Michael Russell

Matus1976: "I wish he would have died sooner, and his politically naïve influence would have ended with him." How charming. Do you really believe that John Lennon had a major influence on turning public opinion against the Vietnam War? Matus1976: "The opponents of the Vietnam war, after the draft was indeed, were almost entirely funded by global communist parties." Care to back that allegation up with some proof? Now for my thoughts on the movie. The documentary "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" disturbed me. It made clear to me the fascist parallels between the Nixon and Bush 2 administrations. It seems to me that the current Bush administration is using the tired old Nixonian script with regards to war and dissent. Mick

Kori, have you read "We The Living"? Although a work of fiction, I found Rand's first novel to be one of the best descriptions of the oppressiveness of life in Russia during the early years of the new and criminal Soviet government. Mick

Victor: "By the way, the paintings are for sale: 2,750.00 [American]-- and that’s dirt cheap. Christmas is just around the corner. Peri, are you reading this?

Kori, your request is rather vague. What specific information are you after regarding Maoist China, Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany? I'm not as familiar with Chinese history as I am with German and Russian history. Dmitri Volkogonov wrote excellent biographies of the three major players of the Bolshevik Revolution, "Lenin", "Trotsky" and "Stalin". William L. Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" is a very good book on Nazi Germany. Mick

Victor: "I most certainly have a multitude of lighthearted caricatures. I have sent a batch to our very own Kat for posting, and they are, for the most part, purely for entertainment value and are not “ideology based”. This includes both graphite art and actual paintings." I'll look forward to viewing those caricatures when they are posted. I see from your website that you've done a caricature of one of my favorite writers, Charles Bukowski. Mick

Victor, apparently the friendly folks at SLOP are obsessed with you. And, at least in the case of Mr Edge, suffer from delusions of grandeur. I must say that I'm more interested in the "lighter side" of your art. Why waste your creativity and talent on the likes of Perigo, Biddle and Hsieh? I'd like to see a caricature of someone you respect and admire. Ayn Rand? Mick

Chris, you are thinking of Cassie Bernall. Her mother wrote a book "She Said Yes", which claimed that Cassie was shot after saying yes when asked by one of the shooters if she believed in God. However, some witnesses to her shooting claim that there was no verbal exchange between Cassie and the shooters.

None of the above. Blackhorse, where are the left wing talk radio hosts? You have wimpy Allen Colmes, but no Al Franken? No Ed Schultz? I often disagree with Franken and Schultz, but both of them are more entertaining than any of those right wing blowhards you listed. Of the right wingers, I like Michael Graham. My all time favorite talk radio host was Ray Suarez of NPR's Talk of the Nation. He is now a senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Mick

And now for another healthy treat: Deep-fried Snickers bar 1 egg 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt Snickers bar Chill or freeze the candy bars. Combine egg, milk and vegetable oil in a cup. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. Cover and chill for a few minutes while the oil heats. Remove batter from the refrigerator and adjust the consistency if necessary. Heat about 4 cups of oil or shortening to 375 degrees F. Dip the chilled candy bar in the batter and gently place into the oil. Cook only until the outside is golden. Remove and drain on brown paper. Allow to cool for a minute as the inside can easily burn your mouth.

Rich: "I was reading this thread and it also reminded me a bit of what Victor did when he came over here. I don't think I've seen anything like this happen on any of the O-forums ever, and here we have two times where people have about-faced, fully knowing what they might be in for." Props to Michael and Kat for not only recognizing the good in people, but also for providing a forum that allows for the good to rise above the bad. I sure like the Victor on OL much better than I did the Victor on SLOP. Mick

Victor, I’m curious. Did LW Hall’s post regarding your alleged plagiarism insult you? I never understood why MSK deleted it. I disagree with LW’s assessment of you (I don’t hold internet posts to the same standard as I do term papers or works submitted for compensation), but I found his post to be more of a rebuke than an insult. I’m sorry he left; I miss his contributions here at OL. Mick

I love the poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes in particular. Here is one of my favorite Langston Hughes poem: Montage of a Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load Or does it just explode?

