Weird News!

[Barbara Branden]

Appease Sky God? Airline Sacrifices Goats

Weird News, World News

KATHMANDU (Sept. 4) - Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due to the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.

Local media last week blamed the company's woes on an electrical fault. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia.

It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

2007-09-05 09:08:06

[Ross Barlow]

Barbara,

I think I am going to avoid traveling via this particular airline. Thanks for the warning.

.

-Ross Barlow.

[Chris Grieb]

It would be nice to know that's lots don't use this airline.

I hope the rest of us would feel the same way if we found an American carrier had a Roman Catholic priest bless the planes in that company's fleet.

[galtgulch]

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions...it is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

The perpetuation of traditions in every culture in the world helps to maintain that cultures identity. "It is what we do." Every culture, meaning individuals who are raised by parents who teach them the beliefs of their own traditions, values the perpetuation of their beliefs no matter how irrational they might be.

Most of us, meaning the younger, more modern, rational children of whichever culture realize the irrationality of many of these rituals and may or may not teach our own children them, or when we do we do so with explanations to make it clear to our own children that it is out of respect for our forebears that we do so, not because that is the way the world works.

One may be hopeful when one realizes that our ancestors survived the dark ages, sustained their own lives and those of their children, generation after generation, despite the irrational times they lived in, in part because of their beliefs, whether their beliefs were rational or not.

The fact that we live in an age when we shared this precious orb hurtling through space alongside a life giving star with an individual who created a "rational, coherent, comprehensive, integrated view of existence with a rational code of ethics for living on earth," should inspire us and give us hope for the future of mankind in years to come. Rand's ideas will live on and spread until they become common knowledge and start traditions of their own which are pro reason and pro reality.

The antidote is known.

Objectivism will enable the future of mankind and traditions will be generated to sustain those of us who appreciate it. My own favorite is that on solemn occasions Objectivists should "stand on one foot" and perhaps say what Rand said: Metaphysics: Objective Reality, Epistemology: Reason, Ethics: Rational Self Interest, Politics: Laissez faire Capitalism. Some would add, Esthetics: Romantic Realism.

No blindfold please!

A tradition of our own. You know the Jewish people who go to temple read the Torah from one end to the other in the course of each year and then start all over again. Perhaps Objectivists should read certain works of Rand, Branden, von Mises, Bastiat, Aristotle, Darwin, Paine... We could have an orthodoxy of our own with different sects depending on whose works are included!

galt

Edited September 6, 2007 by galtgulch

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Barbara,

That's ridiculous. What on earth do these people think they are doing? How do they expect that to work without sacrificing at least an ox?

Michael

[BaalChatzaf]

A tradition of our own. You know the Jewish people who go to temple read the Torah from one end to the other in the course of each year and then start all over again. Perhaps Objectivists should read certain works of Rand, Branden, von Mises, Bastiat, Aristotle, Darwin, Paine... We could have an orthodoxy of our own with different sects depending on whose works are included!

galt

The Haftorah portions will be from Aristotle's Posterior and Prior Analytics. On Objectivist High Holy Days, there will be additional portions from Von Mises.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[galtgulch]

It would be nice to know that's lots don't use this airline.

I hope the rest of us would feel the same way if we found an American carrier had a Roman Catholic priest bless the planes in that company's fleet.

Instead we have clergymen bless the Congress and the Senate and the President is sworn in with his hand on the Holy Bible!

Not to mention that since 1954 schoolchildren are forced to pledge allegiance to the flag while chanting their loyalty to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, Under God, with Liberty and Justice for all.

How embarrassing.

galt

[Chris Grieb]

galt; You are correct. I must also confess that I have been invited to a friend's house blessing.

[John Dailey]

~ As I've commented elsewhere, properly, in keeping with the original intent of 'sacrificing to the gods', the airline should have sacrificed a virgin airplane.

~ Clearly, they're not THAT stupid.

~ Just a PR stunt for the locals.

LLAP

J:D

Edited September 10, 2007 by John Dailey

[studiodekadent]

The Haftorah portions will be from Aristotle's Posterior and Prior Analytics. On Objectivist High Holy Days, there will be additional portions from Von Mises.

Well lets be honest, we can plug Objectivism into any mythology.

For example, at the Surprise Supper, our savior Ayn Rand, Daughter of Aristotle, feasted with her disciples, and was eventually betrayed by Nathaniel Judas Branden, leading to The Passion of Ayn Rand, in which she was shown to be human.

Personally I would like to avoid becoming a tradition-bound sect. However the idea of multiple 'subsects' raised earlier does make me laugh. Who knows, I may start an Objectivist Goth community one day ("Sex, Blood and Capitalism!").

