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gnargtharst

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  1. I think the phrase is related to this puzzle: http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/puzzles/ninedotsnj.html I suppose it's possible that the phrase has taken on some anti-conceptual elements in modern usage -- I don't have any opinion on that -- but it appears the original meaning is merely to look beyond the obvious or conventional for solutions. I believe Ayn Rand actually used the phrase in her lectures on (and subsequent books on) fiction writing. (Or non-fiction... I forget which). I remember being surprised seeing that phrase by her, as I had assumed it was newer.
  2. Yeah KurtColville, King Crimson fan here. Pre- or post-Belew? (Doesnt' matter, I like em both).
  3. Apologies, I don't have a source, and I dont' mean to be glib, but there is the obvious inference that if recycling a particular material in a particular location were profitable, it wouldn't have to be mandated by the government.
  4. Actually, I found Jason's responses to be very civil. And his position, though dead wrong, is consistent and shows he has at least thought about the issue. I wouldn't be so hard on Jason. Some religionists arrive at their conclusions because they see the results of relativism and reject them in favor of... of... what? Usually they grasp the only theory which they know of which upholds objective (i.e., "absolute") standards of morality, which, unfortunately for us yet, is religion. I'd like to discuss morality with a religionist like Jason. I'd point out that I too believe in absolute standards of morality, but have learned that these standards are based on reality, not wishful thinking about a deity, and so are much more powerful. Ignorance is inherent in Jason's opinions, but malice is not. Not yet, anyway, according to the evidence of his replies. When and if he signals that he is beyond the reach of reason, then I would politely excuse myself from the conversation. In the meantime, it may be fun to push Jason toward the edges of his loyalties: reality or faith?
  5. Try www.classicalarchives.com for extremely inexpensive downloads. Join for a year for $20 and get virtually unlimited downloads. REcordings vary from amateur to very good professional. All recordings there are in the public domain, which is why it's so cheap. While there, I rediscovered a composer that I hadn't heard for more than 20 years (and then only in a very limited way -- I played some of his piano pieces at that time). Erno Dohnanyi. I had never heard his orchestral stuff before, and upon hearing it I was completely blown away. Absolutely beautiful. I downloaded all his stuff at classicalarchives.com and then went and bought everything I could find by him at amazon. Very interesting life story as well.
  6. Inspired by Lisa van Damme's story of tutoring and eventually starting her own school (www.vandammeacademy.com), and frustrated by our child's current school, we are looking for a tutor for our 9-year old daugter, Kira (and eventually, her currently-4-year-old sister, Alexandria.) Our primary goal is for her to receive a rational education. We are also seeking additional students locally, in order that our costs are spread out a little (maybe with 4 or 5 children). Ultimately, if interest grew, we are open to investing to expand to a full school -- but, again, primarily we just want our daughter to receive a quality education, free from nonsensical new-age trivia and rampant political correctness. Although we are inspred by many educators (Marva Collins, for example, is a long-time favorite), we really appreciate Lisa Van Damme's approach, curriculum, etc. and are interested in modeling our success after hers (she has in fact suggested to us that the teacher/s we choose come visit her and observe the Van Damme Academy method). We do not require teacher certification or any such "official" credentials (though we do not reject such, either); obviously we are looking for parties who are seriously interested and competent. Experience is not as important as rationality and commitment to a rational method. I am located in southwest Florida (Ft Myers). Obviously interested parties would need to live here, or close enough to teach here daily during the school year. Pay and terms are negotiable and depend on factors such as total number of students, etc. I can be reached via email at: [email protected] Or via phone at 239-277-9444, or fax at 305-675-3763.
  7. My two cents: Do not abandon a job you love because you think it is not "heroic" enough, by your relatively new Objectivist standards. This was a mistake I made long ago, temporarily. Filled with enthusiasm by the worlds of Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, I aspired to do something great, something that would change the world, something that would advance Objectivism and help bring on a new era of rationality.... etc. ... ...I made the mistake of switching cause and effect. One cannot choose one's way in the world by saying "I should do something great", and then look to see what society needs. Your career's purpose should acheive *your* happiness, not "contribute to the cause". The world needs horse trainers -- this is true -- and there is nothing shameful about choosing it as a career. But more importantly than "the world needs such-and-such", is: *you* enjoy doing it. If I could have been convinced of this before a spent several years doing things other than what I loved, I would have been most grateful. (And, as hinted at above, realize that there are pletny of productive ventures which have as a root excellent horse training abilities. E.g., trainer; trainer teacher; breeder; etc.)