Brant Gaede: "I'm not here so much to post, though I may from time to time ... " I hope you do post here. You were one of the few sane posters over at SOLO. Mick

Western civilization will miss this tireless and courageous advocate for reason. Not all will miss her though, I was disgusted to read this quote in the International Herald Tribune from Dacia Valent, a spokeswoman for the Islamic Anti-Defamation League, "It's almost impossible to feel pity for somebody like Oriana Fallaci". Well I don't feel "pity" for Oriana Fallaci, I feel thankful for her life and work, and I feel sadness at her passing.

Robert, Thanks for the suggestions. I have "New York Is Now" but I was unfamiliar with the other two recordings. Although I never had the opportunity to hear Dewey Redman live, Peri and I attended an Ornette Coleman concert at the San Francisco Jazz Festival in 1994. I am perhaps the only person ever to have fallen asleep at an Ornette Coleman show. That's a long and interesting story; maybe for another time. Mick

Barbara, thank you for pointing out that there are a sizable number of Iranians who bravely advocate for reform and against their theocratic oppressors. I also remember the massive demonstrations of support in Iran for the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks. This outpouring was both spontaneous and genuine. You write: "Are these students and other Iranians like them the people we should be nuking? We should be helping them in every way possible, helping them to break free of their tormentors, as we helped so many other courageous rebels in Eastern Europe when they were struggling to to break free of their Communist tormentors." I couldn't agree more. Mick

This is the kind of disgusting thought that keeps my girlfriend away from a serious study of Objectivism, with friends like Mr. Biddle … Anyway, I'm so glad Peri and I found a sane (and friendly) Objectivist community in Objectivist Living.

Tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman died Sept. 2 in Brooklyn, NY at the age of 75. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Walter "Dewey" Redman had a distinctly bold and bluesy sound. Mr. Redman was more innovative than his son Joshua, and more accessible than his friend Ornette Coleman, yet he never received the acclaim he deserved. I particularly enjoyed Mr. Redman's work with Pat Metheney on Metheney's album "80/81". For further information about Dewey Redman check out this interview from jazzine.com http://www.jazzine.com/artists/dewey_redman.phtml

John, My bad. I apologize to all members of O-L for polluting this board with a thread on Flatulent Fred. Mick

Victor: "Right on. I love the Beatles. Period. I love the early stones right up till...oh....early 80s." The Beatles were simply the greatest Rock N' Roll band ever. Period. Thankfully they broke up before they ended up like the joke that is the 2006 version of the Rolling Stones. Mick

Wayne Simmons: "Michael Russell, your approach seems to be that you talk about my insulting tone and then insult me. Hmmm, interesting hypocrisy." Thanks for your answer to my question. Victor Pross: "All this? Even after I posted that Beatle song?" gary williams: "Sorry Victor! But I am a Stones man!" I'm a late Beatles and early Stones fan. CNA: "Once again, Damage has a huge audience right now. This is what he is looking for. The more everyone posts the more it is going to erupt. The more it will add fuel to the fire. This whole fiasco is not beneficial to anyone in anyway. It will become a vicious cycle; ie, the vacuous state and will continue." At the risk of offending Mr. Simmons ... AMEN!

Wayne, why the hostility? You ask some valid questions, but your tone is a turn off. Do you want an honest exchange of ideas, or are you just an asshole?

Victor, that's hilarious man! I'm looking forward to you sharing more of your art, hopefully on a more worthy subject.

I bought "The Ideas of Ayn Rand" at a used bookstore a couple of weeks ago. I've yet to read any of Rand's non-fiction, and this book (with its wide-ranging overview of Rand's ideas) appears to be a good read before I embark on my Randian journey.

My favorite bop artist was J. J. Johnson, arguably the father of the modern jazz trombone. He was incredible.