But otherwise, POTENTIAL OBJECTIVIST HOLIDAYS:

Rand's Birthday (Readings of Atlas, gift giving, etc)

Branden Wedding Day ("Feast of the Betrayers" for ARIans, "Feast of the Neglected Saints" for Open-Systemers)

Independence Day (obvious reasons)

SAINTS DAYS FOR: Locke, Aristotle, Aquinas, Mises (and I would say Abelard, Spinoza (for his treatment of egoism), Hayek, J. S. Mill, Schumpter, David Kelley or Leonard Peikoff (depending on affiliation), and in general a "hooray for the enlightenment project" day all deserve some recognition).

Christmas (protest outside Churches)

Hooray for The Joys of Sexual Pleasure Day (celebrating this should be self-explanatory)

Tax Day (protest outside the IRS HQ)

Russian Revolution (wear nothing but black on this day)

The Beginning of the End Day (anniversary of publication of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason)

The Beginning of the New Beginning Day (anniversary of the publication of Atlas)

Easter Sunday (show little kiddies the really nasty bits of The Passion of the Christ to put them off Jesus forever)

September 11 (protest outside your local Mosque)

[Chris Grieb]

John Davis gave a talk about Objectivist celebrations at the Summer Seminar at Union College.

Ayn Rand's birthday is being celebrating around the country on that day. There will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Atlas Shrugged on Oct 6th in Washington DC. You can still reserve your place. Prices go up Monday.

[galtgulch]

John Davis gave a talk about Objectivist celebrations at the Summer Seminar at Union College.

Ayn Rand's birthday is being celebrating around the country on that day. There will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Atlas Shrugged on Oct 6th in Washington DC. You can still reserve your place. Prices go up Monday.

For those of us who will be unable to make it to the official 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. I would hope that we could muster up some sort of celebration of our own wherever we live. Perhaps locals who appreciate the significance of Atlas Shrugged might conjure up a way to all meet for a few moments at a crucial location and to stage a "thing" which might attract enough attention to be reported in the newspapers. Prearranged times like high noon or at sunset. I do wish this were done and became more than an annual event which might grow in numbers and attract attention.

One option which comes to mind would be for dozens of Ayn Rand admirers to come together for a few moments and occupy a major intersection, all stand on one foot and repeat the mantra and then disperse!

There must be tens of thousands of Objectivists all across the country. What better time to get together wherever we live, in our own town or city and stand on the steps of our local college or university with like minded individuals and profess our belief in Objectivism. I'd prefer an institution of learning rather than of politics.

What are the chances of Objectivists doing anything like I suggest above? Imagine if they did though.

galt

Edited September 22, 2007 by galtgulch

[Chris Grieb]

I expect the main thing that would happen with Galt's idea is that the number of Objectivist would be deminished by the number run over for standing in an intersection.

[Dragonfly]

I think that repeating a mantra at a roadcross wouldn't increase their credibility as a movement based on rationality. I can imagine the comments.

[galtgulch]

I think that repeating a mantra at a roadcross wouldn't increase their credibility as a movement based on rationality. I can imagine the comments.

On the one hand you are undoubtedly correct and that is why it hasn't happened yet.

On the other hand something of the sort has been known to attract attention. Whether it is the kind of attention we want or that would do any good is debatable.

If it were done on a college campus or even in front of a high school however it might help the cause. It would be reported in the school newspaper in detail with info about Objectivism. It would reach kids at an age when they would be more open to new ideas than they might ever be again. It is therefor worth considering. Of course the essay competitions accomplish something of the same thing but do not have as broad appeal.

Sometimes you guys sound like the parent who tells their child that his dreams are unrealistic and that he is too dumb to accomplish them anyway.

galt

[Alfonso Jones]

Appease Sky God? Airline Sacrifices Goats

Weird News, World News

KATHMANDU (Sept. 4) - Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due to the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.

Local media last week blamed the company's woes on an electrical fault. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia.

It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

2007-09-05 09:08:06

Instead we (USA) look at our own House of Representatives - and note a chaplain...

Alfonso

[John Dailey]

Alfonso:

~...or, our Pentagon, and note an imam. To wit...

'Praise Allah' will now compete with 'In God We Trust'

~ Can't wait for the militant Buddhists or Hindus to show up next. Supreme Court, maybe?

LLAP

J:D

Edited October 7, 2007 by John Dailey

[Alfonso Jones]

Alfonso:

~...or, our Pentagon, and note an imam. To wit...

'Praise Allah' will now compete with 'In God We Trust'

~ Can't wait for the militant Buddhists or Hindus to show up next. Supreme Court, maybe?

LLAP

J:D

This fills me with sadness.

I heard they were going to sacrifice a virgin at the Supreme Court opening this fall, but no virgins could be found in Washington, D. C.

Alfonso (it's a joke)

[Philip Coates]

> What on earth do these people think they are doing? How do they expect that to work without sacrificing at least an ox?

