issues important to me personally. If you watch the Legend of the Seeker (Sword of Truth adaptation for TV) recently, don't judge by it. I hope you all won't judge SoT by Legend of the Seeker any more then people will judge Atlas Shrugged by the movie coming out that shares the name (although yes, I look forward to seeing it). Separate works. I will have to look into Old Nick's Guide to Happiness in the bookstore next time I am there. One last thing... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanks Brant. Sure I can say. I am a Sonar Technician. I operate and repair sonar and torpedo systems for surface ships. Well, I have been trained to do so, but I have been in school for over a year, so when I finally arrive on my ship in January it should be interesting seeing how much I remember and how much I still can learn. I would love to hear how it saved your life. Real uselful life experience is one thing I feel dwarfed next to for every member of OL (one of the reasons I joined the Navy, to gain experiences).

Hello. Nice to meet you all. Tons of information, too much looking back over what I read, but I'm here to share so enjoy it all I guess. I am a 20 years old male, enlisted in the US Navy. I consider myself from both Upstate NY (lived near Utica for 14 years) and New Hampshire (five years and my family is there). I am currently stationed in San Diego, but I am transferring to Norfolk, Virginia after Christmas stand down. I wanted to register because I have of late found myself reading the articles on this site more and more, and wanted to give thanks for the thought provoking discussions I have read. Also, I think that from time to time I will have to try having one myself, but I am not very well versed in Objectivism, being that my only real exposure has been OL, Atlas Shrugged, and The Fountainhead, so I'm afraid you may be having a discussion with someone who's personal philosophy can't be named being that it is simply what I have come to believe over the course of my life. I hope to learn and grow on this site and if there is some truth here I do not have, I hope to learn it for myself. Honestly I could not tell you if I believe anything different then Objectivism, being that I have not ventured very far into philosophy of any kind. I know that what I hear I have agreed with. I do not enjoy lurking as a guest and thought it time to bring my opinion into play as well. From what I know of Objectivism, it could be I want to pay for the knowledge I am acquiring. I know that I don't like to get something for nothing, and vice versa. I do know that tonight I felt after reading on this site that I just wanted to leave a comment saying 'thank you for helping me learn', but I thought about it and figured that you were not doing it for me, but for yourself. All the same, I look forward to interacting with all of you. How I found Objectivism is one of those strange coincidences. I was visiting my sister's house. I was 18-19(?) and I was looking for a good book to read one morning. I picked up Atlas Shrugged, and that's where it should have ended, because I only had fifteen minutes or so to wait, so I skipped to the end, after the speech, and read to a few pages to the end. I left myself cliffhanging for the ending, but had to leave so left it there, and went on with my life for a year without remembering it. In the Navy, I made a friend who introduced me to Terry Goodkind and the Sword of Truth series. I had never heard of Objectivism and didn't know he was considered one. I honestly recommend it as light reading (action/fantasy) for anyone who has need of light reading here. But after reading the whole series, I thought about the philosophy presented. I thought, and I thought, and found a whole new way to live. It may sound silly to others, finding great truth hidden in a little fantasy novel, but I honestly find the most important things in life when I'm not looking for them I suppose. I read it, and was talking to my sister on the phone one day, and I remembered Atlas Shrugged (well not the name, but a very memorable scene near the end and she supplied the name). I thought, thats a book worth reading. It seemed 'right'. No, I don't know why, but yes I pick which book I will find interesting on instinct much, and I was right. I was quite happy when I went to the bookstore and it was a thick spine of a read. I was even more happy when I found what was on the inside. I read it, thought about it a long time, it filled in some important details I had not thought of. I bought the Fountainhead a few days ago, read it and loved it (actually I had to steal hours to read it in my schedule which made it more enjoyable, a chapter here and there and then just hours sitting somewhere doing nothing to think about it). Near the end of Fountainhead (Page 672 of my Centennial Edition actually, the exact page preceding the trial by coincidence) I stopped. I thought, well there will be a trial, he will win... I just extrapolated what would happen. I got a lot right too, but I considered stopping there. I just wanted a hero in a book that would do what was right, and keep doing it even when the world said 'no'. But I suppose it had his whole life till then. Long winded story about someone reading a book or two, if you people aren't incredibly bored by that I'd have to officially say most people would find you weird (at least people I have met). Guess I'm weird, but wouldn't have it any other way. ;) Till next time. Note: Perhaps the spell-checker for posts might have the word Objectivist, Objectivism, or other terms like that added if at all possible. It is one of those little things that made me laugh a little when I saw it was coming up as an error on this website, although thanks for making my day a little brighter).