  8. The website at www.monticello.org said only that they were closed from 9:30 to 12:30 today for a "special event". Please protect the memory of Thomas Jefferson by contacting Monticello and expressing outrage. I demanded to be removed from their mailing/fundraising database. I am sick at the thought of this Islamic butcher of men poking about in Jefferson's home.
  9. Whether or not WMD are ever found in Iraq is irrelevant. The point is that there was good reason to believe that they would be found, and that this fact, in context of 9/11 was sufficient reason to bring down that regime. There were a number of other reasons why Sadams regime was fair game. Almost all of this is now obscured by the leftist dogma-turned-prevailing-wisdom that "Bush lef us into Iraq based on lies!".
  10. Rob Tracinski's excellent article on Iran is featured at Little Green Footballs (it's the 2nd topic down as I write -- 4/15/06.) Be sure to go take a look. The more hits, the more likelihood Tracisnki and other Oists will be featured again. www.littlegreenfootballs.com
  11. I also do not believe that most or all Libertarians are anrachists; I agree with the above poster who pointed out that most of the non-anarchists among them have no principled objection to the anarchists. Also, the anrachists among them tend to present the most consistent case; in my opinion the status of an "ism" is determined by its most consistent adherents. Finally, I believe the official Libertarian platfrom still advocates the "right of secession", as well as other nods to the anrachists in its ranks.
  12. I think inciting violence can properly be prosecutable, if the incitement is real and reasonably known to be taken seriously. For example, if some loon walked around with a sign saying "Hit Bill Cosby with Gobs of Jello Pudding", he would reasonably be dismissed without any further consideration. But if, say, we were at war with militant Islamists, and enduring acts of terrorism, beheadings, etc., and a militant Moslem chanted "Behead infidels in the street!", and got lots of angry Moslems to join in, then I think that'd represent a reasonable worry for citizens. A good body of legal precedents would be the best guarantee that prosecutability didn't become subjective. My personal opinion is that we should declare war, and anybody explicitly advocating violence on behalf of the enemy should be considered an enemy combatant, and shot on sight. Carrying a "death to infidel" sign should become a de facto suicide note.
  13. The campaign is getting some good publicity over at Little Green Footballs: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?en...rtoons#comments ...third Objectivist mention over at LGF in the past week, IIRC.
  14. Chernobyl does underscore the dangers of governments regulation. Nonethless, history has shown it to be largely a myth. Compare the damage/mortality reports that circulated for years, compared to the more recent assessments of it. I'm sorry I have no citations right now -- I remember the issue re-surfacing in the news over the last couple of years, with reports to the effect that earlier reported effects of the Chernobyl disaster were grossly exaggerated. Perhaps somebody with a convenient link could point that-a-way?
  15. A couple of random issues: Who is financing this plant? Don't they have incentive to keep it safe? Who is insuring this plant? Seems like it would be hard for a ticking time bomb to maintain liability insurance (or property insurance), without which how do they get workers, service contracts, etc.? What evidence supports the idea that a typical nuclear power plant could -- even under bad supervision -- become a "time bomb", or any kind of bomb? I think the idea that a power plant could go up in a mushroom cloud is a myth. Finally, it is possible for such a plant to pose an objective hazard, action against which would not constitute "regulation", but rather legitmate retaliatory force (I don't know what such a hypothetical would consist of, but I assume it could be done -- if an Exxon truck driver got drunk and went swerving down the road with a truckful of gasoline, it would not be "regulation" for the cops to pull him over). And finally, regarding the nuclear weapon question: private civilians should not be allowed nuclear weapons nor any other weapon of mass destruction. These weapons are objectiviely dangerous to innocents, even in the hands of the best-intentioned; no non-governmental possession of such weapons is justifiable.
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