Barbara, I have to agree with Michael.

This is why we stand for reason and science and not mysticism.

All of us know that to change the fortunes of something so big and with so much mojo as a mighty airplane you have to sacrifice something which is at least one tenth of one percent of the size and weight of said entity. That was mentioned in Galt's speech.

Moreover, Alfonso, please see above: the same reasoning applies to the size and weight of the Supreme Court versus the size and weight of a virgin -- even one who doesn't diet and is not anorexic.

[Alfonso Jones]

The Haftorah portions will be from Aristotle's Posterior and Prior Analytics. On Objectivist High Holy Days, there will be additional portions from Von Mises.

Well lets be honest, we can plug Objectivism into any mythology.

For example, at the Surprise Supper, our savior Ayn Rand, Daughter of Aristotle, feasted with her disciples, and was eventually betrayed by Nathaniel Judas Branden, leading to The Passion of Ayn Rand, in which she was shown to be human.

Personally I would like to avoid becoming a tradition-bound sect. However the idea of multiple 'subsects' raised earlier does make me laugh. Who knows, I may start an Objectivist Goth community one day ("Sex, Blood and Capitalism!").

But otherwise, POTENTIAL OBJECTIVIST HOLIDAYS:

Rand's Birthday (Readings of Atlas, gift giving, etc)

Branden Wedding Day ("Feast of the Betrayers" for ARIans, "Feast of the Neglected Saints" for Open-Systemers)

Independence Day (obvious reasons)

SAINTS DAYS FOR: Locke, Aristotle, Aquinas, Mises (and I would say Abelard, Spinoza (for his treatment of egoism), Hayek, J. S. Mill, Schumpter, David Kelley or Leonard Peikoff (depending on affiliation), and in general a "hooray for the enlightenment project" day all deserve some recognition).

Christmas (protest outside Churches)

Hooray for The Joys of Sexual Pleasure Day (celebrating this should be self-explanatory)

Tax Day (protest outside the IRS HQ)

Russian Revolution (wear nothing but black on this day)

The Beginning of the End Day (anniversary of publication of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason)

The Beginning of the New Beginning Day (anniversary of the publication of Atlas)

Easter Sunday (show little kiddies the really nasty bits of The Passion of the Christ to put them off Jesus forever)

September 11 (protest outside your local Mosque)

Now, that is a hilarious post. Bravo!

Alfonso

[John Dailey]

~ I still say that they should have 'sacrificed' a virgin airplane.

LLAP

J:D

[Mikee]

Barbara,

Very funny! Sounds like the marketing dept is in charge, as usual.

[Selene]

The Haftorah portions will be from Aristotle's Posterior and Prior Analytics. On Objectivist High Holy Days, there will be additional portions from Von Mises.

Well lets be honest, we can plug Objectivism into any mythology.

For example, at the Surprise Supper, our savior Ayn Rand, Daughter of Aristotle, feasted with her disciples, and was eventually betrayed by Nathaniel Judas Branden, leading to The Passion of Ayn Rand, in which she was shown to be human.

Personally I would like to avoid becoming a tradition-bound sect. However the idea of multiple 'subsects' raised earlier does make me laugh. Who knows, I may start an Objectivist Goth community one day ("Sex, Blood and Capitalism!").

But otherwise, POTENTIAL OBJECTIVIST HOLIDAYS:

Rand's Birthday (Readings of Atlas, gift giving, etc)

Branden Wedding Day ("Feast of the Betrayers" for ARIans, "Feast of the Neglected Saints" for Open-Systemers)

Independence Day (obvious reasons)

SAINTS DAYS FOR: Locke, Aristotle, Aquinas, Mises (and I would say Abelard, Spinoza (for his treatment of egoism), Hayek, J. S. Mill, Schumpter, David Kelley or Leonard Peikoff (depending on affiliation), and in general a "hooray for the enlightenment project" day all deserve some recognition).

Christmas (protest outside Churches)

Hooray for The Joys of Sexual Pleasure Day (celebrating this should be self-explanatory)

Tax Day (protest outside the IRS HQ)

Russian Revolution (wear nothing but black on this day)

The Beginning of the End Day (anniversary of publication of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason)

The Beginning of the New Beginning Day (anniversary of the publication of Atlas)

Easter Sunday (show little kiddies the really nasty bits of The Passion of the Christ to put them off Jesus forever)

September 11 (protest outside your local Mosque)

Now, that is a hilarious post. Bravo!

Alfonso

"Hooray for The Joys of Sexual Pleasure Day (celebrating this should be self-explanatory)." Now this is the day we combine the virgin sacrifice with intricate knot tying demo's. Then we lease the DVD to the 757 company on an annual basis, minimum 10 year lease and have the goats for the post orgy feast!